718 GT4 - Have I lost the plot?

[LiamH66]

[Original title was 718 > GT4, but the ">" got removed somehow. Meant to be "From 718 to GT4, have I lost the plot?"]

16 months into 718 Cayman (not S) ownership, first Porsche, and it's the second best car I ever owned; have absolutely loved every one of the 17.5k miles I have done in it. Somehow this weekend I got to thinking about chopping it in for a GT4, and I don't know if I completely mad thinking about a GT4 as a daily drive.

The heart goes something like: "I'll live once. The GT4 is probably the best 2 seat sports coupe ever made. I have loved the 718, but have always preferred a bigger NA engine over a little one with forced induction. If I have one chance in my life to own one, then I should take it."

The explanation to my wife: "It's the same as the car you didn't want me to buy 2 years ago, but without me checking my emails every hour for 10 months to see if there's any update on delivery. It has a different engine, but there's nothing about it that you will notice as different. It's a big investment, but it will depreciate slower than the one I have now." (Responded with weary raised eyebrows.)

What got me into thinking about it? Was checking out used 911s on the local OPC's website, and they have a GT4 in exactly the spec I would want, and weirdly enough I was thinking they'd be more expensive by now. Does anyone think the prices are going to stay down for these? Did they make too many of them? I thought they would be creeping up a bit more by now.

Last of all, 718 was 48.5k new. Pretty well mint despite 17.5k mileage (front bumper very nicely painted by Porsche approved in May, and they made a really nice job of it). Anyone want to hazard a guess at what the OPC might offer for trade in? I'm hoping somewhere near 35k to be able to do the deal. I guess some of it depends on the extras I chose, as they were really quite abnormal!

Have I lost the plot? No hardship at all in staying with what I already have.

Liam

Edited by LiamH66 on Sunday 23 September 20:44

Edited by LiamH66 on Sunday 23 September 20:46

[LiamH66]

D.no said:

Krobar said:

I think you should buy your wife a new Porsche and then if you're really nice to your dealer they might sell you a 718 GT4, if it gets the 4.0 then it will be worth it.

You'll be 9 new car purchases short of securing an allocation if you apply the above logic, but you'll probably have a happy wife.

My wife hates Porsches, and the 718 GT4 is a long shot however many new Porsches you buy. I've had 20 years of trying to figure out how to have a happy wife, and in my case it has more to do with house, garden and pets than cars. Can't say I have figured out much beyond that.

DJMC, no, not too bothered about lack of opportunity to exploit the car's capabilities on the road much of the time. I have never really been tempted to take the 718 to a track day yet either, but if I do end up with a GT4 I might consider it. To be honest I can get most of the fun I want driving on the limit from racing my kart (when I have time), and it always reminds me that 7 tenths is plenty for the road in anything. The 718 is stupid fast if you drive it on the limit, I didn't want a Cayman S because the temptation would be too much, but somehow the GT4 "you want one but you can't have one" marketing strategy has resided in the back of my brain somewhere.

Yes, at least £45k to find to bridge the gap, probably closer to 50 (it's quite a well spec'd GT4). I won't be putting miles on the GT4 at the rate I did the 718 - was doing a fortnightly commute from Lancashire to Kent for much of the first year of ownership - will probably do 10k a year in it.

Thanks for all the responses, appreciate the input from everyone. I'm going to view the GT4 tomorrow (but not to test drive it because that would give their sales people a totally unfair advantage). I've had a good chance to weight things up, and just need to see if my excitement levels are equal to the task of making me find the money.

Liam

[LiamH66]

Looks like the deed is done, although I will be getting something else to use when it can't really be a daily (salty roads, long term car parks, etc.), but deposit paid, so I'm committed (or ought to be). Intent is as a long term keeper, so depreciation will be fairly academic if it really is a huge issue. FWIW the 718 seems to have done OK for 16 months depreciation.

If the GT4 is slower than the 718 there is something seriously wrong in the world - I think that comparison used 718 Cayman S performance figures.

The experiment should begin in earnest in a couple of weeks' time. I think it might be OK, but then I have lost the plot.

Liam

(The 718 GT4 has been just round the corner for a while now, and I think it immensely unlikely that I will be offered a slot to order one, and even after that it's likely to be a long wait. But I'm still on the list, so who knows?)

Edited by LiamH66 on Tuesday 25th September 21:36

[LiamH66]

Foundthecure said:

May I ask how much the 718 depreciated, I know some would like to think it’s “epic”, but I think they’ll hold up ok??

12.5k, possibly better, we're working out the finer detail. A friend's AMG GT S seems to have fared far less well despite much lower mileage. I'm neither surprised not disappointed.

Liam

[LiamH66]

James McScotty said:

981 GTS is the sweet spot for off-track and on-road use. But I would say that.
718 sounds and drives real bad.

No, the 718 is an awesome 2.0 litre turbo car, and drives brilliantly as one. Expecting it to be other is setting the bar unrealistically high.

Liam

[LiamH66]

Schmed said:

even the most ardent hater of the engine change would concede a 718 does not drive “real bad”. You are a comedian James.

Did you test drive the GT4, Liam ?

I did not. Funnily enough I test drive very few cars that I buy. Generally takes me a few weeks to figure out if I like them or not, so a test drive is kind of pointless. The "almost" exception to this was the 718 C, where I test drove a 718 Boxster to see if I could live with the 2.0 T4 engine. I know I can live with stupidly tall gearing, as I have done so for the last 16 months or so!

Liam

[LiamH66]

Foundthecure said:

I’m lost! Has the OP lost the plot or not??

Jury's out on that one. Probably matters little, but was glad of the feedback, bemused by the arguments, and most appear to be making valid points aside from torque actually mattering very much. Power tells you the rate at which fuel can be turned into vehicle motion; the gearbox turns it into required torque at appropriate speed. F=P/v and a = F/m; torque is not even required to make the calculation.

Aside from all that, optimum gear change point cannot be worked out from power and torque curves alone, much better to use the gear ratios to establish the tractive effort available in gears against speed. For lower gears in most cars it's quite often worth going to max revs even if peak power has been a fair bit earlier.

Liam

[LiamH66]

Mad Scientist said:

<snip>.

Generally, today was a good day.

Not one person asked me how torque was calculated or where I should change gear.


Enjoy your car OP.

Thank you - I think I just might.

[LiamH66]

Schmed said:

Excellent, I did the same thing last night in my base 718 boxster. Op, enjoy the new car, when do you take delivery? To anyone who can pump another £45k+ into their motoring hobby I take my hat off, and leave you with one final thought— after the GT4 what car will be next... It is an addiction..

Sometimes the combination of a load of hard work and more than a bit of being in the right place at the right time is a massive enabler - I do feel incredibly lucky to be on the cusp of owning something I was drooling over less than 3 years ago. And I have REALLY enjoyed the base 718 Cayman, I am sure the Boxster is equally brilliant. Should be collecting the GT4 by next weekend with a bit of luck.

Next after the GT4 I want to buy my old GT86 back, complete with winter wheels and tyres, so I don't have to use the GT4 in snow slush and salt. After that, don't know, my name is down for a 718 GT4, but I am under no illusions that it makes it terribly likely I'll get a chance to order one.

Liam

[LiamH66]

Quick update. Collected the GT4 this morning. Clearly have not lost the plot. Compared to the 718 Cayman it rides harsher (Cayman was on 18" rims), is far less soundproofed, tramlines much more, and has no parking sensors. None of the above matter much.

It is planted, responsive, great gear ratios (less overgeared than the 718 for me), comfortable, perfectly weighted controls, but that engine! Response, wide band of torque, ample power, and it sounds amazing. I am going to slot right back into NA without any worries. It really is one hell of a car, and I feel zero remorse about parting with extra cash to have it in my garage.

[LiamH66]

Porsche911R said:

er they are the same it does 85 in 2nd !

You are absolutely right, but I would not have believed it unless I had double checked. I guess it comes down to a 2.0 engine, vs. 3.8 making the 718 feel far more overgeared, as well as a slight lack of cylinders. The one with the bigger engine is far easier to drive in traffic, but you do have to get a bit more animated with the gearbox if you want it to make progress at more normal road speeds. I cannot believe how much more civilized the GT4 engine feels (and how much less civilized it sounds.)

Liam

[LiamH66]

interstellar said:

we need some pictures op!!

Any suggestions for a good image hosting site? Used to use Photobucket, but they now want $48 a year for me to share photos!

https://app.box.com/s/oni5bdbevukxuhflu0vz283sevvl...

https://app.box.com/s/peksgh12qmjeo1gdvoswgb4erpl8...

https://app.box.com/s/j9k4calz0uhn2rpv1j55zaeez18l...

Edited by LiamH66 on Monday 8th October 22:15

Edited by LiamH66 on Monday 8th October 22:16