CR Manual man gives 718 Cayman S PDK a weekend test.

[MrDemon]

It is only opinion ofcourse, I went in wanting to like it more as I have had 3 Audi TT and like the car for what it is, 2 were manual though even my RS.

automatics are very dull unless in something so fast and short geared you work with it like a 458.

the 718 lacked so much in so many area's it did not feel sporty or exciting in any way.

lets remember the Golf came 2nd in Evo car of the year so calling it a golf in a dress is a good thing not bad lol. I have been thinking about a Golf club sport with buckets as a daily for £30k myself. You could buy a golf clubsport, an Elise SC and a R1 motor bike for £70k !

£70k for a automatic 4 pot fart box with no steering feel, is not an option for me at least.

goodness knows where people go in 3 years when they want to upgrade from a 981, will have to be 911’s

i see Porsche making more money with this entry level range of 4 pots as people will upgrade to more expensive and more profit flat 6 turbo's Rather than buy a 718.

I am not saying it's a bad car you understand, it's just a nice run of the mill car now with a badge but at quite a high price point.

 

[Twinfan]

£70k for a automatic 4 pot fart box with no steering feel, is not an option for me at least.

goodness knows where people go in 3 years when they want to upgrade from a 981, will have to be 911’s

i see Porsche making more money with this entry level range of 4 pots as people will upgrade to more expensive and more profit flat 6 turbo's Rather than buy a 718.

I'm sure that's exactly what they'd like people to do who don't like the four pot. Love the "4 pot fart box" part

 

[MrDemon]

I think they may well have done it to boost 911 sales.

makes the 981 and 987 seem undervalued cars all these years.

i don't look at a 718 and now say it's a bargain :-(

might boost Lotus Evora sales also for that keener driver.

On the downside the Audi TTRS may be unobtainable It seems, crazy market !

 

[Fudgie]

I'm slightly detecting that you don't like the 718 MrDemon... ;-)

As a current Audi S3 driver (a Golf R in a different dress...) I thought that the 718 was definitely a tad better that a Golf!

Not having had the pleasure of 6 pot Porsche ownership in the past (My only experience of 6 pot Porsche was a brief drive in a Gen I 2.7 987 Boxster a few years ago, which at the time felt very slow compared to my then current turbo hot hatch...), my test drive and conclusion on the 718 is based on comparison of other manufactures cars in the same price bracket (i.e. TTS / Z4 etc) plus my last 20 years of driving 4 Pot T 'Fart Box' cars, based on this the 718 felt a supremely superior car.

On another forum I've already had the 'don't by a 718 as the engine note is S**T' etc from owners of vastly more expensive Porsches and the 'buy a used cayman or 911 for the same money', however as the 718 will be my only car and will be finance on a PCP as all my daily drivers have been in the past, the thought of spending the same if not more a month on a 3 years old car over a brand spanker seems ludicrous.

It seems to me that Porsche has pulled off another marketing master stroke with the 718 cayman & boxster by producing a car that appeals to new comers to the brand that aren't use to or aren't 6 pot obsessive, whilst convincing the majority current owners that they need to move further up the model range (& price bracket) to a 911... win win...!

 

[Twinfan]

I'd like to know how exactly how many newcomers to the brand are coming in for a 718. I can't imagine they're smashing the doors down of their OPC...

 

[Fudgie]

Would I rather have a 718 Cayman over an Audi TTS...hell yes...! Especially as the later works out cheaper per month with better residuals etc...

Don't think Audi & BMW will be lying awake at night worrying about lost sales to the Porsche 718 just yet, but I think it shows a good indication that Porsche want to differentiate their models more and protect the halo 911 whilst broadening range, a trend that will continue with the greater diversity of models variants & markets they target in the future... Porsche Hot Hatch anyone...

 

[Twinfan]

Porsche Hot Hatch anyone...

No thanks, that what the 718 is now with its four-pot fart box engine. I'd rather have a proper hot hatch like the mk3 Focus RS.

 

[Fudgie]

If Porches does ever build a hot hatch (I wouldn't bet against as they are not adverse to borrowing a suitable VAG platform and improving it...) I'd like to think it would at least be comparable to a Focus RS if not better!

 

[AndrewCS]

I'd like to know how exactly how many newcomers to the brand are coming in for a 718. I can't imagine they're smashing the doors down of their OPC...

Went in for one (Boxster) ... came out with the CR [] [] []

 

[Steve Brookes]

Just got round to reading your write up Brian. Thanks for putting it together. Sounds like first impressions are good but I can tell more time will be needed to assess when you take delivery of your new one. Also, it's obvious that your initial thoughts will be complicated by it not being as focused as your much loved R and it now being PDK.

I'm one of those that has loved the switched to PDK but I guess I am one of the few that immediately moves the lever to Paddle position as soon as I get off my driveway. Probably because I'm also a 'road ahead' person and think that driving should always demand 100% of my attention.

It only goes back to auto mode when 1. I am stuck in traffic and 2. For the first few laps of a track day. The latter might sound odd but I've found that auto in sports plus mode, combined with lots of throttle and hard braking, is a very good teacher! Sports plus mode means that with the right amount of braking, the car is in the correct gear for the apex e.g. I would have thought Shell oils at Oulton Park might be better in 3rd gear at the apex but Sports plus has shown me that 2nd gear is what it wants to be in....albeit that it's a bit more twitchy/slidey on the way out. [] Once I've done that I then shove it back to paddle mode, turn off the PSM, leave it in Sports plus for faster gear changes and enjoy the rest of the day.

I'll be interested to hear how you get on with the revised lever shifting when you get it on a trackday. I've not tried this because as you say it's somewhat counter intuitive with the first generation PDK....hence why I like to use the paddles.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Steve,

Thank you for your intelligent constructive comments on your experiences with your CR PDK on the road and track. Although I shall miss my CR manual hugely, I am looking forward to optimising my driving enjoyment with my new 718 CS PDK over the coming months. It'll never replace my CR of course, it's more a change of direction at this particular stage of my life. I already have a hot hatch Abarth for scooting around in, so I'm looking forward to returning to Porsche Cayman standards of handling and poise once again. The Abarth is not unlike a pogo stick in the suspension department. Excellent big Brembo brake though, and a rorty Monza exhaust. The 718 will seem quite sublime after the yappy "terrier dog" Abarth. The improved handling tweaks and bigger brakes on the 718 CS compared to the CR will please me, plus the extra cabin technology will also add to my driving enjoyment.

Can I also say, this new car purchase has been a very carefully considered decision for me, especially when we are talking about spending £60k. I did consider a 981 GTS PDK for a while, but with the spec I was seeking, they were asking £62k to £69k for low milage examples. PH had a viper green 981 GTS PDK for sale at the time for a fiver short of £70k. That sort of finished it for me. In the end I decided to go for the new model 718.

I am the first to admit I am taking a big gamble here but I am placing my confidence in Porsche after 8 years of owning Caymans, that they have done their homework properly and the new 718 CS turbo 4 pot proves to a reliable and strong unit. I shall be watching the engine temperatures very carefully after the car is run-in and I start to open the taps a bit. For the roads I drive on, the 718 CS PDK seems ideal.

The first track day I shall attend with the 718 will be at Knockhill in Fife, usually held in early May. It's a circuit I know extremely well and I shall be very interested in how the 718 compares with my CR on that particular track. My honest comments on the 718's road track performance and will be published in due course. I'm looking forward to it.

Brian

 

[ralphmusic]

Can't be all bad on track given the Grand Tour lap board time for a 718 Boxster S, probably be faster if PDK like the 911

 

[Twinfan]

I don't think anyone is saying it's not a quick car, but that's all the 4-pot lovers seem to roll out as 'compensation' for losing the fabulous NASP flat six.

To me, it's no compensation. I don't need to go faster, I want emotion and aural excitement. Sports cars should tug at your heart strings not provide statistics to be poured over.

 

[MrDemon]

I was shocked how NOT much faster it was, see my review. I was expecting more of a gap.

And 2 seconds a lap is a age over a 911 on a lap that short, so the gap from 718 to 911 has grown even more.

Put it this way you don't choose a 718 for the performance over a flat 6, there is nothing in it.

I still don't really have a good word in it's favor, and would buy a Aston 4.7 manual sport if I were 50 and wanted a nicer car.

I am not even a 981 fan so to add a 4 pot to a 981 chassis is the nail in the coffin for the Cayman/Boxster line up for me.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Thanks to all who have contributed to my thread on the 718 CS PDK. With over 500 views it has certainly provoked much interest and entertainment. For that, I'm grateful.

Whatever our different opinions on the Porsche sports car range, it's up to each of us enjoy the cars we own and respect other people's choices. Each of us has our own agenda.

Whether my new forthcoming 718 CS PDK proves to be good, bad or indifferent, I'll report back with my honest opinions at a later date. I'll post some pics when I get my car.

Have fun all.

Brian

 

[MrDemon]

In our test we drove all 3 marks back to back so the 987.2 R my mates 981 S PDK and the 718 s

i am die hard in the fact that the 987.2 offers the most interaction, no one can say other wise, it's a clear winner in that respect, but the R can get tiresome and you have got to really want to own one to live with the older design and comfort, but it rewards in spades When out for a drive.

the 981 PDK , well the gen 2 PDK is night and day better than 987 cars and as the 981 is even longer geared than the 987, the shorter PDK box goes well with the whole 981 feel.

the 981 engine is a peach though, they might have more pops etc but on the whole (GTS aside that that does too much over run for my liking). The 981S sounds great, revs great, the chassis is better than the 987 and if you want a car easier to live with the 981 with a flat 6 is it about as good as it gets But gets you an engine NOT found in a £25k hot hatch.

now for me I would rather drive my R with a manual, it jiggles about, and you feel part of the car esp with buckets.

my mate would take the 981PDK he loves it, it's easier to drive feels newer and sounds amazing. One could say a bargain as they retail for £45k 2nd hand for a minter with low miles.

but neither of us liked the 718 ! for me it offers nothing I like in a car, the 981 is already a step down in interaction and now the 718 as it's the same 981 chassis has a 4 pot engine which sounds like a scooby/diesel , now if it were crazy fast then you might see a point, but it was no faster in the real world, just felt faster With that 3k shove you get from the turbo.

He could not wait to get in his 981s and I could not wait to get in my R.

The 718, well soon forgotten and both happy to see the end of it.

It's a poor co2 exersise and more than that now gives a much larger gap to the 911 making it feel like a cheap entey level porker, where before you choose a Cayman because it's mid engine and not a 911, now one would really have to ask "why choose a Cayman over a 911"

As the 718 is a 981 in every way bar engine it's clearly a step down for the car lover.

i even think it' feels cheaper inside than the 981 with those naff plastic air vents ! And he ill placed chrono clock.

lets hope when they redesign the 718 model it will offer more than it does now, because it feels like a cheap cut down 981 ATM.

The only thing going for the 718 is larger calipers and apple I play unit. Both well, uninteresting as the brakes in the 987 and 981 are fine. the former again having more feel.

for £60k one really has to bite the bullet and buy a 981 GTS , it's prob faster than the 718, feels more expensive inside, sounds amazing and has a flat 6, which feels like a real sports car engine. will hold better value IMO also.

 

[Buddy]

Owning a 987.2S PDK PASM etc I agree with Mr D on the interaction although we differ on the PDK preference, I asked the OPC if they could do a download to upgrade the PDK operation and they said no but I think it more a policy thing than anything else! However, I drive in sport for the most part as it quickens the shift and the other features of the mode do give a more lively driving experience. I have driven several 981's and while in most cases it was at a time when I drove a 987.1 and so felt a major step on, the last time at PEC in an S with PDK it felt only slightly different to the 987.2 apart from the steering lack of feedback. Largely I feel due to me being used to PASM.

I think it a pity that in launching the 718 and using the engine which was mooted many years ago for the proposed Baby Boxster/Cayman they didn't stay with the original proposal and keep the Cayman six pot going too, in line with turbo on the 911 range which they say will not fit into the Cayman/Boxster engine bay well I'm sure some changes to the plumbing could position the turbo differently and maybe a change to the boot floor to allow space for intercooler and ducting which Porsche should have experience of. Other companies have fitted turbos in Caymans and Boxster for years so in not wishing to modify the body to take the six pot turbo they have missed a chance on the low boost turbo which will improve their emissions and emissions is the reason for using the turbo in all 911's and the four pot 718 anyway.

 

[ralphmusic]

Owning a 987.2S PDK PASM etc I agree with Mr D on the interaction although we differ on the PDK preference, I asked the OPC if they could do a download to upgrade the PDK operation and they said no but I think it more a policy thing than anything else!

Buddy,

I think you'll find it is more about electronics involving both the main and PDK ECUs + gearing

Ralph

 

[Buddy]

Ralph,

It's quite possible that you're right on the electronics gearing of the PDK is slightly lower than manual on the first six while number seven is not a gear to stay in for long due to traffic, inclines etc. But I like my PDK when in sport mode the gear change is quicker and so I do tend to drive in sport most of the time, if the car hadn't had Chrono and sport then I wouldn't have bought it knowing the selection of sport changes both throttle and gear change response.

 

[paulseagrave]

A different Subject I am currently sorting the spec on my 718 S .which is a long term purchase and i am struggling with the difference between connect and connect plus and the long term implications as technology moves on. The expensive route is connect plus that does every thing or the cheaper option of connect as it uses the phone sat nav . Any thoughts experiences?