My new 982 718 Cayman S PDK

[Brian_Innes]

An Xpel requirement is looming on my 718 CS.

The 718 has no door sill or rear quarter protection fitted as standard by Porsche. My previous Caymans all had a clear plastic film "patch" just forward of the rear wheel arch to protect against road rash and minor stone chips. 911 models also have this clear film patch fitted.

Due to the re-profiling of the 718 doors, side air intake grills, and rear quarter panels, this area is proving very vulnerable to stone chips. The wider 20" Carrera Sport alloys are also more adept at throwing gravel etc onto the bodywork, especially while cornering on rural roads. I have already had to touch-up tiny stone chips on the air intake grills on both sides, which is particularly annoying as I ticked the £300 option to have these grills painted in the body colour as I thought they looked better than the standard black plastic grills.

I have received a quote of £474 from Spotless Detailng, Perth, to fit Xpel film on both door sills, rear quarter panels including the air intake grills, and the lower rear wheel arch areas behind the wheels.

Do any other 718 owners have similar road rash problems in this area, or have any experience with the Xpel film?

Brian

 

[ralphmusic]

This was my Adrian Newey test when I first got my car....

I had the sills and up to and behind the rear intakes covered. You might also want to have the rear PU covered low down behind the wheels (same rash area as your old R). I also had full front, bonnet and mirrors covered.

Ralph

 

[Brian_Innes]

Thanks Ralph. Yes, I am also having Xpel applied to the rear wheel arch low down under the bumper. My CR required a full respray in that area due to road rash.

I holding back the decision on Xpel for the mirrors and front of the car for now.

Brian

 

[Motorhead]

Brian,

Like Ralph, quite a few of the GT4 boys had protection film applied to the sills and the inlet/rear quarter area and it seems that the 982 is just as bad (or even worse?) than the 981-series. As you say, at least the 987-series has some protection in the form of mastic on the sills and a transparent film forward of the wheel arch.

Unnecessary penny pinching.

Jeff

 

[Diggit1]

Brian

I recently went to a local detailing company to see about having the car ceramic coated and was quoted approx £700 after club discount which I didn't think was too bad. There was a Ferrari in red they had finished filming a few days prior and I have to say it looked fantastic. I didnt ask how much; dreaded to think. I agree filming the key parts prone to stone chips are worthy of consideration. These are the things we unfortunately discover being the first to buy a new design.

I remember when the Macan was being promoted the OPC was saying it was going to be the best car to retain its price. I was very tempted but gut instinct said to stay with my Cayenne. Thankfully for me my instincts paid off as when they arrived in the showroom I really didn't like them and was glad I made the right decision to stay with my Cayenne. I still think I made the right choice about the new Cayman.

Diane

 

[Buddy]

Yes Ralph I checked the website after your earlier comment, maybe the enhanced braking you mention refers to the taking up of clearance which an instructor at the PEC told me of on a 981S last year but track driving is different to road driving and we do notice things more on roads we drive regularly, with the larger callipers I expect the pistons to be larger, however it is done the brake feel is very good, progressive and effective, not that I have any complaints with the brakes on my 987.2S just that the new items are better but then who would buy new cars if they had no improvements over the older models... and now as the temps seem to be above 10C more often than around freezing and not much likelihood of snow I'll refit my summer tyres the grip of the PS2's is much better at these temps and when cold the Pirellis on the 718 were a little slippery on the rear which was a little entertaining, I expect I'll see you at the workers conference in April.

 

[Brian_Innes]

Thanks all. Much appreciated comments.

Two things are apparent here.

1. Porsche penny-pinching. (Ridiculous on a £48k car).

2. First owners of a new model range are apparently field testing on behalf of Porsche.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the new engine is ok. (Faulty 991 GT3 con-rod bolts spring to mind.) I'm now extending the revs on my mountain road trips as the running-in period is almost completed. Soon, I'll be able to judge how my 982 CS PDK compares with my CR on such cross-country routes.

More to follow.........

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

This week I had Xpel protective film applied to the door sills, side air intake grills, and rear wheel arch fore and aft. The 718 Cayman does not have the clear film patch ahead of the rear wheel arch as previous Caymans and this area is very prone to road rash and stone chips from the front wheels

My car is now run-in at 1900 miles so the real appraisal begins now......

Brian

 

[Fudgie]

Enjoy using the full potential Brian ;-)

Ps. Colour coded intakes look good and suit your cars colour well, but I quite like the contrasting black against the red on mine.

 

[Dylan1]

Looks great

 

[Brian_Innes]

On Wednesday 15th March I am booked in at PEC Silverstone for my complimentary 718 Cayman S PDK experience.

Living in the far north this entails an easyJet flight from Inverness to Luton. Conveniently I have friends in Watford who have kindly agreed to collect me from the airport and provide overnight accommodation. I have previously attended several driving courses at PEC so I know the format well. The main purpose of this driving session is twofold.

A) To establish for my own peace of mind, that the weakening grip in my right hand is not diminishing my ability to control the steering when sliding around on the low friction surfaces. PEC provides the ideal opportunity to test this aspect, prior to my intended participation in the two PCGB track days at Anglesey and Knockhill later this year. I'm sure I'll be fine, but I just want to make absolutely sure under PEC controlled conditions and away from the public road.

B) To thoroughly test the various PDK mode settings, sport PSM, launch control, and sport response button on PEC's loan 718 CS PDK before experimenting with these settings on my own car.

My 718 CS PDK has all the sporty options fitted so I'm hoping the PEC car is similarly specced so as to make a meaningful test opportunity. I am looking forward to it and shall report back upon my return.

Meantime I have now completed over 2000 miles in my 718 CS PDK mainly on roads such as shown on the photo below. So far the car is performing well.

Brian

 

[colski1961]

Hi Brian, know the road well

I too got the invite to Silverstone from Aberdeen but can't commit the time unfortunately as it's a overnight stop needed, would have loved to have gone along. Hope you enjoy it.

Colin

 

[Brian_Innes]

I had a very successful and enjoyable day at PEC yesterday, participating in the 718 Cayman S PDK experience.

The weather was sunny and dry which made the low friction handling track a bit sticky to get the car sliding in the smooth perpetual motion "dance" that is the aim on this element. Going by the high number of rubber smears on the low friction surface, and the gouges on the grass verges, everybody was having the same problem. I did manage to get the 718 CS sliding but only after using first gear rather than the usual second gear for this exercise.

On the wet low friction surfaces, the kick plate and the ice hill, normal service was resumed. To properly test my right hand grip and "fast hands" ability, my tutor sent me on a zig-zag course from left to right across the full width of the kick plate area, rather than deploy the kick plate itself in a straight line. I found this a very useful exercise and was delighted that I managed to counter-steer quickly from lock to lock no problem at all despite the grip limitations of my right hand fingers. Job done.

The 718 CS PDK I was using had power steering plus fitted, as my own car has, so it was very useful tests for me on both the low friction and dry perimeter handling tracks. Since my last visit to PEC, another test area has been added with a second handling track and two straights side by side used for demonstrating PDK launch control and emergency braking. My opinion of launch control on 987 PDK Caymans I had driven previously at PEC had been decidedly underwhelming. Not so the new PDK with Sport Chrono on the 718 CS. With Sport Plus selected, left foot on the brake, slam the throttle to the floor giving a steady 6500 rpm, quickly release the brake pedal and the car takes off like it has been propelled by a steam catapult on a aircraft carrier deck. The dynamic engine mounts did their job admirably with absolutely no axle tramp or judder at all. The new bigger brakes on the 718 CS were also very impressive. Slamming them on as hard as I could at nearly 100mph following the launch control start, stopped the car in an impressively short distance. The 718 CS is both 911 quick and has 911 matching stoppers. The evolution is working well.

Finally at the end of the session I did some hot laps on the handling circuit. Dynamically the 718 CS PDK is an extremely accomplished machine. (Even on the P Zeros.) This car is huge step up from previous Cayman S models both 987 and 981. The CR still handles sweeter and has better steering feel, but the 718 CS PDK Sport Chrono with the right sporty chassis bits fitted is a faster car than the CR by a considerable margin.

Following this experience, I am very much looking forward to my two track days booked at Anglesey and Knockhill. I may have my Michelin PS4S tyres fitted for these events so I can attain a meaningful comparison with my previous CR manual's dynamic performance on these particular tracks. I'm counting the days.

Finally, I would unreservedly recommend attendance at the PEC complimentary courses as a very worthwhile exercise to gain useful experience on the dynamics of your new Porsche whatever the model. You cannot legally and safely explore these limits on public roads. If you haven't signed up for this yet, my advice is do it now.

Brian

 

[AndrewCS]

Thank you for the feedback Brian, great news.

Looks like I`ll be chasing you around the tracks then ...

 

[Brian_Innes]

You bet!

Brian

 

[gtipirelli]

I was there on Thursday this week for the Macan complimentary session but got 30 mins in a boxster s. It felt like a big gokart on a big go kart track and I was hooked. What an amazing machine. I so want a new Cayman but really do still need more than 2 seats in our second car

i have a lovely practical golf GTi and I feel guilty that I want to chop,it in

On on a slightly separate note, I was really surprised how good the Macan felt having stepped in to it straight from the boxster. I have new found respect for our car now as it has felt a bit stodgy compared to the GTi doing the humdrum stuff around town

 

[Dylan1]

My instructor at the last pec day 3 weeks ago ( I've been to 7 now!!!) told me the low friction circuit needs to be resurfaced as it's worn the top glass like area too low

 

[Brian_Innes]

My instructor at the last pec day 3 weeks ago ( I've been to 7 now!!!) told me the low friction circuit needs to be resurfaced as it's worn the top glass like area too low

Ah ha! That explains my hard work in getting the CS to slide.

I even began to think the new P Zeros were quite good!

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

Had a very enjoyable 180 mile drive with the R2 Scotland North crew from Banchory to Blairgowrie and Glenshee last Sunday. For me this involved two mountain routes, the A939 from Grantown via Tomintoul and onward to Ballater and Banchory. Lots of steep hills, hairpin bends, flowing "S" bends, and long straights with good visibility ahead. Great fun.

Now that my car is fully run-in I am using all the revs through the gears. I've found the best way to enjoy the new PDK with Sport Chrono, is to select Sport mode all the time. This provides the sharper throttle mapping with throttle blipping on downshifts, and it holds the gears perfectly, (3rd gear 30mph) when driving through towns and villages. This is much preferred rather than having the car hunting for a higher gear as it does if you leave it in "D" with normal mode selected. Also in Sport mode, the PSE is activated improving the exhaust note quite measurably, adding some Rice Crispies "Snap, Crackle and Pop" when lifting the throttle. Slightly artificial maybe, but adding to the fun when pressing on.

For part of the drive I selected Sport Plus, but I found the suspension setting too hard for the roads I was using. It reminded me of the PASM Sport setting on my 987 CS which I considered only applicable for smooth race track surfaces. The Sport mode suspension setting on the new chrono option is much more compliant on the 718 CS than on earlier Caymans in my experience. It's perfectly usable on rural public roads and provides excellent body control and stability without being at all harsh.

Performance-wise, the 718 CS PDK is an absolutely stunning cross-country machine. I never thought I'd say this, but the 718 CS PDK is better than my previous manual CR point to point on roads I know extremely well. The gearing is slightly shorter on the PDK compared to the manual gearbox, and the pick-up from exiting slow corners and hairpin bends is absolutely instantaneous. Turbo lag is not a feature I would associate with the 718 CS the way I drive it. The ease with which you can manually shift the PDK gears in anticipation of the road ahead makes progress extremely rapid and almost effortless. Holding the gears to 6500 - 6750 revs brought the next higher gear right on the hot torque curve plateau for maximum progress to the next corner. You can hold the gears to 7400 revs if you so choose but offers no great advantage in performance.

Fuel economy I have found very variable. Driving on boring inter-city trunk roads, running in convoy in average speed camera land, with Picassos, Picantos, and CRV's dictating the pace, I selected "D" in normal mode, and with the coasting facility deployed I got over 36 mpg on a 120 mile trip. On the mountain roads described earlier I averaged 23.3 mpg for a 180 mile trip. The latter is much, much more fun! My CR manual on similar drives achieved 33-34 mpg and 24-25 mpg respectively. The 4 pot turbo uses more fuel than the flat six when you start squirting it in the intermediate gears between the corners. On the track I used to record 10.2 mpg on my CR. I'll be very interested to see the mpg figure on my 718 CS after track day sessions.

So far, that's about it for now. The bottom line on the 718 CS PDK thus far is..........it's better than I expected it to be coming from 4 years in a CR manual. Is it a better car than the CR manual? I'll reserve judgement on that decision following the track days I intend to do later this year. One thing I can say at this stage, don't dismiss the 718 CS PDK as a downgraded Cayman. It's a serious, capable, sports car, and it's most certainly a Porsche.

Brian

 

[Brian_Innes]

Some very helpful information has been received from Michelin technical department to an enquiry I made about the new N rated PS4S tyres, and the section sizes applicable to my car.

As you will see from the reply, this underlines the case for retaining the OE section sizes, at least whilst a new car is under warranty, and also explains the meaning of the various N numbers, N0, N1, N2 etc.

I hope this information is useful to all to take a close interest in the rubber that keeps us on the road and track.

Brian

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