718 GTS 4.0 Reviews are rolling in

"Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle" (1500sand535)
02/17/2020 at 21:17 • Filed to: None

And people like the high revving engine and noises a lot. I’ll say this, I feel like there is less hedging in reviews for the GTS 4.0 than there was for the 2.5T version.

Most interestingly, there are so few Porsche’s with naturally aspirated engines; this a unique car and I suspect will be loved by all.

I do hope to someday add a Cayman to my garage; but I don’t think this will be the one.

DISCUSSION (10)

CB > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
02/17/2020 at 21:37

I would mind a Cayman GTS. Though the Cayman R is still my favourite version.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
02/17/2020 at 21:42

I’m happy they switched back. A 4-banger was kind of a lot to swallow for a $100K car.

I’m still bummed they haven’t switched back to 6 cylinders for the lower models though. The Cayman/Boxster aren’t “numbers” cars, which is fine, but if you’re not going to make impressive numbers you should at least be refined.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > feather-throttle-not-hair
02/17/2020 at 22:25

Honestly, I don’t necessarily equate more cylinders to a better car; so I think a $90,000 car with a 4 cylinder is okay(as long as it’s a really powerful 4 cylinder) . However I also understand why the NA6 is a better choice even if the peak numbers are similar and I think it’s for the reason you said- these aren’t numbers cars so an engine that revs out and sounds good doing it is important.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > CB
02/17/2020 at 22:33

I’d take a base 718 with its lowly 2.0T...

I think these 4.0 cars sound really awesome though.

MrDakka > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
02/17/2020 at 23:42

Same.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
02/18/2020 at 02:15

Yeah, 4-cylinders for that price isn’t a deal breaker for me, but it is a negative, whereas I wouldn’t even think twice about it in something a little cheaper. For instance, I’m a big fan of the Genesis G70 with the 4-cylinder/Manual combo.

I was actually kind of considering a base cayman a little while ago. B ut the idea of spending 60K in 2019 on a sports car that had an engine with very similar numbers to the Subarus I used to love to drive in Gran Turismo 1 definitely gave me pause. That added to how expensive the options are on that car kind of took it off the list.

Milky > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
02/18/2020 at 09:25

TBH that particular one seems like the pick of the bunch. If you have the money of course. Same drivetrain as the “gt” models, but cheaper, a little more road oriented and you don’ t have to get out of the car to put the top down.

I’ve watched a couple reviews, seems lovely.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
02/18/2020 at 09:58

Thank the Chinese.

“So, who complained the loudest?” I asked. “Was it the Americans, or the Europeans?” Walliser looked confused. “This car was approved because of demand from China,” he said.

This industry runs on stories of passionate enthusiasts bending the wills of multinationals (usually through grousing, grumbling and groaning, and through a Western lens). Or the corporate rogue sneaking a passion project by the brass. How else did we get the right engine back in the Cayman and Boxster? Of course, the real answer is usually bland economics, not the result of bitching by car magazines. The Chinese market is now influential enough to ask for exactly what it wants: a 718 GTS with a 4.0-liter flat-six. Porsche simply said yes, and we’re reaping those rewards. That’s it. It’s worth a mention because Western influence seems to be ebbing in this corner of the car market, outstripped by demand from China. Upmarket companies like Porsche are increasingly catering to the country’s expanding wealth: moving production, resources, manpower, and focus to China.

Saracen > feather-throttle-not-hair
02/18/2020 at 15:30

Eh, I don’t really care about the number of cylinders.

When I test drove a 718 , it was literally five minutes after driving my 997.1 Carrera 4S with roughly the same power (it had the X51 powerkit) to the dealer. I loved the GTS. Didn’t hate the engine or the noise . Heck I wished my M97 had the same midrange...on paper they were similar but the 718's boosted torque curve was superior in real world driving.

The huge improvement in midrange power transformed the Cayman into a true budget supercar. People complained that there was a lack of torque in the Cayman, and when that was fixed, they complained about the number of cylinders and the noise. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

The GTS probably should have been an n/a flat six from the start, but there is no question in my mind that the base 718 and 718 S are better cars with the turbo engines than their six cylinder predecessors.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Saracen
02/18/2020 at 18:20

Yeah, my snobbery on the matter definitely isn’t entirely rational. Cylinder count really shouldn’t matter to me, yet somehow it does.

Likewise with their horsepower numbers. 300 horsepower is just....ehhh...But the truth is, acceleration numbers on the Cayman are on par with cars making much much more horsepower. So it shouldn’t matter! But car buying isn’t strictly logical at the end of the day.