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Soon-to-be Cayman owner in SoCal

3K views 10 replies 11 participants last post by  aeronca65tl 
#1 ·
Hi all,

My Cayman S is currently on the water sailing past the west coast of Central America, due into port in San Diego this Sunday. The schedule shows delivery to the dealer in LA on July 7. This is happening because I went to the LA Auto Show around Thanksgiving last year. There I saw a Cayman in Rhodium Silver, and I became infatuated with it. Had it been any other color I probably would not have noticed it. The sharper creases and new tail lights really caught my eye. However, having driven various Boxsters before, I really wasn't too interested in buying a 718 at that moment - those previous generations handled really well, but were weak in terms of torque, which I like (I daily drive a BMW 550i with 480 lb-ft). I already have a 2008 Miata with aftermarket suspension that I use primarily on the mountain roads around here, and it has served that purpose well. However, I always wanted a bit more power, and especially torque. Not until I read that the new turbo produced a lot more torque, especially down-low, did that buzzing start in my brain (a friend once said that I go through a fevered Pon Car, in relation to a Vulcan's Pon Farr).

I went to the dealer and test drove a couple of Boxsters - a manual S without PSE but with PASM, and a PDK S without either. The acceleration and torque were great, and I also liked the sound, including the pops. I was hooked, so after some playing with the configurator I submitted an order in late February for an April build. I wanted the Cayman because of the looks and I already have a convertible (I'm keeping the Miata for a while since it isn't worth that much now). My order is: Cayman S, manual, PSE, PASM, PTV, Bose, Nav, auto climate, leather interior, power sport seats, in Rhodium Silver (side intakes painted). My Graphite Blue interior seems to be an unusual choice, since I have not seen any others in that color.

Waiting for it to build and ship, I have done what everyone else here has: viewed every YouTube video, read every review, and scoured the very few forums that discuss the 718. The big surprise was that there were sites (looking at you, Planet 9) and even an entire nation (Great Britain) that seem dedicated to hating the 718, largely based on it not sounding like previous generations. Somehow, the primary purpose of a sports car is not to handle and accelerate well but to make sound. Oh, well, I guess some folks have to prove that they are Experts and True Believers by bashing any changes. My main disappointment is that traffic on the 718 forums is so low - I'm used to the quite lively Miata forums, but I guess that's just a matter of the number of those cars in existence.

I'm looking forward to reading and writing future posts here.
 
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#2 ·
As the previous owner of three 4 cylinder Porsche's 70/914,68/912,69/912 i expect my new Cayman to sound like a turbo 4 cylinder
not a 6 cylinder.My Cayman is due in the port of San Diego July 28th.Porsche's best kept secret the 4 cylinder.

Collin
 
#3 ·
Well, what I've learned about Planet 9 is that there are several ardent 718 haters with whom I have fun counteracting most everything they say. Then there is a larger group of 98x owners that I would not call haters, but "they will never buy a 718". But, in between all the negativity, there are a number of people that have constructive things to say, and guess what - they tend to be actual owners. I have not seen a single actual owner who posts that they regret buying the 718.

So, take it from someone who has owned a significant number of Porsches, the 718 S is a fine Porsche and in most every way an improvement on the 98x cars.

BTW, I have a Boxster S configured with all the same go-fast pieces as yours. I think you are going to really enjoy your car. Even the 2000 mile break-in period doesn't suck because of the torque profile of the 718s, and the manual transmission is a gem.

This site is and will grow as more owners get their cars and realize that this is a happy place, not a "fake news" site :)
 
#5 ·
Maaaan, did you hit every nail on the head with this post!

I posted about this on P-9: low-end torque simply makes for a better real-world every-day car, no matter what the purpose. I made the comparison between cars such as the 718, the BMW 2 Series, and the VW GTi (turbo models) and a V-twin motorcycle, both in terms of low-end torque's viability on public streets and track-based power-delivery characteristics. The bottom line is this: torque gets you out of trouble, gets you out of a corner quicker, gets you past slower traffic quicker, and gets you better gas mileage. The only real advantage a car or a motorcycle with a higher redline and higher top-end horsepower (but lower torque) has is acceleration and, potentially, top speed. Who in their right mind is going to need that on public roads, much less any track that doesn't have at least a half-mile-long straight on it?

As for the forums: I've been active on them since the late 1990s for nearly every make of car and bike I've owned. I've even been an admin before. I, too, have been surprised at the lack of participation on 718-based forums and subforums. Sites like P-9 and rennlist have discouraged the establishment of community around the 718 because of the biases we all know about -- rennlist won't even set up a subforum specific to the 718 despite several public posts requesting it, fer cryin' out loud. P-9 is trying to right itself, but that's going to take time and proper forum policing. In the meantime, I plan on doing my part to 'flesh out' this forum and P-9. >:D
 
#7 ·
I test drove new a 981S and a new 982S at the dealer when shopping for my Cayman. The handling and feel (sound was no issue by that point) made the 718 a better choice. It was like going from my four cylinder Yamaha to my two cylinder Ducati almost twenty years ago. I'm more than happy with choices. I love that sound. Even the Ford GTs dropped two cylinders and made a better car-dont hear too many complaints there. Just think, in another year or so a low cost, reliable 718 tune will be commonplace. Can't wait!
 
#8 ·
Excellent and thought provoking posts. This Forum gets better and better. Having now owned both the 981 and 718 platform, I can agree that the 718 is an upgrade in virtually every way. I am having a blast in mine and after break it, keeps getting better and better....
 
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#9 ·
Your car and my car are on th same boat! However, even though I am taking delivery at the Los Angeles PEC my car will continue on to Benicia (about 50 miles from my house) and then go down to LA on a truck. The car will be at Benecia on 6/22 I won’t pick it up until 7/13. And I can’t wait. (Less than 4 weeks now...)
 
#10 ·
My 2019 ordered Cayman Base will make it my 5th. 08 CS, R, 2014 Cayman Base, 2016 Cayman Base (current). An interesting data point for me is that the torque of the 718 Base has 6 pounds more torque than the 981 Cayman S and it comes online much earlier. To the point about much more accessible torque tuned well to street use/DD. I have loved everyone of them for different reasons. I totally enjoy the Porsche journey.
 
#11 ·
I was at a huge car show today in Summit, NJ. This is probably one of the most prosperous towns in the USA. As a consequence, the show was overrun with Lambos, Ferraris, McLarens, endless Porsches, about a dozen Nissan GT-Rs, an Alan Mann-built Ford GT40 replica, several real Speedsters, a '27 Rolls-Royce, a Kaiser-Darin......and on and on.

I had planned on bringing my MGB since I figured it would stand out in such a rarified atmosphere.
But it wouldn't start this morning. ;)

So I took the Cayman. Despite all the cars there, mine was the only 718 I saw (there were a couple of 6 cylinder Boxters).

A lot of folks approached me and complimented me about the car. And several actually asked why these cars aren't more popular (especially after I told them what I had paid for it).

I was kind of glad the MGB didn't start. :)

But the cool part was when I started it up to leave (OK, I had the Sport button pushed down). There was that Ford GT, an old Alfa 2 liter sedan and a Lambo all parked around me. All three owners gave me an approving thumbs up when it started the engine and the Ford guy came over to comment on how "mean" it sounded.

Also, I don't see any of this complaining about "the 718 sound" from the guys in my local PCA. I actually think it's an internet "piling on" thing. :|
 
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