[Kingmota]

I am trying to finalize my build and I am struggling with Nav vs Headlights vs Stereo. I have self imposed a max build price of $103,000 as I am already $12,000 over my original BS build, but remembering the advice of someone on a forum that said you only really regret the option you didn't get. I do expect to keep this car 6+ years as long as the maintenance costs do not eat me up.

My current build: PKCHQRZ1 which is at my price limit.

GT Silver Metallic U2 $650

Roadster Top in Black 4V $0

Leather Interior in Black/Dark Silver with Sport-Tex Seat Centers i.c.w. Sport Seats Plus TD $2,160

Premium Package Plus i.c.w. Adaptive Sport Seats Plus (18-way) P9I $1,970

Deletion of Model Logo 498 $0

Deletion of "GTS" Decal on Doors 712 $0

LED Headlights with Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus 602 $2,140

Power Folding Exterior Mirrors 748 $330

"PORSCHE" Logo in Satin Black 519 $220

7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) 250 $3,730

Lane Change Assist (LCA) 457 $700

Heated Multifunction Steering Wheel 489 $470

Adaptive Sport Seats Plus (18-way) with Memory Package P07 $3,030

Smoking Package 583 $0

Luggage Net in Passenger Footwell 581 $0

Voice Control i.c.w. Navigation including Porsche Connect QH1 $0

BOSE® Surround Sound System 9VL $990

Apple CarPlay® incl. Siri® 9WT $360

Navigation including Porsche Connect P40 $2,320

--------------

While my head tells me that a great stereo is wasted in a small convertible and I feel the Bose is "OK", I have always regretted not getting the B&O (vs Bose) in my Audi S7 because it was a $6k plus option as I needed to also go from Prem+ to Prestige. I have not been able to audition a Boxster Burmester and see very few comments on this forum about it. I will be primarily listening to Satellite radio and some CD's, although I would consider some lossless downloads. Many have said Satellite will negate some of the Burmester advantages. Even at my age I admit I love tons of Bass. I play my stereo fairly load, but not extremely.

Any comments on the Burmesester both top up (80%) and down (20%)?

In order to cover the $3,800 Burmester delta I am considering removing:

LED headlights: I have poor night vision and love the LED headlights on my S7. Have heard some negative comments on the brightness of the base Xenon bulbs and we do country road (lot of deer around) night driving.

Apple Car Play: I am long time Android user and was including this "just in case".

Lane Change Assist: Use this on my other cars and Boxster has terrible blind spot with top up.

Heated Multi-function wheel: Don't care about heating. Just not sure if phone answer/hangup will be awkward without wheel controls.

Navigation: Will use this car for a lot of roadtrips to new places where I need navigation. Not sure how well Porsche manages combo of Bluetooth (if I route my Android phone Nav through car audio) and Stereo.

Porsche Easy Entry: This one is really important to my wife who will share this car.

Power folding mirrors: I wouldn't miss this one too much but it is just $330.

Ambient LED interior: included this with low expectations since it was only $200 extra as part of Premium Plus.

Seats and sport-tex are locked in.

I know I could go back to BS from BGTS and eliminate PTV and save a little, but I love all the GTS black tints/accents and my dealer will freak out if I change my model again. I also think GTS resale will be better since many of the options are in base price which depreciates less than options.

Sorry for such a long post. I really appreciate feedback.

Dan

 

[ArchiProf]

Looks like a great build! I pretty much maxed out on options and do not regret any of them. I do very slightly regret not getting one of the 20" wheel options but we were facing decision time and could not decide so the spouse and I opted for the Cayman S five-spoke wheels since they were similar to those on my 2014 Cayman.

Depending on where you are located, you may want to consider the seat ventilation option. It works really well in hot climates. Personally, I would skip the Burmester and keep the LED and other options you would delete for the upgraded sound system. The Bose works fine for me although I am a bit hearing impaired in one ear.

I also ordered the interior trim painted in the exterior color (black) as well as the headlight washers in black. The former to cut down some of the glare I experienced in the 2014 and the latter to clean up the looks a bit. The chrome against the silver would not be as noticeable as against black.

 

[Viffermike]

It's too bad the seats are 'locked in' (I assume because of the Premium Package Plus) because that's what I'd cut first. I have the 14-ways and they are superb, and the general conjecture is that even the base seats are way above average.

I would retain the LED headlights if you have night vision problems. There is a significant difference between those and the base lights. The base lights aren't horrible by any measure, but the LEDs are awesome and should never fail.

I'll let the Burmester folks chime in (there are a few on the forum), but IMHO it's not worth the extra cost, particularly since the system uses ribbon tweeters, which are far more directionally sensitive than more traditional dome tweeters. On a Boxster, I feel those tweeters would not perform well with the top down. Also, the Burmester uses essentially the same type of subwoofer that the Bose uses (it's a ported design and mounted against the bulkhead near the steering column, above where your left leg is in the driver's seat), so other than materials and some extra digital-amp oomph it probably won't perform much better. I would opt for the Bose and look into upgrading the speakers after you have the car; chances are that one upgrade -- even if you use speakers that are nowhere near top of the line -- will do wonders for the sound.

Final thought: Drop CarPlay if you get Nav and don't plan on having an iDevice anytime soon. If you DO plan on getting an iDevice soon, CarPlay is not a bad stand-in for Nav at all, especially now that non-Apple mapping apps (Google Maps, Waze) are use-able in CarPlay. (This is precisely what I do.) The only disadvantage you'll have is that a phone-based Nav app will not be very use-able in areas with spotty or nonexistant cell service, whereas the OEM Nav will be use-able.

 

[Viffermike]

Another thought: Is your budget based on MSRP? If it is, and you are working with a dealer that will, well, 'deal', you can likely negotiate a lower price for a custom order. Generally, 5-7 percent off MSRP is acceptable and common.

That difference may just get you into your Burmester. >

 

[Kingmota]

Thanks for the feedback. My price cap is arbitrary, but I have seen there is no end to increasing spend if I don't set some limit. The limit I set was based upon MSRP, but I am getting a decent discount at my local dealer. I did shop my order to about seven dealers within 200 miles and I could save a small amount from a couple of them, but my dealer has let me test drive 6 to 7 different cars for well over 100 miles and I feel loyal to them.

I spent a lot of time comparing the sports and sports plus seats and the Sport-Tex with sports plus was significantly more comfortable to me. In fact, I had decided to cancel my original order (which was a base Boxster with 14 way partial leather) since they were hurting my sensitive back after I did another extended test drive. Even the 18 way with leather (and vented/cooled) were not as comfortable. I think I like the Sport-Tex better than the Alcantara and if I got that, anyway, I would feel compelled to get GTS interior which would raise my price even more.

I am a little concerned about glare from the trim, but my two other cars have carbon fiber and I wanted something different. I have not been able to see the brushed aluminum in person (and it adds cost) and since my exterior is silver it didn't seem like the painted trim would look much different.

BTW, it is my understanding the washer nozzle on a GTS car is black (and I am fine with that) if I stick with PDLS or PDLS+.

 

[garyinmotion]

Just throwing in my 2 cents on audio (Re: Burmester), and I’ll keep it real simple and save you some $. Stay with the Bose. Not for quality comparisons, but for noise floor. Burmester was designed for platforms such as the Panamera where the cabin of the vehicle is not dominated by the sound of the engine. You’re throwing your money away if you expect to get what the audio promises from Burmester in the environment of the Cayman.

I know of what I speak as I almost made the same option purchase. Knowing now that saving with the Bose system, and enjoying that for a period of time before I swap out the speakers, has made the other options I maxed out on much easier to justify.

Spec it out fully, then come back and ask what’s the minimum you’d be happy with (and are comfortable with spending).

P.S. IMO once you go 18 way (seats), you’ll never go back.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Third]

I agree with garyinmotion. My CS doesn't have Burmester, but I'm not sure these cars are in need of an audio upgrade. And although the 18-way seats are pricey, they complete the car in my opinion.

 

[Viffermike]

@garyinmotion knows what he's talking about -- He makes a great point about the Burmester regarding it being designed for Porsche's larger, 'quieter' cars. Its componentry is shared between models. It really would not be money well spent on a Boxster.

I have a Cayman. I personally opted for the base Sound Package Plus because it's an analog system from the head unit back; both the Bose and Burmester are fiber optic-based digital systems. I'd planned on adding an amp and speakers -- and may still -- but recent intel suggests that PCM4 adjusts the audio's signal processing and output voltage based on volume, source selection, balance/fader controls, and other factors inside the head unit -- which prevents an outboard DSP from being able to correct it since it changes constantly.

Unless you're a bonafide audiophile like @garyinmotion and I, the Bose should be more than adequate on a Boxster.

 

[Kingmota]

Thanks for the guidance! I will stick with the Bose. I know the Bose is at least powerful enough to hear it top down based on my test drives, unlike the base stereo in my old Honda S2000.

 

[8833]

I am a bit shocked at the support for 18 way seats. Are they really good for finding a perfect fit? I guess I never had a problem with seats in any of the cars I've owned.

 

[Kingmota]

Obviously seat preferences are very subjective. I first test drove an Alcantara 18-way CGTS, a CS with 18 way leather (heated and vented) and a base Cayman with 14-way leather (heated). However, my focus at that time was on drive train and handling. I initially ruled out GTS because of price and actually agreed to buy the 14-way seat base Cayman off the lot and at that time preferred the 14-way seats. My theory was maybe vented seats are more stiff which irritates my sensitive back. I have that issue on my Audi S7 "comfort" seats.

After sleeping on, it I changed my mind and did a custom build order for Base Boxster with 14-way partial leather. However, I decided to go back to the dealer and test a bunch of cars again, this time focused on seats. They had a Boxster GTS with the 18-way Sport-Tex on the lot and for me it was by far the most comfortable of the seats (although I didn't re-test the 18 way Alcantara). When focused on seats I determined that for me the 14 way seats were not even comfortable. If I had not liked the 18-way Sport-Tex so much I had decided to not buy a Porsche 718.

They did not have the regular 2 way Sport-Tex (or Alcantara) on the lot for me to test, but 18-way should be best for me since my wife loves a ton of lumbar support and I prefer the bare minimum.

The best seats I ever had (by far) were in my 2008 AMG CLS63. I am optimistic the GTS 18-way Sport-Tex will be as good or better.

I have ordered a BGTS with 18-way Sport-Tex. I used to think seat and suspension comfort was for wimps and a sports car was supposed to be super firm suspension with hard seats and tons of bolstering. For the BGTS I am hoping to get both a great sports car and a GT that my wife and I can take on road trips.

 

[Third]

I am a bit shocked at the support for 18 way seats. Are they really good for finding a perfect fit? I guess I never had a problem with seats in any of the cars I've owned.

I've owned two Cayman's with the 14-way seat, and the seat was one of the reasons I sold the second one. The barely-there bolsters (that also lack adjustment) on the 14-way provide little to no lateral support in a turn, so for me they are a deal breaker. Again I'll admit the 18-ways are pricey, but they're just as important an element as any other facet of the driving experience. That said, I also recognize I'm in the minority of Cayman owners to feel this strongly about the upgrade.

 

[sevencyclist]

I am a bit shocked at the support for 18 way seats. Are they really good for finding a perfect fit? I guess I never had a problem with seats in any of the cars I've owned.

I avoided the sports plus seats because I was more comfortable without the restraints from lateral flares on the plus seat. Comfort is based on body type.

 

[Third]

I avoided the sports plus seats because I was more comfortable without the restraints from lateral flares on the plus seat. Comfort is based on body type.

Important point for sure. I shouldn't have implied the 18-ways are necessarily the best choice for everyone. Didn't mean to. You have to be comfortable in the seat or it's not the right one!

 

[rsmith]

on the seats, if you are so inclined, spend some time just sitting in them at the dealer. with all the adjustments on the 14s and 18s those adjustments make a world of difference. while test driving different Boxsters and Caymans my wife would comment going from one car to another on how the seats felt sometimes much better in one vs another. yet they were the same model seat, it was down to how someone had previously set the various adjustments. So plop yourself down in them for 15-30 minutes if you have the time and don't mind being looked at oddly and see how they feel after making some tweaks and just sitting there seeing how your body feels in them.



For me, while I could live with the 14s or 18s, I like the 18s better and will be looking to either pick a car up from the lot with them or order one with them. but should I find the right car with 14s, I won't look back either.

 

[Third]

on the seats, if you are so inclined, spend some time just sitting in them at the dealer. with all the adjustments on the 14s and 18s those adjustments make a world of difference. while test driving different Boxsters and Caymans my wife would comment going from one car to another on how the seats felt sometimes much better in one vs another. yet they were the same model seat, it was down to how someone had previously set the various adjustments. So plop yourself down in them for 15-30 minutes if you have the time and don't mind being looked at oddly and see how they feel after making some tweaks and just sitting there seeing how your body feels in them.



For me, while I could live with the 14s or 18s, I like the 18s better and will be looking to either pick a car up from the lot with them or order one with them. but should I find the right car with 14s, I won't look back either.

Very few 718s (and 981 and 987s before them) are/were ordered with 18-ways. I suspect you find "the right car" with 14s well before you find one even close with 18s. That was my experience anyway. I ended up ordering.

 

[Yipekiye]

I’ll chime in with the Burmester comments. I did upgrade to the Burmester in my Cayman, but I only get the performance benefit when I am listening to high resolution audio. In the noisier Boxter, I think it would be money wasted. Keep the LED headlights and the controls on the steering wheel, you will use them every day.

 

[Kingmota]

I am wanting to change the trim on my build, partially for uniqueness and also concerned about the glare. Not wanting to do carbon fiber as I have that in my other cars. Trying to decide between brushed aluminum and black brushed aluminum. The regular brushed provides more contrast with my black leather but not not sure how that will look with the other silver trim that is not brushed.

 

[Kingmota]

Since my leather is silver stitched I am thinking black brushed won't be too monochromatic.

 

[Semitone]

I have the multifunction steering wheel in my Macan, and didn’t want it in my 718 CGTS. I also elected not to get electrically adjusted seats or keyless entry that I have on my Macan. Don’t have heated seat..., No LCA, No interior light package, no...

I don’t miss any of it in my 718 CGTS. All I really cared about were the LED lights, and leather/alcantara interior. Got the Bose, which still sucks, and NAV. Don’t miss anything I didn’t get. . I got it for me, so stripped out all the stuff I just don’t care about. If my wife was going to drive it much, it would have been a very different build.