[dragonsdreams]

It's rolling around to my base Cayman's first birthday...where did that go?

So a good opportunity to review my thoughts on my lovely base 2.0L (and not many extras) GT Silver (twin pipe) 718

There's a few things that might raise some eyebrows in the 'meh' section but here it goes:


First, the LOVES:x:
1. The looks are to die for - really. Can't get enough of walking around it and thinking this: the Porsche Cayman is the finest looking car on the road.

It doesn't look like a boy racer hatchback, a souped up high class coupé or an attention grabbing supercar. It (she, yes I know...) just looks like a superbly shaped bespoke sports car.

2. The start up sound. Fantastic. I'll admit to going out to it in the middle of the day to start it up just to hear it - especially in sports mode.
And especially after the simple baffle mod had been done. Brilliant.


I hope my neighbours don't hate me too much.


Second, the LIKES:
1. Drives like a high speed smooth cruiser when you want it to, and an out and out racer when you need it to. It's such a shame we have speed limits...corners great. Pin point steering.

2. Very comfortable cabin, feels pretty luxurious. Quality all over. Feels like you're driving a special car - well you are of course!

3. Lots of space - more than I thought.

4. It does attract admiring looks - first car I've had that does. Nice.

5. The running exhaust and engine sound. Pretty good I'd say and far nicer than the rough wail of the 981 that I test drove before settling on a 718.

6. I like the rising spoiler thingy, I like it on at all times. Well, unless I forget to put it on..:|.


The Meh's :
1. Speed in a straight line on a nice speed-camera-less road. Not bad, but I'd really like it to be faster - personally. I guess the 2.5L is what I want, but can't afford :crying:

2. PDK gearbox, I can't fault it (smooth and almost thinks for me) but I think, now, I should have gone for the manual that doesn't think for me. Never mind, perhaps next time...although I see the option had been taken out of the base 718 configuration.

3. Road noise on concrete roads is loud. Too loud. It spoils the otherwise smooth and tranquil long distance cruiser image.

4. Indicator stalks feel flimsy and thin. Not in keeping with Porsche quality. They seem to bend when you move them especially as the switches themselves seem nice and taut. They feel like something you'd get on a cut-price city car.
Compared to Cayenne stalks which are stiff and have just the right amount of tension in them.

5. Brakes - yes brakes! Okay so they do stop you and very well (tried them out fully on the track at Silverstone. But, and its a big but for me - they don't feel like they going to stop you.
All my previous cars and especially Audi's (TTs /S1)- the brakes grab and hold on - it gives you a lot of confidence. The 718s well it's as though someone turned the power assistance down to minimum.
Rather dead feeling - I'm probably alone in this so don't hate me!

6. The GPS is not in my good books. It's taken me or tried to take me to some pretty weird routes. I always have to consult Google maps just to make sure I am going where I think I should be going. Not the worst - but could do better.

7. Tyre judder on full lock - yes every time it does it, it irritates me. And yes I know it's not it's fault but it just, well, irritates me a bit.

8. Doesn't retain sport and spoiler settings...on mine (2018). Don't think I can justify the price of a £180 T-design module plus postage, plus VAT, plus customs fee.....

9. Another few inches of seat movement would be great. I'm 6ft 3 ins and although my legs are comfortable, but I'd like to lean to seat back a tad but of course no spare room behind to do that....

10. My (admittedly nice freebie) official Porsche leather key ring is wearing badly (I've only done 2K in it). I hope the leather on the Porsche interiors is of better quality!


Yes I know it looks like there are too many 'meh's' but the loves and likes do, of course, far out weigh those minor blips.0

A fabulous car and I'm glad I chose it above all the other contenders.

 

[VIdjc9]

My 718CB was a March 2018 build, April delivery, so the 1 year mark has arrived for me as well.



Thank you for your reflections on your first year of ownership. Here are my reactions:


A. Loves -- Agree.
B. Likes -- Agree 1-5; Not a fan of the spoiler look for daily driving; Track OK, but I think the spoiler on our cars are really more about looks than performance.
C. Meh's

1. Speed is fast enough for me.
2. Very happy with PDK. I've owned many manual sports cars including a Boxster S; no manual tranny in my future.
3. Haven't noticed excess tire noise; probably listened to too much loud heavy rock music in the day!
4. No complaint about the signal stalk.
5. Brakes are good, no lack of confidence in them.
6. I use Google maps when navigation is required which is very seldom.
7. ??
8. Not retaining settings is a [minor] pain.
9. Seat movement not an issue at 170 cm. I find the seating position and comfort are perfect.

10. Didn't get a leather fob; dealer "presents" were a Porsche hat, back pack and umbrella. I have a rubber wrist bracelet thingy for my keys which is useful when fishing them out of my pockets.


I totally agree with your conclusion. I love this car and I plan to keep it long term. Maybe the next one will be hybrid/electric.

 

[johan]

Simple baffel mod, what mod is that?

 

[hume]

Thanks for sharing your opinions. I've had my base 718 Cayman for 8 months now and I can add a couple. First of all. Love the car! Best car I've ever owned.

In response to your observations. I also love the look of the car and think it's not at all over the top. Everything there is functional. No fake air scoops or trim pieces. Porsche designed a car to function, not just to look good. The spoiler retracts when not needed (instead of slowing you down at slow speed!). I also love the sound. I like the burbly throatiness to it. The old boxer 6 also sounds excellent but for different reasons. The 718 is certainly different, but I can handle change.

I think I am one of many who will disagree with you about the brakes. The first time I drove a Porsche I thought something was wrong with the brakes. They felt like they needed too much travel for them to grip, like there was air in the lines. It was only after I drove the car a bit I realized the wonder of linear brake feel. Much easier to modulate the brakes than with grabby brakes. It seems most people want their brakes to be on-off buttons -- and I was the same. I now appreciate entering a turn with slight brake pressure to get just the right speed of approach and exit. I now can't stand it when I drive a "normal" car because the brakes and throttle are so non-linear.

Now for a couple "Meh's" from me:

1. I got the manual climate control. I was thinking "Nah, I don't need auto-climate control. I am perfectly capable of adjusting the controls myself." Well.. in most cars I am. But Porsche uses rocker switches for the blower speed and temperature, which is really... slow... To turn off the air you need to hold down the blower speed button and wait, click, click, click, click... and then, it doesn't turn off, stops at one bar. Need to release the rocker switch and press it again to really turn it off. Have the windows down but getting on the highway and want the air-con? Hold down the blower rocker switch and wait, click, click, click, click... Very time consuming and distracting. Many cars with manual climate control use three dials. Very easy to just flick up the blower dial to the speed you want. This is one poor ergonomic decision by Porsche. (Unless they did it to up-sell you the auto-climate control!)

2. The dead pedal is not quite the right angle for me. Had the same problem in my 987 Boxster. My left foot can get a little tired if cruising for too long and not moving it. This is nit-picky but the 718 is so close to ergonomic bliss that I have to say it.

3. Wish I got the rear wiper. It's my daily driver and for how cheap the wiper is I should have gotten it.

4. The sport chrono wart on the dash is useless and you can see a reflection of it in the windscreen. (But love sport chrono.)

5. Dare I say it? It's almost too good. The car can do anything I throw at it on public roads (acceleration is plenty for me). Cornering grip can handle any windy mountain road with ease. I tell the car to do something and it will just do it; Like slicing butter. PASM makes any rough road pleasant. And yet, I can cruise for hours at a time on the highway when on my way to the fun mountain road (except for the dead pedal angle). Or run errands in town with ease. Hmmm... This doesn't sound like a "Meh." I'm really torn about this. The car is incredible, but it lost something from the 987. It gained things in exchange, but there's a roughness and edginess that is now missing. Did it get too good? I should probably start a thread all it's own in this. : )

 

[dekilla]

Simple baffel mod, what mod is that?

Yes.. please...what´s that... it sounds interesting - what ever it does.

 

[jimmuller]

Simple baffel mod, what mod is that?

Honestly, I"m baffled by this.
I like the likes and stuff above. Don't have many meh's. The dead pedal is just fine for me. The brakes work just great. Don't know what I'd do with more power, as I rarely get the chance to punch it and when I do it isn't for very long! Starting up in non-Sport mode is probably a nod toward getting better official mileage figures. I like the growl of the engine.



Sometimes I wish the interior had a few unused surfaces where I could put something, but what the heck, it's a small car. (Though compared to my past "small" cars, it isn't.)

 

[4802]

4. The sport chrono wart on the dash is useless and you can see a reflection of it in the windscreen. (But love sport chrono.)

Are you referring to the clock? If you are, then I assume you do realise that it isn't purely just a stopwatch for track timing, but can also be set to show the time of day? Personally I love having an analogue clock in such a prominent position & it's anything but useless.

Page 271 | 2017-2019 718 Boxster Manual | Porsche iManuals

 

[dragonsdreams]

Mufflers not baffles - oops!

Honestly, I"m baffled by this.
I like the likes and stuff above. Don't have many meh's. The dead pedal is just fine for me. The brakes work just great. Don't know what I'd do with more power, as I rarely get the chance to punch it and when I do it isn't for very long! Starting up in non-Sport mode is probably a nod toward getting better official mileage figures. I like the growl of the engine.



Sometimes I wish the interior had a few unused surfaces where I could put something, but what the heck, it's a small car. (Though compared to my past "small" cars, it isn't.)

Sorry folks - what I meant to say was mufflers not baffles (? senior moment there!). Loosen off the crossover pipe between the mufflers and create a gap of about 4-5mm. A less than five minute job with the right spanner set.
Really nice mod , thanks to Johan for the original 718 photo guide.

 

[dragonsdreams]

Thanks for sharing your opinions. I've had my base 718 Cayman for 8 months now and I can add a couple. First of all. Love the car! Best car I've ever owned.

In response to your observations. I also love the look of the car and think it's not at all over the top. Everything there is functional. No fake air scoops or trim pieces. Porsche designed a car to function, not just to look good. The spoiler retracts when not needed (instead of slowing you down at slow speed!). I also love the sound. I like the burbly throatiness to it. The old boxer 6 also sounds excellent but for different reasons. The 718 is certainly different, but I can handle change.

I think I am one of many who will disagree with you about the brakes. The first time I drove a Porsche I thought something was wrong with the brakes. They felt like they needed too much travel for them to grip, like there was air in the lines. It was only after I drove the car a bit I realized the wonder of linear brake feel. Much easier to modulate the brakes than with grabby brakes. It seems most people want their brakes to be on-off buttons -- and I was the same. I now appreciate entering a turn with slight brake pressure to get just the right speed of approach and exit. I now can't stand it when I drive a "normal" car because the brakes and throttle are so non-linear.

Now for a couple "Meh's" from me:

1. I got the manual climate control. I was thinking "Nah, I don't need auto-climate control. I am perfectly capable of adjusting the controls myself." Well.. in most cars I am. But Porsche uses rocker switches for the blower speed and temperature, which is really... slow... To turn off the air you need to hold down the blower speed button and wait, click, click, click, click... and then, it doesn't turn off, stops at one bar. Need to release the rocker switch and press it again to really turn it off. Have the windows down but getting on the highway and want the air-con? Hold down the blower rocker switch and wait, click, click, click, click... Very time consuming and distracting. Many cars with manual climate control use three dials. Very easy to just flick up the blower dial to the speed you want. This is one poor ergonomic decision by Porsche. (Unless they did it to up-sell you the auto-climate control!)

2. The dead pedal is not quite the right angle for me. Had the same problem in my 987 Boxster. My left foot can get a little tired if cruising for too long and not moving it. This is nit-picky but the 718 is so close to ergonomic bliss that I have to say it.

3. Wish I got the rear wiper. It's my daily driver and for how cheap the wiper is I should have gotten it.

4. The sport chrono wart on the dash is useless and you can see a reflection of it in the windscreen. (But love sport chrono.)

5. Dare I say it? It's almost too good. The car can do anything I throw at it on public roads (acceleration is plenty for me). Cornering grip can handle any windy mountain road with ease. I tell the car to do something and it will just do it; Like slicing butter. PASM makes any rough road pleasant. And yet, I can cruise for hours at a time on the highway when on my way to the fun mountain road (except for the dead pedal angle). Or run errands in town with ease. Hmmm... This doesn't sound like a "Meh." I'm really torn about this. The car is incredible, but it lost something from the 987. It gained things in exchange, but there's a roughness and edginess that is now missing. Did it get too good? I should probably start a thread all it's own in this. : )

Hi Hume,


1. Agree. Piddling around with those awkward buttons to get the right combination is a pain. Wish I'd got the auto climate control.


3. Agree. Got the rear wiper - wish it has a spray jet too though! I remembered what a pain it was without a rear wiper on the last TT I had.



Yes you're probably right about the brakes. I guess I'm so used to the usual highly assisted brakes they just feel heavy and dead (like my original Vauxhall Viva!). But on the track yes the linear progression is a better.


Mark

 

[hume]

Are you referring to the clock? If you are, then I assume you do realise that it isn't purely just a stopwatch for track timing, but can also be set to show the time of day? Personally I love having an analogue clock in such a prominent position & it's anything but useless.

Yes, I have it displaying a clock too. But there's already two other clocks within eye-sight and so it's redundant. Also, the largest dial just shows the seconds -- which is what you want for a chronometer, but otherwise, the least-significant time unit is most prominent. Anyway, I appreciate it can be nice having a clock up there but for me it's just glare in my front windscreen.

 

[4802]

Yes, I have it displaying a clock too. But there's already two other clocks within eye-sight and so it's redundant. Also, the largest dial just shows the seconds -- which is what you want for a chronometer, but otherwise, the least-significant time unit is most prominent. Anyway, I appreciate it can be nice having a clock up there but for me it's just glare in my front windscreen.

Seriously, I really can't say I've ever found its reflection on the windscreen to be a problem. It hasn't even registered with me despite having had sports chrono on the last three cars. However, if I do now start to notice it, then on previous form it'll probably grate on me & should that happen I'll have no choice but to blame you for having pointed it out. So thanks for that.

 

[johan]

Seriously, I really can't say I've ever found its reflection on the windscreen to be a problem. It hasn't even registered with me despite having had sports chrono on the last three cars. However, if I do now start to notice it, then on previous form it'll probably grate on me & should that happen I'll have no choice but to blame you for having pointed it out. So thanks for that.

I had white SC on my old CS and the reflection could sometimes be distracting.
Post 13 in this thread and you will have a pic on white with the lowest lumanation setting
https://www.718forum.com/forum/interior/16324-illumination-white-vs-black-sport-chrono-clock-2.html

 

[4802]

I had white SC on my old CS and the reflection could sometimes be distracting.
Post 13 in this thread and you will have a pic on white with the lowest lumanation setting
https://www.718forum.com/forum/interior/16324-illumination-white-vs-black-sport-chrono-clock-2.html

Don't you bloomin' well start as well. Hush man, it's never been a problem up until now. But you know what it's like, once you see something & it starts to annoy you, you can't ever un-see it. I'm almost scared to drive the car again now until I've forgotten this thread.

 

[GTS]

My biggest "meh" is the stupid seat squeak that my local service department was, "unable to reproduce." That, and the manual climate control.

 

[CaymanMatt]

Me biggest peave are the disappearing instruments in low light conditions. Other than that it's all minor stuff. Things like I wish it would retain all settings (climate control, etc). Overall though an amazing car!

 

[johan]

Don't you bloomin' well start as well. Hush man, it's never been a problem up until now. But you know what it's like, once you see something & it starts to annoy you, you can't ever un-see it. I'm almost scared to drive the car again now until I've forgotten this thread.

0


Sry Man! >

 

[sevencyclist]

My biggest "meh" is the stupid seat squeak that my local service department was, "unable to reproduce." That, and the manual climate control.

What seat do you have? My passenger seat has slight creak every other time when used. Solution might be just always drive alone, but would be great to have that solved for sure.

 

[GTS]

What seat do you have? My passenger seat has slight creak every other time when used. Solution might be just always drive alone, but would be great to have that solved for sure.

I have the standard 2 way manual seats. There is a creaking / squeaking sound coming from the seat cushion / lower back rest when my weight shifts over bumps and cracks in the road.

 

[johan]

Oh, i have a small Meh.....

Driving top down when it is cold outside showed med that the wind deflector made out of mesh Suck monkey butt.
So i have bought a new transparent all thanks to Ironman
https://www.718forum.com/forum/porsche-718-boxster/16052-clear-wind-deflector-718-boxster.html

At first i thought it was Ok but i realised that there is way to much draft compared to my 986.

 

[Dan.B-Cayman]

[/SIZE] 1. The looks are to die for - really. Can't get enough of walking around it and thinking this: the Porsche Cayman is the finest looking car on the road.

It doesn't look like a boy racer hatchback, a souped up high class coupé or an attention grabbing supercar. It (she, yes I know...) just looks like a superbly shaped bespoke sports car.
Dittos and well said.