Porsche 718 Forum banner
1 - 12 of 12 Posts

· Registered
Joined
·
45 Posts
Discussion Starter · #1 · (Edited)
Hi,

Just signed up, i'm a 981s owner from Scotland but can see myself in a 718 Spyder some day in the future (if I can get one). I make car videos as a hobby so will post my 718 review in the main section.

You can see my 981 on the Youtube channel. Search Test Drive Scotland 718 on Youtube.

Thanks
 

· Registered
Joined
·
45 Posts
Discussion Starter · #3 ·
What a coincidence I watched your 718 review yesterday.


You should have pulled out the donald fuse (search for soundactor on this forum) for your review to get a more honest sound out of the car.
Put that point across in the comments under the video it's worth noting for sure. I only realised it had the soundaktor after handing it back, it seems obvious now as I drive a Golf R and I knew something was familiar.

Saying that I don't mind it, I prefer a noisier cabin, like I said in the review the level of sound was quite good so not sure I would want to spoil that element.

I know in the Golf it can be adjusted to be quieter in the coding so probably the same story for the 718.
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
469 Posts
I hope you found it fair, I really enjoyed driving it as you could probably tell, I think the decision on which you prefer will come down to what you value as they are the same car, just different.

I did find it fair.
All seem to agree that the 718 is the best sports car at this price point and even compared to a lot of more expensive cars.
The one thing a lot of people disagree on is whether the sound from the engine is worthy of the Porsche badge.
Personally I really like the sound the flat four makes, and I have no problem with a four cylinder Porsche, it's not like it's something new to Porsche to make four cylinder cars (just don't get me started on Porsche Diesels, I never got the point of that).
It's also not that I don't get that a flat six can sound better, but we also need to be realistic, when factoring in things like the power a small turbo engine makes, cost, consumption and emissions Porsche made the right choice in going for a flat four.
I actually think Porsche should have made the first and every following Boxster and Cayman a flat four, to follow the linage of the 912, 914, 944 and 968, the problem with this thought is that the original Boxster might not have been such a huge success that the brand would have been something totally different today.
But maybe if the Boxster had always been a flat four, it may not have been viewed as much as a poor man's 911 and would have been judged on its own merits.
It's not that I don't like the sound of a flat six, because I do, but I also like the fact that the sound of the flat four helps differentiate the 718 even more from the 911.
Lets face it, if all cars were the same the world would be a boring place, even if they all were flat six Porsches ;)
 

· Registered
Joined
·
638 Posts
@testdrive well done video, I appreciated the thoughtful tone.

I think if you drive the 2.5/VTG you'll find some difference in the character of power delivery, not just larger numbers. And the substantial gain in average-power (not just peak) over your 981 S, rather than simply being 'too fast', harmonizes with the improved handling so it's still a car with balanced performance envelope but higher thresholds all-around.

I do take exception to your use of 'soul'. I think you'll find a lot of drivers here (incl. many with flat-six backgrounds) who feel the turbo-four has its own kind of soul, that of an over-achieving under-appreciated super-efficient Li'l Beast as we call it. The little 2.5 that thinks it can power the mid-engine cars to performance matching the 3.8 991.1 Carrera S and 981 GT4 -- and does. And in so doing offends a bunch of owners who bash the upstart for its sound and lack of pedigree -- making it all the more endearing to us.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
45 Posts
Discussion Starter · #10 ·
@testdrive well done video, I appreciated the thoughtful tone.

I think if you drive the 2.5/VTG you'll find some difference in the character of power delivery, not just larger numbers. And the substantial gain in average-power (not just peak) over your 981 S, rather than simply being 'too fast', harmonizes with the improved handling so it's still a car with balanced performance envelope but higher thresholds all-around.

I do take exception to your use of 'soul'. I think you'll find a lot of drivers here (incl. many with flat-six backgrounds) who feel the turbo-four has its own kind of soul, that of an over-achieving under-appreciated super-efficient Li'l Beast as we call it. The little 2.5 that thinks it can power the mid-engine cars to performance matching the 3.8 991.1 Carrera S and 981 GT4 -- and does. And in so doing offends a bunch of owners who bash the upstart for its sound and lack of pedigree -- making it all the more endearing to us.
Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Yes I can certainly see that point of view always very nice to drive the so called 'underdog'! I guess when using the term soul I meant the engine note doesn't quite have the hairs on the back of my neck standing up but that's not to say others wouldn't think so.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
638 Posts
I guess when using the term soul I meant the engine note doesn't quite have the hairs on the back of my neck standing up but that's not to say others wouldn't think so.
It's not that....just this whole 'hairs standing up' thing so widely repeated in social media is more than a bit over-rated. Those hairs would not be standing if exactly the same sound was coming out of a Prius (or fill-in your own meme for boring utilitarian transport).

I had three naturally-aspirated flat-six Porsches (of 3.2, 3.4 and 3.6) and they were all great engines, but none really made much impression on me one way or the other sound-wise as they followed a Ferrari flatplane-crank V8. On the other hand, I can assure you that my 718 Boxster S, at speed top-down on a winding third/fourth gear ridge-line road, is more exciting than any of them (and actually has more of that flatplane two-exhaust-pulses-per-bank burble at idle). Are the hairs literally standing up? I don't know, I'm too busy taking in all the other visual, tactile and audible sensations as the next corner rushes towards me at breathtaking speed.... I always wonder if the drivers of the 919 taking overall victories at LeMans or breaking the 35-year 956 Nurburgring record with a turbo-four hybrid ever said "it's a beast but it just doesn't make the hairs on my neck stand on end".

I do hope you ultimately get a 718 S/GTS and after a month or so of driving, without the-other dog (of current ownership) in the fight so to speak, report back here on your updated impressions.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
360 Posts
I agree with pretty much all the 718 owners have said on this thread - but a decently fair review given inherent 6 cylinder "bias"

4 cylinder engines are inevitable in this range of cars so there is no point in the 6 cylinder mourners/moaners - and I have owned 6 flat 6 cylinder engine porsches including 2 air cooled ones - different is not bad

simple truth the 718 is a better car in every important way- looks, interior, handling and speed

the Donald fuse has to go - the car sounds much better without the fake noise - the engine has plenty of character in itself

honestly you would think Porsche had used a VW engine from a golf rather use two thirds of the 3.8 6 cylinder lump
 
  • Like
Reactions: CupraLeon
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top