My biggest gripe with my Cayman S was how tall the shifter was from factory. So much so that it messed with the clutch/shifter relationship for me at times. I replaced it with a numeric racing short shifter and feel like the clutch is just fine (although may take some getting used to).

I had a GT2 slave conversion done on a 996 turbo I previously owned that that clutch was stiff. THis thing doesnt even compare. lol.

 

Hehe, I might just be spoiled by the veloster's light clutch. It's possible I could develop the muscle again to make it feel normal but it would suck in traffic!

 

Hi Drvrmod

I tend to agree in my humble opinion my 6 speed is certainly not the best I have driven. I find first gear is overly long and my clutch is similar to how you describe in your test drive. My other current cars including my 1995 MR2 and SEAT (VAG) are significantly better, my father's 2020 Miata/MX5 is a real joy.

I have got used to the 718 gears and clutch, but with the MX5 gearbox it would be sensational.

Rob

 

Thanks rob. How I feel exactly. Thanks

 

Huh thats interesting. I do not find the clutch overly stiff at all. I came from a long line of BMWs and do remember thinking the clutch in the 718 was a little stiffer than my prior car (F80 M3) but certainly not too stiff requiring a lot of effort to work.

 

There is something wrong with either the clutch or your left leg.

 

I play soccer so generally don't have issues with leg strength, but it could be my knees are going Or the clutch needs some grease.

 

Man, I’ve never heard someone comparing a Porsche manual trans (rated best by pretty much everyone) as no good compared to Mazda. Come on Porsche, your out of touch with the minority opinions. 🙄

It obviously doesn’t fit everyone and that’s solved with a PDK, but comparing a car built to fit the masses of a$$es vs. a performance oriented sports car seems odd to me.

JMO!

 

There is something wrong with either the clutch or your left leg.

I've owned/Driven over 6 manual cars from FWD, Mid Engine and RWD and the 718 base manual was one of the worst to me.

The shifter was pretty good(a little tall) but good action and position. But the clutch was terrible!! It was unnecessarily stiff and had a crazy hard spring.

The same day I test drove a Miata and then back to my Veloster N. It was just way easier to drive those cars comfortably with a stick.
The release point on the clutch in the 718 was really high up and it would be a nightmare in traffic due to how stiff the clutch pedal was.

My car driving history (all manuals): mr2 Spyder, FRS/BRZ, Miata NA + NB + ND, Fiesta St, Veloster N. I also briefly drove a 981 cayman.
The 981 cayman was also kind of stiff but I don't remember it being that much.



Anybody else feel this way? Do you just get used to it? Is there a mod to make the clutch for livable as a daily?
Other than that I love the car's handling and I don't mind the engine at all.

Tested: 2018 718 Cayman base.

Agree 100% with O.P. I had two extended test drives on two different Caymans (a 981 and a 718) and found both clutch pedals to be way too stiff with way too high of an engagement point. Absolutely the worst manual I’ve driven and completely unsuitable for my daily driver needs. Very perplexing and disappointing, after all the glowing reviews.

I ordered the PDK on my BGTS 4.0, and have never looked back.

I am coming from an E39 540i 6-speed with UUC short shifter CDV delete mods. THAT was a proper manual…that I loved driving every day for 20 years.

BTW I am 6 ft 1 inch, 195 pounds and hike 4 miles a day, so it’s not my leg.

 

 

Sometimes I wonder with the long gears and the unfriendly clutch if Porsche is secretly trying to kill the manual. Would save them money (tin foil hat on)

 

Have no issue with the feel of the clutch pedal. For me, it's not overly stiff and grabs right at the top. I corrected the height of the shifter with the short shift kit. Everything is bang on AFAIAC. 😉

 

I’ve mostly owned manuals my entire life. Currently own two after selling my third last year. All clutches and shifters are a bit different but nothing has ever put me off so much that it was the make or break for a desirable car. One, I’m glad they aren’t all the same, and two, it‘s just a clutch, takes no more time to get used to than figuring out how to adjust the radio.

 

I own a PDK but test drove the manual (2020) of my Boxster before buying. I don't recall the clutch feeling stiff or difficult at all, so maybe it's different on an older 2018 model?

 

My miata of 20 years was very very finicky with the clutch point and prone to clutch judder or chatter in cold or damp weather. But it had a great short throw and positive snick-snick feel on the 6 speed shift knob.

Transitioning to the 718 the biggest difference is the weight of the car so I expected a heavier pedal. The shifter has a bigger ball and is higher, but since it's positioned better so you don't have to reach as far it seems like the longer throw is actually easier to row through the gears. The clutch has a higher engagement point in the travel of the pedal, compared to the Miata, but it engages faster and less sloppily.

I understand the pundits complaining that the gearing ratios are so tall, but are you seriously saying the spring is too heavy?

 

My dream spec is a cayman T with manual. So I really wanted to like it. But it could be that because my current cars clutch and the ND miata's clutch were so easy to use, I was a bit shocked by the engagement of the 718. I suspect if I bought one, after a few days/weeks(I hope) I could develop the muscle for it not to be a hassle. But the first impression was bad.

I agree the Porsche shifter position was great. The throw was a little long but not terrible. I still really want a 718 and I may try a different year to see if I like it better, or the PDK.
If I try the PDK and hate it I would rather go with the manual and try to mod the spring.

 

There is something very different with the OP’s and the other’s clutches. I have been driving in stop and go traffic on a twice daily basis lately and have had zero issues. I could easily drive the car all day. FYI, I am 67 and have certainly been in better shape.

 

I've owned/Driven over 6 manual cars from FWD, Mid Engine and RWD and the 718 base manual was one of the worst to me.

The shifter was pretty good(a little tall) but good action and position. But the clutch was terrible!! It was unnecessarily stiff and had a crazy hard spring.

The same day I test drove a Miata and then back to my Veloster N. It was just way easier to drive those cars comfortably with a stick.
The release point on the clutch in the 718 was really high up and it would be a nightmare in traffic due to how stiff the clutch pedal was.

My car driving history (all manuals): mr2 Spyder, FRS/BRZ, Miata NA + NB + ND, Fiesta St, Veloster N. I also briefly drove a 981 cayman.
The 981 cayman was also kind of stiff but I don't remember it being that much.



Anybody else feel this way? Do you just get used to it? Is there a mod to make the clutch for livable as a daily?
Other than that I love the car's handling and I don't mind the engine at all.

Tested: 2018 718 Cayman base.

Why would you want a manual when you can have a PDK?

 

Lol your kidding right?

 

It seems to me that the OP is comparing the 718's shifter and clutch exclusively to other non-German cars, and I'd say that is why you are drawing the conclusion that you have come to.

Having owned both Japanese and German vehicles, and driven plenty of vehicles of different makes and nationalities (if there is such a thing for cars), I'd say that the heavier / stiffer clutch effort is common to high powered high performance cars. Additionally, German vehicles tend to have a higher clutch engagement point -- multiple VWs and various BMWs that I've driven are all like that. I wish the engagement point was a bit lower, and I am going to look into whether the amount of slack can be adjusted on the clutch -- I could do that with my previous NC Miata. But really, there isn't anything majorly wrong with those German clutches. You just get used to it after a while.

As far as the shifter is concerned, I've found the bolt action rifle-like feel of the Porsche shifter to be a joy to shift. I know people have sung high praises for the Numeric shifter and cables, and I'd be interested in trying them myself some time down the line if repairs or upgrades are needed. The tall gearing ratio from the Porsche transmission is very much a disappointment though. I would have preferred some much shorter ratios from 1st to 4th, and it would have been more than sufficient to reserve the tall highway cruising for 5th and 6th alone.

 

You should get behind the wheel of my ‘56 XK-140 Jaguar. Non-synchromesh gearbox and the clutch pedal is nearly vertical against the firewall.

 

Sorry but the ‘50s cars are too crude for me now. Having restored and driven a ‘56 Corvette and two ‘57 T birds, I will stick with nothing older than the ‘60s. Had a ‘69 E Type that was not bad to drive. Current project is a ‘65 E Type OTS ground up restoration. Glad to have an automatic on my DD.

 

Lol, stiff clutch. I guess everyone has their own prespective. I guess some should get a PDK, which for me lacks engagement and is just way too boring for a proper sports car. Hands down the PDK is the best automatic I have driven, but the manual in the Cayman IMO is sweet. Considering the power level the clutch is light and a pleasure to use even in traffic were the torque and long gears keeps shifting to a minumum.

 

Anybody else feel this way?

I agree that the bite point on the 718's MT is high. It takes some practice.

Porsche clutches are stiff. Period. That's the way it is. Volkswagen too. Audis and BMWs are a bit softer. Mercedes? Who knows? So rare they might as well not exist.

You think the 718 clutch is stiff? Try a 928.

After years of driving my 928 and DD Volkswagans last century, I happened to need to drive an MT Acura/Honda/Mazda/Nissan (I forget which it was) and when I put down my left leg, for just a moment, I thought I'd broken the clutch pedal clean off the car.

The 991s, 981s, 718s are a bit easier.

Do you just get used to it?

Yes.

My 5'4" wife drives her MT German cars as DDs in Boston traffic. She doesn't complain one bit.

On the other hand, constant clutching/de-clutching in stop-and-go traffic is for the birds. If that's how you're using it, then PDK is the way to go.

 

Is this whole thread trollbait?

 

Now I'm seeing the troll under the bridge. Have fun in your Miata.

 

So people bemoan the fact the manual gear box is becoming a thing of the past but when they get one that is regarded as one of the best in the business they say it sucks and one should get the PDK. I think we begin to see the problem. You want stiff go drive a mechanical (non hydraulic) clutch from the 30s, 40s, 50s or 60s. Better yet, drive my Model T in low gear for more than 20 seconds. Your leg won't stop shaking for a week.

 

@drvrmod. Maybe Porsche is not for you. I have a Miata NC and a 718. The Miata NC shifts well but has half the power, so is not even in the same league for performance. If you want smooth engaging driving feel at low speed, then stick with the Miata. If you want to drive fast easily the 718 is king.

 

I came from a Miata and a BRZ to my 718 MT and did find the clutch stiffer and it took a bit of getting used to. The main thing for me was dialing in the seat position. I feel I sit a bit closer than I was used to, but the closer seating position gives me better leverage. Another reason I’m glad I got the 14 ways.

 

I've owned/Driven over 6 manual cars from FWD, Mid Engine and RWD and the 718 base manual was one of the worst to me.

The shifter was pretty good(a little tall) but good action and position. But the clutch was terrible!! It was unnecessarily stiff and had a crazy hard spring.

The same day I test drove a Miata and then back to my Veloster N. It was just way easier to drive those cars comfortably with a stick.
The release point on the clutch in the 718 was really high up and it would be a nightmare in traffic due to how stiff the clutch pedal was.

My car driving history (all manuals): mr2 Spyder, FRS/BRZ, Miata NA + NB + ND, Fiesta St, Veloster N. I also briefly drove a 981 cayman.
The 981 cayman was also kind of stiff but I don't remember it being that much.



Anybody else feel this way? Do you just get used to it? Is there a mod to make the clutch for livable as a daily?
Other than that I love the car's handling and I don't mind the engine at all.

Tested: 2018 718 Cayman base.

i know we all think a true sportscar should be a manual. why? i'm not sure.
having owned a 718 mit pdk for a couple months, i wouldn't want it any other way. my ferrari was gated and could
be a pain in traffic,etc. considering the level of engineering going into a pdk vs. a ferrari you can understand why
they chose to go clutchless.
no regrets mate.

 

i'm not condeming manuals at all. in my nearly 60yrs. of driving, i have driven mostly sticks as well. my first being
an international tractor. the few slush boxes i had were terrible. a couple were concessions to my late wife.
the bmw, infinities, vw's, and ferrari i had were good. but i'm getting older. my salad days are long past.
my driving school days at the nordschleife, likewise. my point is, nothing stirs me more than a smartly designed
chasis,good brakes, and a flat torque curve! i think the 718 excels at those criteria. clutch foot in or clutch foot out!

 

Thank you for posting this. I test drove a manual GTS and thought the clutch was high and unusually stiff. I'd assumed, having heard people sing the praises of the manual 718, that it was just me not having driven a manual for a few years, but obviously not.

 

Thanks for sharing.
Yeah I think some people have just gotten used to the stiff clutch or don't know car with easier clutches. I think the ND miata is a perfect clutch, it has feel but doesn't require you to build up more muscle on your left leg. It was brilliant to drive. Of course I still want a cayman!

 

I was the complete opposite. My son bought a Veloster N awhile back and my first thought on pressing the clutch pedal was, man this think is too light! So, I suppose you could say you get used to the Cayman clutch. I've got an S and presume it's similar if not exactly the same feel. But, I agree, for daily driving in heavy traffic the Veloster N clutch would be much easier to deal with. Otherwise, I've driven my CS for 6-8 hours at a time of mainly spirited driving during touring rallies and never noticed the weight of the clutch.

 

I was in bumper to bumper traffic today for over an hour, sometimes moving less than a cars length. I'm 61. No issues with the ride or the use of a clutch other than it was BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC on Pittsburgh hills! Anyone believing the clutch is too heavy needs some exercise.