[orton]

(Moderator note: The OP and the first several responses were originally part of another thread. They were moved to better focus on the OP's post.)

Just read this whole series of posts. Not of much value with my base manual transmission car. Very few alphabet options. Found how to turn off the PCM first day of ownership and bought the $199 auto start/stop defeat module. Despised auto start/stop.

Still too may bells and whistles. Guess that is only a problem if you are 80 years old and remember when cars did not have computers. Do enjoy driving the car and am pleased how it performs without all the options.

Only thing I can add is the heater will not blow cold air when engine is cold. It waits until there is warm air available and then provides air flow. Clever.

Do not like the need to prevent the gearbox from wanting to select third gear on a downshift from 6th. Have to push the lever to the right if you want 5th gear instead of 3rd.

 

[grasmere]

Just read this whole series of posts. Not of much value with my base manual transmission car. Very few alphabet options. Found how to turn off the PCM first day of ownership and bought the $199 auto start/stop defeat module. Despised auto start/stop.

Still too may bells and whistles. Guess that is only a problem if you are 80 years old and remember when cars did not have computers. Do enjoy driving the car and am pleased how it performs without all the options.

Only thing I can add is the heater will not blow cold air when engine is cold. It waits until there is warm air available and then provides air flow. Clever.

Do not like the need to prevent the gearbox from wanting to select third gear on a downshift from 6th. Have to push the lever to the right if you want 5th gear instead of 3rd.

So - why ‘did’ you buy your car?

 

[orton]

So - why ‘did’ you buy your car?

To drive it. Not to play with bells and whistles.

Options:

GT Silver
Extended range gas tank
19" Boxster S wheels
Deletion of model designation
Luggage net in footwell
Smoking package
Power steering plus
Sports seats plus (2 way)

Paid $55,900.40 + fees. 8% off sticker.

 

[Viffermike]

Just read this whole series of posts. Not of much value with my base manual transmission car. Very few alphabet options. Found how to turn off the PCM first day of ownership and bought the $199 auto start/stop defeat module. Despised auto start/stop.

Still too may bells and whistles. Guess that is only a problem if you are 80 years old and remember when cars did not have computers. Do enjoy driving the car and am pleased how it performs without all the options.

Only thing I can add is the heater will not blow cold air when engine is cold. It waits until there is warm air available and then provides air flow. Clever.

Do not like the need to prevent the gearbox from wanting to select third gear on a downshift from 6th. Have to push the lever to the right if you want 5th gear instead of 3rd.

I'm only 49 and remember computer-less cars. My first three were like this. One of them even had a carbuetor and choke, and all three had crank side windows and drum rear brakes. C'mon, man ...

I mention this because I really don't understand the point of your post other than you wish cars like the 718 weren't controlled by computers. I get it. Thing is, they pretty much all are now, and for that reason the 718 is as fast as it is, it's as safe as it is, it's as efficient as it is, it handles as well as it does, and it's as 'complete' a feeling car as it is.

Please don't insult those of us who appreciate such 'bells and whistles' by posting in a thread that you plainly have no vested interest in, even though you 'read this whole series of posts'. Just because I watched the latest James Bond movie, and didn't particularly enjoy it compared to earlier and simpler ones, doesn't mean I'm going to say that to a bunch of 007 enthusiasts who loooovedd the latest one. Pick your spots, and participate in the discussion only if you have something of value to add. Your post didn't.

Thanks for reading.

 

[grasmere]

To drive it. Not to play with bells and whistles.

Oh! I bought mine to drive it too but the bells and whistles make the experience ever so much nicer.

Just love the stop/start function, no need to disable it, as part of the chronic package you just don’t select it. With the HOLD function it works perfectly - unlike my wife’s mini, on which it’s not great.

I guess it’s the adage “pays money takes choice”

 

[Graustark]

I'm only 49 and remember computer-less cars. My first three were like this. One of them even had a carbuetor and choke, and all three had crank side windows and drum rear brakes. C'mon, man ...

I mention this because I really don't understand the point of your post other than you wish cars like the 718 weren't controlled by computers. I get it. Thing is, they pretty much all are now, and for that reason the 718 is as fast as it is, it's as safe as it is, it's as efficient as it is, it handles as well as it does, and it's as 'complete' a feeling car as it is.

Please don't insult those of us who appreciate such 'bells and whistles' by posting in a thread that you plainly have no vested interest in, even though you 'read this whole series of posts'. Just because I watched the latest James Bond movie, and didn't particularly enjoy it compared to earlier and simpler ones, doesn't mean I'm going to say that to a bunch of 007 enthusiasts who loooovedd the latest one. Pick your spots, and participate in the discussion only if you have something of value to add. Your post didn't.

Thanks for reading.

Hey, he's 80 yo. He is supposed to be cranky. Don't get him started on Millennials and avocado toast!

My 2020 build? I'm getting tons of bells and whistles. Love that sh-t!

 

[Barryng]

Guess that is only a problem if you are 80 years old and remember when cars did not have computers.

I am not yet 80 but I do clearly remember when the only electronic device in a car was a vacuum tube technology AM radio. Tubes required a noticeably long (~20 seconds) warm up time and high voltage. Transistorized radios appeared, if I remember correctly, circa 1961 (my Dad's 1960 Buick had tubes but a friend's 1961 Ford Falcon was transistors). Transistor car radios were notable because they started as soon as it was turned on, the vibrator (required to transform 12V DC into a few hundred volts) with its very obvious hum was very noticeably missing, and the design of the center portion of the dash below or above the radio head significantly changed because there was no longer a big ass tube radio hanging down or sticking up behind the head. We had a 1954 Chevy with an "electric eye" to control the high beams. It never ever worked reliably and I don't think it used any tubes but I guess it was technically "electronic".

In 1974 I bought the first car I truly enjoyed (replacing a 1971 Buick that was truly an unreliable piece of crap). It was a 1974 1/2 Datsun 260Z. It was considered remarkably advanced as it had seven separate transistorized control units for various functions including an electronic quartz clock but all of these functions were completely independent and did not use CPUs. The first real advanced electronics appeared in the 1975 280Z in the Bosch fuel injection computer but that too was a stand alone system. If I remember correctly Datsun lead in adopting electronic fuel injection technology and that was considered very high tech. In 1979 Datsun marketed a 280ZX with an electronic option that included, among many other things, a digital wizbang dash, computer controlled A/C system, and a sweet woman's voice to warn of things like low fuel, ajar doors, etc. However, I do not remember it having any common data bus, just a lot of cutting edge independent computer based functions.

A few years ago I read an interesting article that stated the very rapid adoption of vehicles with everything controlled by various computers has been primarily driven by a significant reduction in manufacturing costs as implementing various control function via CPUs, electronic memory, and software/firmware is a lot cheaper to build than using relay logic. I would guess the collateral benefit of computers providing a much wider range of complex functions than would be otherwise unavailable to attract buyers also mattered. Pollution controls and related OBD-II port requirements probably also influenced this.

Aside from reminiscing, a car without all the bells & whistles would be unsatisfying. I would guess I take advantage of most of the computer based functions that my BMW X3 and new Boxster provide, I would miss them if I did not have them, and I typically order a new car with almost every available bell & whistle available. I remember as late as 2008, a Lexus salesman being annoyed with me because I would not consider an RX-350 unless it had GPS and all the other electronic options (almost all the cars in stock did not have Nav). Now it seems it is hard to find an upscale car without GPS.

 

[orton]

Now it seems it is hard to find an upscale car without GPS.

Sorry to upset the troops. Think I will just get in the Boxster and drive up Highway 1 coast route above the Russian River which I do regularly. Amazing car and base models have lots of computers but not ones I can control. Do enjoy driving it even thou it does not have any buttons on the steering wheel.

Do not turn on the PCM. Been on twice in two years. Prefer the car sounds, feel and the scenery. This "upscale" car does not have the GPS map app.

It really is a great car without the bells and whistles. At my age none of the go fast options are useful. Boxster's capability in base form far surpasses my ability as a driver.

 

[grasmere]

“At my age none of the go fast options are useful.”

You mean “for yourself none of the go fast options are useful.” that’s what makes your car personal to you.

Actual age has nothing to do with it, methinks there will be drivers both older and younger than you with alternative preferences.

 

[orton]

“At my age none of the go fast options are useful.”

You mean “for yourself none of the go fast options are useful.” that’s what makes your car personal to you.

Actual age has nothing to do with it, methinks there will be drivers both older and younger than you with alternative preferences.

Absolutely correct. Bought a car that fits my needs not someone else's.

 

[JazzCatGab]

Absolutely correct. Bought a car that fits my needs not someone else's.

Good for you @orton! Everyone really should. I had to have mine built (see sig below) because it was pretty much a basic sports car. I tried to imagine a modern sports car in a classic sense. Few bells and whistles, but more power and suspension magic! Plus, I wanted a hardtop and extra situational awareness with the combination of CarPlay maps with my own GPS. I'm 66 and retired and use my car to scare chickens on back roads on nice weather days. Oh, and now I'm addicted to HPDEs. I got my car ceramic coated to make cleaning easy and to protect the paint, but it turns out to make cleaning up after removing racing numbers really easy also!

 

[Viffermike]

Sorry to upset the troops. Think I will just get in the Boxster and drive up Highway 1 coast route above the Russian River which I do regularly. Amazing car and base models have lots of computers but not ones I can control. Do enjoy driving it even thou it does not have any buttons on the steering wheel.

Do not turn on the PCM. Been on twice in two years. Prefer the car sounds, feel and the scenery. This "upscale" car does not have the GPS map app.

It really is a great car without the bells and whistles. At my age none of the go fast options are useful. Boxster's capability in base form far surpasses my ability as a driver.

Fair enough. But you've still completely derailed a thread meant for a completely different purpose. Call me being cranky like an 80-year-old would, but that's part of the reason I'm a Moderator.

If you want to talk about your joy over owning a 'simple' 718, please start another thread about it. There are a few on this forum who share your opinion. Then we can have a constructive discussion about it. I may not have time to do it today, but by this weekend I'll extract your posts from this thread, and the responses to your posts, into a separate thread so we can do just that.

Again, thank you for reading.

 

[orton]

Again, thank you for reading.

The thread title is Tips & Tricks- cool features.

I must have been mistaken to suggest that there is a very good car buried under the options. That is a cool feature and definitely a tip on ordering. A trick way of getting a quality car at a lower price. Not for everyone but certainly a choice.

I got the message and will abide by the majority. Best to read and not post.

 

[Scubaregs]

Come on, step off the moral high ground. What you are posting has nothing to do with this thread at all. This thread is for passing on info on features of the car that some may not know off, or have read of in the manual.

It has nothing to do with how people specced their cars, or how you chose yours.

As Viffer says, feel free to start your own thread, I'm sure it would get plenty of participation.

 

[4802]

I got the message and will abide by the majority. Best to read and not post.

Sorry & no offence intended, but I believe you know full well that was never the message. All 'Viffermike' has basically asked of you is that you either attempt to post on subject or start a new thread. Threads often get derailed within the normal course of participation, it happens, others have done it & I certainly have & on more than one occasion. However that isn't what happened here, your posts were absolutely nothing to do with this thread right from the outset. No one is trying to discourage you from posting, but unless at least some semblance of order is kept regarding subject matter, the whole forum would just become a mess & totally unnavigable for someone seeking assistance. :|

 

[Viffermike]

Sorry & no offence intended, but I believe you know full well that was never the message. All 'Viffermike' has basically asked of you is that you either attempt to post on subject or start a new thread. Threads often get derailed within the normal course of participation, it happens, others have done it & I certainly have & on more than one occasion. However that isn't what happened here, your posts were absolutely nothing to do with this thread right from the outset. No one is trying to discourage you from posting, but unless at least some semblance of order is kept regarding subject matter, the whole forum would just become a mess & totally unnavigable for someone seeking assistance. :|

Very well stated, @Chilli. Props, good sir!

 

[Optical TDI]

One nice thing about Porsche is one can get what they want when ordering. $57k Caymam. Super fun car! Not much more than the average price of a new pick up. Or add $50k in options and that’s cool too.

I’m approaching 50 and the most car fun I’ve owned was a 2002 S0000. And Im on Porsche #3. S2000 had ABS, throttle cable, AC, radio, power windows and locks. For me, that car, didn’t need anything else. It’s the only car out of about 25 that I wish I would have kept.