[Ian718]

So some 80 year old decided to come out of a driveway without looking and T bone my 4 month old 718 Boxster a bit over 5 weeks ago.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmFZ1oJAjPm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Today I just picked up the car from the repairers, and I couldn't be happier!

Of course it sucks having your new car in an accident, and there is no need to go on about that side of things.

However there were some upsides from having the accident. Because I was not at fault, I was able to use a courtesy car company which tries to give you a like-for-like replacement car, and then charges the at fault party's insurance company.

So I had the chance to drive a 2016 BMW M3 for 3 weeks, and then use a 981 Boxster (Base PDK) for the remaining 2 and bit weeks. While I had driven the 981 during my test drives in choosing my 718, I hadn't had an extended 2+ week period to do so.

The M3 was a very different car. Bigger, more seats, heavier, more HP, and faster in a straight line than my base Boxster. It was a very capable car and much more practical if I needed to move more people or larger luggage. However with my 718, I would routinely leave the house for a drive for no particular reason other than the fun of the drive (I have my favourite nearby corners all mapped out). I didn't do that once with the M3. I no longer had a sense of enjoyment taking the corners.

3 weeks later, the courtesy car company got their 981 Boxster back and swapped me into it the very same day. I immediately felt the fun had come back into driving. I took it out for a spin on all my favourite corners the same day I got the car. The look of the car, the lower driving position, the feeling of being in the centre of the car as it pivots around you in a corner, the playfulness of slipping the rear end out slightly in a corner but in a controlled fashion, it was all there.

And I like the sound of the NA Flat 6. I can really see how you could grow to love it over years of ownership. However the performance was sh*t compared to what I was used to in my 718. Anaemic torque in the lower half of the rev range. Acceptable performance in the upper half, but still much less than my base 718. I couldn't understand the need for the Sports Plus setting in the 718. But I would consider the sports plus (and therefore sports chrono) essential for a 981 PDK (getting a manual probably even better).

Other small things I hadn't realised I liked about my 718 vs the 981: I much prefer the steering wheel, the side mirrors, the paddle shifts, of course the newer infotainment/Nav/electronic systems, and I also didn't realise how much the rear of the 718 had grown on me over time.

Good things about the 981 - it was actually slightly more economical than the way I drive my 718. But I guess that is not surprising, since it constantly sh*t me with its lack of power.

I picked up my car this morning, after driving the 981 to the repairer. The 718 still fit like a glove. The torque as I pulled out into the street put a smile on my face. I took all my favourite corners this morning and I am grinning ear to ear.

So the upside of having this accident was that it 100% confirmed to me that I made the absolute best choice of car for my own wants/needs. What a beautiful, wonderful, joyful machine!

 

[Porsche2018]

Sorry to hear about the accident but at least it's put right again. Regarding the 981, I could of received a great deal on a new one when I was deciding on a Porsche and the lack of low end torque was a deal breaker; 718 was the clear winner.

 

[DJL]

Thanks for sharing your story. A great read! Something about clouds and silver linings too...

The part about your local favourite corners struck a chord. I don't make a habit out of breaking the speed limit, but derive quiet enjoyment from going around corners at speeds that would not be possible with my other cars. There is one particular corner nearby: A 90 degree, zero radius left hander into a single lane of (at most) 1.5 car widths with gutters on both sides and a sharp downward slope; more of a snap than a curve. It's the type of corner that makes you really slow down, and feel slightly embarrassed because anyone behind you, who is not turning, will think you are slowing down too much. Previously (i.e in any of a dozen mercs I've driven around that corner) I didn't feel safe making the turn at over 25km/hr. Bring on the 718! If I enter the corner at over 40, the back gets out (although not out of control). I claim no particular driver skills (...maybe some readers could take this turn at 2x my speed??), but the 718 is amazingly precise, and very planted.

Minimise weight. Put most of it in the middle and low down. Good idea! Works for cars. Works for yachts too, by the way!

 

[Charles Brenner]

Totally agree with cornering n straight line acceleration my daily drive is a 2 year old M4 that is just fast straight on but on the turns a bit squirrely (it could also be the driver)my weekend ride a 6 month old CaymanS that on the turns is just stuck to the pavement. I am lucky to have both rides n enjoying both rides

 

[dreamer]

Wow. That sucks, big time. Cars that suffer that kind of damage are never the same. My condolences. For me, I would not be able to keep that car. So if you’re happy with the repairs then congrats and enjoy. And you def chose the right Boxster

 

[antennahead]

However the performance was sh*t compared to what I was used to in my 718. Anaemic torque in the lower half of the rev range

Regarding the 981, I could of received a great deal on a new one when I was deciding on a Porsche and the lack of low end torque was a deal breaker

A good friend of mine has a very nice 981, so I'm not piggybacking on you guys comments without some experience here, but I just don't get the hate for our cars based on the "sound", when you can't get that "sound" out of the previous gens "6", unless you rev the h*ll out of it. I can understand the guys that track them often, but I don't think that's the majority of the owners. As an everyday driver, our torque curve can't be beat. And I happen to enjoy the sound of our cars. I typically drive in Sport mode, and when I want to stay a little under the radar, I turn off the sport exhaust. The car still has more exhaust note and a slight burble, even when sport exhaust is off, albeit a liitle less noise. I've never seen any 718 owners rubbing the anemic low end torque of the 981, compared to our cars, in their face, the way they love to jump on the sound of our cars. Oh well, enough beating on that dead horse. When they attack the sound I just smile .......... well ............ it's more like a sly sh*t eating grin ?

 

[GTS18BGTS]

I'll post here since the OP started it (Happy, by the way, that you weren't hurt and the car is back and as good as new as it should be.) I have to admit I was a hater. Ah maybe that's too strong of a word. I guess I was just underwhelmed. I took a few test drives in the 718, but maybe it was because it was city driving and in unfamiliar territory, I didn't really get the opportunity to push the car to realize it's capabilities. The tones emanating from the back, which sounded anemic and just plain wrong, were what stood out in my mind when reflecting on the experience. This was especially magnified after getting out of and back into my 350Z with that nice baritone sounding VQ 6 cylinder engine.

So I looked high and low for a suitably equipped 981 to scratch the itch that formed. However I could not find what I wanted - specifically optioned, low mileage, manual transmission '15 or '16. After reading this forum, a few others and looking at lots of YT videos espousing the virtues of the 718, I decided to go ahead with finding one in the exact build I wanted. Now I am not only a total convert, I've become somewhat of a 718 evangelical. I think what sold me was the Motoman's videos. He used the word 'magical' to describe his test driving experience and I think it's apropos.

Funny thing. I attended a few PCA events with the car during Race Week here in Pittsburgh. Maybe because it was the only 718 Boxster GTS in a pretty large field of Porsches, but it garnered quite a bit of attention even though there were quite a few higher end GTs present in the PCA parking area. I think what stirred curiosity was, while maneuvering to my spot, I was revving and blipping the throttle and it didn't sound like everyone expected it to sound after reading and hearing so many negative reviews. That sound had all of the Porsche car loving admirers wanting to find out more. So a group formed around my car. One guy was an instructor at Pitt International Raceway. He only had glowing things to say about the 718 and wanted to know when I'd be bringing it to the track. His comments get confirmed every time I drive the car and I use any excuse to do so

 

[antennahead]

I think what sold me was the Motoman's videos. He used the word 'magical' to describe his test driving experience and I think it's apropos.

I love Motoman's videos/reviews of the 718. His video of the base 718 sold me on this. I can still hear him saying over and over, kind of surprised almost: "man this thing is QUICK" ......... "I'm telling you people, this thing is QUICK"

 

[BB718]

Well I picked a 2017 Boxster S over a 2015 Cayman GTS, I'm very happy.

 

[DriveInHouston]

OP, did you get any compensation because of the drop in value since the Carfax will now state it was involved in an accident requiring repairs to the body?

 

[Graustark]

OP, did you get any compensation because of the drop in value since the Carfax will now state it was involved in an accident requiring repairs to the body?

Definitely seek compensation for "diminished value", which I think is what they call it.

 

[BlueNorther]

Odd that someone could complain of the "sh*t" low end performance of the 981 vs 718 when the 718 engine is barely alive under 3000RPM and dead under 2500RPM. I find I have to keep the RPMs up on the 718, just like the 981, to have fun. At least with a MT I make my own decision on that. And I'd never use the "sh*t" adjective to describe any of the Porsche's I've driven, they've all been great cars.

 

[Graustark]

Odd that someone could complain of the "sh*t" low end performance of the 981 vs 718 when the 718 engine is barely alive under 3000RPM and dead under 2500RPM. I find I have to keep the RPMs up on the 718, just like the 981, to have fun. At least with a MT I make my own decision on that. And I'd never use the "sh*t" adjective to describe any of the Porsche's I've driven, they've all been great cars.

Barely alive under 3000 RPM? Seems an odd statement. Is not torque high at 1950 RPM?

 

[BlueNorther]

Barely alive under 3000 RPM? Seems an odd statement. Is not torque high at 1950 RPM?

Torque is not acceleration. My Kubota tractor has high torque.

 

[wriggly]

Torque is not acceleration. My Kubota tractor has high torque.

Ahhhhh.....Kubota, now we’re talking.

 

[Graustark]

Torque is not acceleration. My Kubota tractor has high torque.

Neither of us mentioned acceleration.

I was surprised to see the description of "barely alive" until 3k RPM. I did not get that impression from any written reviews, video reviews, or forum opinions of the 718.

 

[Ian718]

OP, did you get any compensation because of the drop in value since the Carfax will now state it was involved in an accident requiring repairs to the body?

Definitely seek compensation for "diminished value", which I think is what they call it.

I'm in Australia. AFAIK there is no "diminished value" compensation here. And if there is, I wasn't smart enough to figure out a way to get it.

Odd that someone could complain of the "sh*t" low end performance of the 981 vs 718 when the 718 engine is barely alive under 3000RPM and dead under 2500RPM. I find I have to keep the RPMs up on the 718, just like the 981, to have fun. At least with a MT I make my own decision on that. And I'd never use the "sh*t" adjective to describe any of the Porsche's I've driven, they've all been great cars.

Sh*t was probably too emotive a word. Overall I still thought the 981 base was really fun to drive... just not compared to a 718 as a daily in city traffic. Quite possibly this would have changed had it been a 981 S or GTS. If we were talking just driving the 981 on a weekend on twisty roads and always enjoying it in the higher rev range, it would have been a completely different story. I would have enjoyed the 981 and 718 equally then.

However I use my car the majority of the time as a daily. And frequently accelerating from a standstill at traffic lights and at intersections - the difference was night and day in the 718s favour.

I agree you still need to keep the revs up in the 718 to be having fun. But nowhere near as much as the 981. And keeping the revs high enough to have fun in the 981, is frowned upon in my local neighbourhood.

TLDR:
IMO 718 base: great for city driving, great for weekend canyon carving
981 base: average for city driving, great for weekend canyon carving

 

[R4 SUD]

i'm a first time Porsche owner and acquired a 2 yr old 718 a few months ago. i've driven some German cars in the past with engines twice the size etc etc but cannot express how pleased i am with the 718. i thought i would soon trade it in for a 718 S, but still, like the person who started this thread "grinning ear to ear" each time i drive. what a car!! 718 Boxster....

 

[R4 SUD]

and i've been thinking about vids about it perceived as sacrilege to intro a 4 cylinder Boxster. my thoughts.....it doesn't really matter because it's fast, sounds great and handles v well. even if it was a 1 cylinder lol I wouldn't mind as long as it performs this way. and i get 37 mpg on long routes when driving reasonably gentle!!!