bmbl-bee

My wife and I have been into the Corvette world for the past 40 yrs., owning several different configurations of the Corvette family. The only Porsche experience I have had was a new 1996 914 2.0. Man was that car fantastic. Fast forward to today--. I test drove a 2017 Cayman with the entry level turbo. Wow what a fun and very well engineered vehicle. My wife and I really want to experience a different culture other than the Corvette and are sure we have found it in the Porsche Boxster. We live in Nevada and are thinking that a convertible version of the Cayman/Boxster would be a perfect fit. That being said--I am thinking that a 2015 or 2016 Boxster in the 981 configuration would be a great choice. The 4 cyl. turbo car is an incredible combination but I am a little concerned about the new model year configuration of the vehicle. Like I said I am fairly new to the Porsche world but we are really looking forward to the experience. Any thought on the differences between the 981 and 718 would be appreciated. It's a new world for us and we want to make the right decision. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

gregv8

My 2c: if you can get your mind over the number of cylinders, go with a 718, new. Every generation is more refined than the previous, plus all the modern conveniences it comes with. I enjoy the new car experience (others may not and it's just a personal preference). Every new car comes with turbos these days, this is the inevitable future, and you're already giving up a few cylinders coming from a Corvette. So whether you have 4 or 6...doesn't matter. The 718 also beat the all mighty BMW M2, so don't ever look at them as just a compromise.

terbiumactivated

I don't disagree with greg, however my 944 lost appreciable power with the AC on, like night and day and the AC was completely inadequate. Given where you live I'd make sure the 718 doesn't suffer with the AC on as I would guess that will be a lot of the time.

BlueNorther

One of the best things about a Porsche is being able to spec the car exactly the way you want it. You can only do that by buying new. Yes the options are pricey, but at least you have them. Spend some time on the Porsche site configuring a 718 the way you want it, see what you come up with.

pulpz

I just went through the same dilemma myself – conflicted between buying a used 981 GTS or a new 718. Didn’t like the idea of my fist Porsche being 4cyl turbo. And I also looked at the C7 Z06 – having a hard time ruling out 650hp+ at the same price point. But I couldn’t get passed what I believed to be a quality a refinement gap between the Porsche and Chevy so I ruled out the Z06.
I then turned to the used 981 market trying to understand if it made sense to find a better deal this summer. I also wanted a 6spd and to my surprise these are rarer than I assumed (~80% are PDK). Was also bouncing between the Cayman and the Boxster. I happened to find a new 2016 6sdp 981 Cayman GTS at a dealer …. couldn’t get my mind of it, became obsessed with having it, and bought it… ~1000miles on the OD now and I’m addicted.

If you’re not set on a 6spd, you’ll probably be able to find a gently used 981 at a reasonable price nearly the configuration you want. And decide later to move to a 718 without taking a substantial hit on depreciation. If you’re set on the 6spd and specific configuration and don’t want to sell it in a few years, it may make more sense to go 718.

Either way you won’t be disappointed. Good luck and let us know what you decide!