Future of the 718
02-06-2019, 10:38 AM
#61
Racer
From the magazine:
For those who want a new 718 Cayman with a six-cylinder but were worried they won’t have the coin for the forthcoming—and as-yet unrevealed—hard-core GT4 variant, we come bearing good news: According to a well-placed source, Porsche will once again offer a six-cylinder engine below the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder line-toppers.
The exact positioning of the new variant wasn’t made explicit, but it could possibly fill the gap between the GTS and GT4/Spyder while offering subtler exterior looks along with a more refined cabin with more sound deadening, additional luxury trimmings, and more comfort-oriented seats than the stripped-out and hard-nosed GT4. In that way, it would be a 718 analog to the 991.2 911 GT3 Touring. There’s also a chance the new model will simply be the next GTS.
If sixers do make their way into the 718’s general population, we’d love for the 718 Cayman and Boxster S models to ditch their 2.5-liter turbo fours and revert to six-cylinder power. That would leave the torque-rich but aurally unconvincing 2.0-liter turbo-four to the base 718 models and create a more compelling reason for shoppers to upgrade. There are also a number of Porsche aficionados—including one of our own contributors—who remain unmoved by four-cylinder powerplants.
There’s also the question of which six-cylinder will be used. Rumors continue to swirl around the potential for a detuned 4.0-liter from the 991.2 911 GT3 or the current 992 Carrera’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter unit, but our money is on the 3.8-liter flat-six from the 991.1 (2012–2015) 911 Carrera S/GTS and 981 Cayman GT4.
Crucially, the 3.8-liter is the engine found in the recently unveiled 718 GT4 Clubsport race car pictured above, and that model’s predecessor used a 3.8-liter in the exact same spec as its road-car sibling. The new Clubsport’s 420-hp figure is also a reasonable jump over the old GT4, and slots in perfectly underneath the new 911 Carrera S, as did the older car. It’s certainly possible that the GT4 gets the 420-hp version of the engine, with the lower-spec car coming in somewhere around 400. Porsche loves to space out its offerings into thin niches in terms of both power and price.
However the details shake out, we can’t wait to hear a six-cylinder wail in Porsche’s smallest sports cars again.
The exact positioning of the new variant wasn’t made explicit, but it could possibly fill the gap between the GTS and GT4/Spyder while offering subtler exterior looks along with a more refined cabin with more sound deadening, additional luxury trimmings, and more comfort-oriented seats than the stripped-out and hard-nosed GT4. In that way, it would be a 718 analog to the 991.2 911 GT3 Touring. There’s also a chance the new model will simply be the next GTS.
If sixers do make their way into the 718’s general population, we’d love for the 718 Cayman and Boxster S models to ditch their 2.5-liter turbo fours and revert to six-cylinder power. That would leave the torque-rich but aurally unconvincing 2.0-liter turbo-four to the base 718 models and create a more compelling reason for shoppers to upgrade. There are also a number of Porsche aficionados—including one of our own contributors—who remain unmoved by four-cylinder powerplants.
There’s also the question of which six-cylinder will be used. Rumors continue to swirl around the potential for a detuned 4.0-liter from the 991.2 911 GT3 or the current 992 Carrera’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter unit, but our money is on the 3.8-liter flat-six from the 991.1 (2012–2015) 911 Carrera S/GTS and 981 Cayman GT4.
Crucially, the 3.8-liter is the engine found in the recently unveiled 718 GT4 Clubsport race car pictured above, and that model’s predecessor used a 3.8-liter in the exact same spec as its road-car sibling. The new Clubsport’s 420-hp figure is also a reasonable jump over the old GT4, and slots in perfectly underneath the new 911 Carrera S, as did the older car. It’s certainly possible that the GT4 gets the 420-hp version of the engine, with the lower-spec car coming in somewhere around 400. Porsche loves to space out its offerings into thin niches in terms of both power and price.
However the details shake out, we can’t wait to hear a six-cylinder wail in Porsche’s smallest sports cars again.
02-06-2019, 11:21 AM
#62
Racer
Thread Starter
THX.
More speculation then... If it's a luxury barge, then I am out. If it's a GT4 touring however... Then again, if it's the car in the pic above, the brakes are to small to be a GT4 variant.
More speculation then... If it's a luxury barge, then I am out. If it's a GT4 touring however... Then again, if it's the car in the pic above, the brakes are to small to be a GT4 variant.
02-06-2019, 11:57 AM
#63
Sorry, I prefer the turbo. Wailing and ululating leave me cold.
If I wanted engine sound, I'd stick to my Mustang GT I traded in for the 718. You can't beat a V8 for sound...
I looked into a Carera 4 when I was shopping. Same price, same mileage, less warranty (didn't bother me). The car, with all its naturally aspirated goodness was bland and lazy until 4k RPM. Not exciting as a daily driver, both I and my wife passed past it.
If I wanted engine sound, I'd stick to my Mustang GT I traded in for the 718. You can't beat a V8 for sound...
I looked into a Carera 4 when I was shopping. Same price, same mileage, less warranty (didn't bother me). The car, with all its naturally aspirated goodness was bland and lazy until 4k RPM. Not exciting as a daily driver, both I and my wife passed past it.
02-06-2019, 12:12 PM
#64
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02-06-2019, 01:07 PM
#65
Racer
Thread Starter
Sorry, I prefer the turbo. Wailing and ululating leave me cold.
If I wanted engine sound, I'd stick to my Mustang GT I traded in for the 718. You can't beat a V8 for sound...
I looked into a Carera 4 when I was shopping. Same price, same mileage, less warranty (didn't bother me). The car, with all its naturally aspirated goodness was bland and lazy until 4k RPM. Not exciting as a daily driver, both I and my wife passed past it.
If I wanted engine sound, I'd stick to my Mustang GT I traded in for the 718. You can't beat a V8 for sound...
I looked into a Carera 4 when I was shopping. Same price, same mileage, less warranty (didn't bother me). The car, with all its naturally aspirated goodness was bland and lazy until 4k RPM. Not exciting as a daily driver, both I and my wife passed past it.
Listen to Guido, he's an absolute 911 addict:
02-06-2019, 03:16 PM
#66
Burning Brakes
Sound matters more than many are wiling to attest at this point. Wait until every Porsche and Ferrari is electric. They may be quick, but none will ever sell for millions 50 years from now.
02-06-2019, 03:29 PM
#67
Haha! You don't understand... Cars that I cannot justify buying (even if I can afford them) do not interest me. The cars that I can drive interest me and noise is not something that I care much about.
I can't wait! Hopefully it will put an end to the NA-6 BS we are sunk to our eyeballs. Performance is what matters!
I can't wait! Hopefully it will put an end to the NA-6 BS we are sunk to our eyeballs. Performance is what matters!
02-06-2019, 04:06 PM
#68
What? End of flat six? Electrics? Engine not in rear? My God what is next? Progress?
02-06-2019, 04:15 PM
#69
Therein lies the rub. Performance to you means something different than performance to me (and the next guy, and the next guy, and the next guy). Particularly on the street.
I have a PDK 991.2, and it is stupid fast. Amazing vehicle. I also have a manual 2001 Miata.
There are several routes I do all the time. My Sunday drives. Great roads with limited traffic and a variety of curves and straights. My hand to God, I prefer those roads in the Miata over the 911.
The Miata is a hoot. Its limits on public roads are fantastic. You can have a riot of a time and not break the law, or at least not go to jail, when you run into a county Sheriff. That's what a lot of us love about the 986-981s.
Don't get me wrong; I like the 718s. Spent time in one at the track last weekend. Phenomenal vehicle. Especially on a track. But on the road I prefer the linear power delivery of NA cars to that of the bonkers wall of torque delivered by turbo cars (not Porsche specific).
If Mazda ever puts ventilated seats in the Miata I could see myself not replacing my 981 BGTS and just having a 911 and a Miata (along with my wife's Macan/Cayenne). Otherwise my preference would be for a 718 Spyder, followed by a 718 GTS (turbo four).
I have a PDK 991.2, and it is stupid fast. Amazing vehicle. I also have a manual 2001 Miata.
There are several routes I do all the time. My Sunday drives. Great roads with limited traffic and a variety of curves and straights. My hand to God, I prefer those roads in the Miata over the 911.
The Miata is a hoot. Its limits on public roads are fantastic. You can have a riot of a time and not break the law, or at least not go to jail, when you run into a county Sheriff. That's what a lot of us love about the 986-981s.
Don't get me wrong; I like the 718s. Spent time in one at the track last weekend. Phenomenal vehicle. Especially on a track. But on the road I prefer the linear power delivery of NA cars to that of the bonkers wall of torque delivered by turbo cars (not Porsche specific).
If Mazda ever puts ventilated seats in the Miata I could see myself not replacing my 981 BGTS and just having a 911 and a Miata (along with my wife's Macan/Cayenne). Otherwise my preference would be for a 718 Spyder, followed by a 718 GTS (turbo four).
02-06-2019, 04:29 PM
#70
Burning Brakes
I've started looking for a 981 GT4 to buy. All this talk has convinced me I need the best and fastest, hardest braking, and best handling Cayman currently available. North Houston just had a great one and I missed buying it by one day. More will follow. PCCB is a must. It won't have Apple CarPlay, Bose/Burmester, or a rear backup camera, but that's ok. As you say performance matters most. But really, the true measure of a Porsche has a lot less to do with fractions of a second. When you've owned more than one, perhaps you'll understand. 2 years from now perhaps I'll trade it for a 718 GT4 if it's worth it. I'm not convinced it will be, even though it should be faster and have more creature comforts.
02-06-2019, 04:38 PM
#71
Burning Brakes
Therein lies the rub. Performance to you means something different than performance to me (and the next guy, and the next guy, and the next guy). Particularly on the street.
I have a PDK 991.2, and it is stupid fast. Amazing vehicle. I also have a manual 2001 Miata.
There are several routes I do all the time. My Sunday drives. Great roads with limited traffic and a variety of curves and straights. My hand to God, I prefer those roads in the Miata over the 911.
The Miata is a hoot. Its limits on public roads are fantastic. You can have a riot of a time and not break the law, or at least not go to jail, when you run into a county Sheriff. That's what a lot of us love about the 986-981s.
Don't get me wrong; I like the 718s. Spent time in one at the track last weekend. Phenomenal vehicle. Especially on a track. But on the road I prefer the linear power delivery of NA cars to that of the bonkers wall of torque delivered by turbo cars (not Porsche specific).
If Mazda ever puts ventilated seats in the Miata I could see myself not replacing my 981 BGTS and just having a 911 and a Miata (along with my wife's Macan/Cayenne). Otherwise my preference would be for a 718 Spyder, followed by a 718 GTS (turbo four).
I have a PDK 991.2, and it is stupid fast. Amazing vehicle. I also have a manual 2001 Miata.
There are several routes I do all the time. My Sunday drives. Great roads with limited traffic and a variety of curves and straights. My hand to God, I prefer those roads in the Miata over the 911.
The Miata is a hoot. Its limits on public roads are fantastic. You can have a riot of a time and not break the law, or at least not go to jail, when you run into a county Sheriff. That's what a lot of us love about the 986-981s.
Don't get me wrong; I like the 718s. Spent time in one at the track last weekend. Phenomenal vehicle. Especially on a track. But on the road I prefer the linear power delivery of NA cars to that of the bonkers wall of torque delivered by turbo cars (not Porsche specific).
If Mazda ever puts ventilated seats in the Miata I could see myself not replacing my 981 BGTS and just having a 911 and a Miata (along with my wife's Macan/Cayenne). Otherwise my preference would be for a 718 Spyder, followed by a 718 GTS (turbo four).
02-06-2019, 09:18 PM
#73
Burning Brakes
02-06-2019, 10:29 PM
#74
