john981

Today I finally test drove the 718 Cayman and as a current 981 owner, I have to say, not bad, actually pretty impressed.

One thing what 2 years ago pushed me away from the 718 was the sound. At that time I was a proud 981 owner and was looking to get into the new 718. I had a very short test drive with the 718 boxster and broke up the test drive after 3 minutes because of the sound. This time I went in much more open minded and listened more carefully and longer - and it was really good. When the car is cold it has a ticking sound, which is typical porsche and even when it is warmed up, the sound has something unique what is Porsche worthy. I used to say, they took the soul of the car away, I think about it differently now. Of course it is not the same car anymore but it is still a great car. The ride was, fast, great, fun and very responsive. The steering wheel feels much better and overall quality seem to have improved. Although few quality flaws are still there. E.g. the belt housing of the brand new car makes still the same noises as my 5 years old 981.

I still love my 981. Initially I was thinking to replace it with the 718 but now I think I am going to keep my 981 boxster and lease a 718 cayman as daily driver. Are there any other member who still have both? What are your experience having both in the same time?

Red991S

Cool to hear, john. I never had a 981, or any Porsche for that matter. But I have driven plenty. I don't think my 718 is better, or worse. . .just different and cool in it's own way. good to hear a 981 owner feeling the same way! good luck buddy!

manifold danger

Great to see when someone can admit (mostly to themselves) when they were close-minded. Sadly, many folks never get past this. They're worse off for it.

I think it would be fun as hell having both... but I have to admit, that seems like a ton of functional overlap. Maybe consider trading in the 981 for the 718 (to take advantage of the tax credit if applicable) and finding a nice 997? Maybe that's not the most practical solution as you'd be essentially adding two more "transactions" if you will (selling/trading your 981 and buying a 997)- but would severely reduce the overlap of having two very similar cars.

Semitone

I don't have a 981 but I have kept my 987.1 Boxster S even after I purchased a 718 Cayman GTS. I found the two cars sufficiently different that I was happy to keep both. Obviously both cars sound very different but I realized that sound was down on the list for me regarding what I wanted from these cars.

( Interestingly, for some reason, I never felt the urge to upgrade from the 987( which I've had since 2006) to the 981)

My best guess in order of preferences is something like:

1.) Top down driving..I love having a convertible...most fun in any car, IMO
2.) Manual transmission...gives me something to do while I watch out for trees crossing the road.
3.)Aesthetics...I need the car to be "pretty"..I always loved the 987.1 for the curvy "feminine" lines it has...more reminiscent of the 550 than the newer more angular 981/2. Also love the full leather interior/stitching in Porsches.
4.) G forces or driving feel including the steering/cornering dynamics.
5.) maybe sound...
6.) I'm sure some other stuff

My Boxster is 6MT, my 718 Cayman is PDK. ( Boxster is Dk Olive Metallic, Cayman is racing yellow) The fact they sound different is probably better for me since I feel less guilt keeping them both. I also like one being a turbo so to widen the difference, If they were more similar I might need to make a choice to get rid of one. It would be a painful decision.

The Boxster is my sunny weather, back road carver. The Cayman is my HPDE, cloudy day, medium distance road trip driver

Chester7

Excellent and useful synopsis of 987 vs 718, Semitone. Thanks!

bmf80

Unfortunately the sound is like that of a Subaru. Even if the subtle ticking noise is that of a Porsche, I think that a majority of people will not be listening for the ticking sound on an open road. However, this cannot take away from the overall performance capability of the car. In the end of the day the sound is such an important part of the overall driving experience that I’ve lost any interest of even wanting to go for a test drive.

Semitone

Haha..nice first post...ignore the OP's question and make a lame comment.

bmf80

thanks!

Two718s

I actually have two 718s (hence my screen name.) Both are 2018 models which we bought new. The idea seemed a bit odd to me at first; I was afraid that I'd basically buy the same car and have no variety whatsoever. But the two cars -- our Boxster and our Cayman S -- are completely different animals with completely different personalities. They're almost the polar opposite of each other, and the result is that I'm certainly not bored driving either car.

We bought the Boxster first, as a custom order. "She" definitely has a more feminine personality. She's got some nice luxury touches we wanted, but none of the go-fast options, since one test drive proved to me that the base model was more than fast. She's a lovely Night Blue, 6MT, base Boxster with a wonderful Luxor Beige/ Black two-tone leather interior, Bose stereo, heated Sport Seats Plus (which I love -- they're vastly better IMO than the regular Sport Seats), heated multifunction steering wheel, Lane Change Assist, Power Steering Plus, Light Design Package, pedals in brushed aluminum, colored center wheel Porsche crests, and a few other small options. The leather interior and Night Blue exterior are a perfect combo. We use her purely as a weekend fun car, and we pamper her shamelessly; she sits under a cover, in our garage, on a trickle charger, and has a full Modesta BC-04 coating plus ClearGuard Nano PPF on the entire front, plus side runners and rear wheel arches. But, we do drive her every weekend; she's clocked 5,000 miles in her first year. She's the perfect California weekend car. She handles beautifully, her interior exudes comfort and class, and you can't look at her without smiling.

The reactions I get are interesting. On the road, or at gas stations or parking lots, people will smile and wave. I had one scary-looking dude, weighing probably 350 lb, covered in Oakland Raiders gear and a few gang tats, get out of his lowered Dodge Charger at a gas station, amble over with a fierce look on his face, and then break out into a cherubic grin. "Dude! Gorgeous Porsche, man!"

Then there's our brand-new Cayman S, which we've had for just a month. It's a totally different car. It's got all the go-fast options: the S trim, Sport Chrono, PDK, PASM, etc. Plus 20" Carrera S wheels. The interior is more austere; basic black, with the partial leather package. There's no heated multifunction steering wheel, no Lane Change Assist or Light Design package. The regular Sport Seats are nowhere near as comfortable as the Sport Seats Plus in the Boxster. There's no Bose; it's the base stereo. But when you step on the gas or turn the PASM into Sport mode, my God, the car is fast. I've been breaking it in gently, but I did one near-max acceleration run and there's no question that the extra power in the S makes a significant difference.

The reactions I get on the road are totally different. No one smiles and waves. They stare, or they screech up behind you and then floor it to pass you (usually in a beat-up Honda Civic Si with an "Integra Type R" sticker on it). At gas stations I just get ignored, or get slightly hostile looks. No one wanders over and asks what kind of car it is.

My point being, the two cars are really quite different. We use them for different purposes. So I think it's possible to have two 718s without having them feel redundant. But I would recommend spec'ing them as differently as you can. Our Boxster and Cayman S are about as different as it's possible for two 718s to be, so maybe that's the key...

Whatever your decision...enjoy!

Chester7

You may want to consider the 987 or 981 Cayman.

michael818

Most people who say the 718 sounds like a Suburu or VW are just parroting the early reviewers. Porsche has tweaked the exhaust sound and its okay, it isn't the flat six but it sounds okay. In my experience I have found that most of the complainers haven't driven a 718 at all. Sound may be an important part of the sports car experience but it is subjective. You can certainly consider older iterations of the Cayman or Boxster but I wouldn't eliminate a 718 without actually driving one.

SharkB8

+1

I’ve had several subies, and my 718 BGTS sounds very little like them. Doesn’t sound like my 981BS with Borla, but by no means is it boring or lacking in personality. Just a different soundtrack. Like the difference between Jazz and Fusion.

manifold danger

So then you're basing your synopsis off what, YouTube reviews? What profoundly helpful insight, I'm sure the OP is super grateful for your contribution.

Agreed. Not off to a very good start.

Ed911.2

I’ve just come back from a 2-day extended test drive of a Cayman T.

The plus points were: near-perfect handling, amazing ride considering it’s lowered on 20” rims, supportive seats, good cruising on the motorway, nice balance between power/torque and revs all the way, PCM just works and they have nailed the steering. My wife was amazed how good it was after the first mile of driving it.

Minus points: Sorry, that engine. Yes, it delivers the goods and I tried to come at it with an open mind but having done 300+ miles on all sorts of roads there is very little to enjoy in the engine note. It’s coarse, loud when extended and gives you the impression that it’s going to lose a con-rod above 5,000rpm. At least a Subaru flat-four has some character in a throbby, burbly sort of way. The Porsche version positively discourages you from winding it out, even though the technical results are good, because of that unpleasant blare. My Mrs started wincing every time I gave it the beans when I was driving; it doesn’t even sound nice on the overrun. I’ve got a diesel BMW as an everyday hack and that sounds much better. Really.

All that said, the overall package is so good it’s still tempting... if we hadn’t fired up a 981 Boxster S when we got back to the dealership...

Chester7

Happy wife, happy life! Buy the 981 and move on. I am surprised a dealer allowed you a 300 mile test drive on a T. Fence sitters rarely buy cars.