718 Cayman GTS 1 Year Review & Tarmac Rally Car
03-16-2020, 08:56 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
718 Cayman GTS 1 Year Review & Tarmac Rally Car
Posted this over at 718 Forum but thought I'd list here as well for those thinking about purchasing the 2.5T GTS.
Lots of photos and some in-car videos in the next post if you don't want to read but just want to look!
I’ve had my 718 Cayman GTS 2.5T for 1 year now from new and just over 7,000 miles of mainly freeway and alpine driving. I don’t really use it as a daily but this car is a great daily if you need it. I bought this car for its mid-engine balance and aesthetics and to drive alpine style roads whilst feeling safe near the limit. I think the 718 is a perfect size and great for that purpose. I am an average driver so I appreciate all the technological aids but you rarely need them with this car as it is so stable and easy to drive, once you get your braking and turn in sorted!
My upgrades include:
20” HRE R101 LW forged wheels with custom offsets and larger 295 rear and 245 front Cup 2 tires. 1.4° front, 1.8° rear camber. Girodisc front and rear rotors for weight saving.
For those of you interested here is my review. My car includes PASM-S and PDK. So far the car has functioned flawlessly bar a trunk rattle which was sorted under warranty.
Sport+ in dry weather makes a big difference in terms of performance. Gear changes and acceleration is fast and responsive all the way to the redline. The OEM PASM in sport+ adapts nicely to tight winding roads and is near perfect on smoother winding roads with little or no body roll. Also works well on bumpy roads and does not really get unsettled at lower speeds but it will be interesting to try with DSC. I will also probably get Tractive RT coil overs.
On alpine roads the PTV is amazing and seems to hook the car through 30-50mph tight corners defying the laws of physics. The LSD works well but through hairpin corners there is still a little bit of feeding the power in so as to not lose traction and/or in the wet.
I find PASM sport a little floaty on fast sweepers (70mph +) and I will try DSC and/or coil overs to help this. PASM set to normal is fine for comfort around the city and cruising.
On very wet roads the with Cup 2 tires the Sport setting is adequate and dropping the revs to 3000-5000 RPM works well, particularly with full torque available within this range. PS4Ss are almost like driving in the dry and on damp roads you can still go quite hard.
The high torque at low RPM is great for slower 30-40mph mountain corners when the revs inevitably drop to around 4000 RPM, the 2.5t GTS still accelerates fast from low in the rev range. The acceleration feels very linear and there is no sudden sensation of boost. Porsche have done well to make this car feel like an NA car but with a constant flat torque curve from low RPM. The PDK gearing is also perfect for any speed corner and I would suggest PDK over the longer gearing in the manual if you want maximum performance on mountain style roads.
I am yet to drive the 4.0 but I think for these driving conditions the 2.5t is probably a little easier and faster, but on the track the performance would be very similar but the 4.0 should have a tiny bit more top end speed.
Overall, this platform is a great size, not too big, and very stable and easy to drive close to the limit on alpine style roads and very enjoyable in Sport+. However, with the OEM PS4Ss the car would slide around a little on low and high speed corners, but with the HREs and larger Cup 2s there is little or no loss of traction and the car feels much faster and more stable, but the PS4Ss are amazing in wet and damp conditions.
With the PS4Ss I did find if you don’t get your breaking perfect before the corner then it is very easy to understeer through the corner, particularly on tight downhill corners. I think it is partly to do with a bit of driver error and the lack of weight over the front wheels, whereas in my old Audi RS4 quattro it was more forgiving and you could break a little more through the corner with large front 265 tires. Turn in is great on the 718 but you need to make sure all breaking is finished and there is a little more skill involved. With the Cup2s and additional front end grip I’ve only had a tiny bit of understeer past the apex and once in the wet.
SEB74 has shown that the stock 2.5t GTS with wheel, tire and suspension improvements can be as fast or faster than a 718 GT4 on some circuits.
Manthey Racing 718 GTS as a Nurburgring Toy - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums
If you need it, I believe with similar modifications and stage 1 tune the 719 2.5T GTS with larger turbo can have 991.2 GT3 or McLaren level performance for a fraction of the cost, with the exception of cars like a Senna or GT2RS and on faster circuits where aero and downforce begin to play a part.
As for the sound, coming from other turbo cars, I think it is fine. Like most turbo cars, this car does not have a big sound so if you want that you will need an aftermarket exhaust or get a 981 or the new 4.0 or GT3 if you can afford it. However, at high revs (5000RPM to 7000RPM) the in cabin sound has quite a ring to it and at high RPM I don’t think it is a lot different from the NA car inside the cabin, just quieter and slightly different frequency. Maybe outside there is a bigger difference but I am only in the car so I don’t really hear outside. I think only the GT3 engine is really distinct for in cabin sound, at least from what I can tell from recordings.
Some minor issues – I have the bi-xenon PDLS which are adequate but these cars should come standard with LEDs, even our 2016 BMW has LEDs. Cold start up is kind of clunky but so was the 981 and it settles down quick enough. On “non-smooth” tarmac the tire and cabin noise is kind of loudish, quite bearable on a long drive but its not your Audi or Mercedes tourer. I have the 18-way seats, these are great for day long comfort and reasonable support but carbon buckets offer much more support for rally and track type driving. The cup holders are ok but not great. This car needs to come with radiator protector grills as standard. Brake pedal takes a little getting used to, needs a much firmer press in comparison to our BMW. A little bit more aero would be nice like more aggressive front splitter and rear spoiler. Even our 3 series M-Sport BMW has this with M-Performance accessories for a little bit of individualisation. Porsche doesn't really have this and you may as well buy an optioned up S or base with at tune. As mentioned above, stock rubber can be inadequate near the limit.
Lots of photos and some in-car videos in the next post if you don't want to read but just want to look!
I’ve had my 718 Cayman GTS 2.5T for 1 year now from new and just over 7,000 miles of mainly freeway and alpine driving. I don’t really use it as a daily but this car is a great daily if you need it. I bought this car for its mid-engine balance and aesthetics and to drive alpine style roads whilst feeling safe near the limit. I think the 718 is a perfect size and great for that purpose. I am an average driver so I appreciate all the technological aids but you rarely need them with this car as it is so stable and easy to drive, once you get your braking and turn in sorted!
My upgrades include:
20” HRE R101 LW forged wheels with custom offsets and larger 295 rear and 245 front Cup 2 tires. 1.4° front, 1.8° rear camber. Girodisc front and rear rotors for weight saving.
For those of you interested here is my review. My car includes PASM-S and PDK. So far the car has functioned flawlessly bar a trunk rattle which was sorted under warranty.
Sport+ in dry weather makes a big difference in terms of performance. Gear changes and acceleration is fast and responsive all the way to the redline. The OEM PASM in sport+ adapts nicely to tight winding roads and is near perfect on smoother winding roads with little or no body roll. Also works well on bumpy roads and does not really get unsettled at lower speeds but it will be interesting to try with DSC. I will also probably get Tractive RT coil overs.
On alpine roads the PTV is amazing and seems to hook the car through 30-50mph tight corners defying the laws of physics. The LSD works well but through hairpin corners there is still a little bit of feeding the power in so as to not lose traction and/or in the wet.
I find PASM sport a little floaty on fast sweepers (70mph +) and I will try DSC and/or coil overs to help this. PASM set to normal is fine for comfort around the city and cruising.
On very wet roads the with Cup 2 tires the Sport setting is adequate and dropping the revs to 3000-5000 RPM works well, particularly with full torque available within this range. PS4Ss are almost like driving in the dry and on damp roads you can still go quite hard.
The high torque at low RPM is great for slower 30-40mph mountain corners when the revs inevitably drop to around 4000 RPM, the 2.5t GTS still accelerates fast from low in the rev range. The acceleration feels very linear and there is no sudden sensation of boost. Porsche have done well to make this car feel like an NA car but with a constant flat torque curve from low RPM. The PDK gearing is also perfect for any speed corner and I would suggest PDK over the longer gearing in the manual if you want maximum performance on mountain style roads.
I am yet to drive the 4.0 but I think for these driving conditions the 2.5t is probably a little easier and faster, but on the track the performance would be very similar but the 4.0 should have a tiny bit more top end speed.
Overall, this platform is a great size, not too big, and very stable and easy to drive close to the limit on alpine style roads and very enjoyable in Sport+. However, with the OEM PS4Ss the car would slide around a little on low and high speed corners, but with the HREs and larger Cup 2s there is little or no loss of traction and the car feels much faster and more stable, but the PS4Ss are amazing in wet and damp conditions.
With the PS4Ss I did find if you don’t get your breaking perfect before the corner then it is very easy to understeer through the corner, particularly on tight downhill corners. I think it is partly to do with a bit of driver error and the lack of weight over the front wheels, whereas in my old Audi RS4 quattro it was more forgiving and you could break a little more through the corner with large front 265 tires. Turn in is great on the 718 but you need to make sure all breaking is finished and there is a little more skill involved. With the Cup2s and additional front end grip I’ve only had a tiny bit of understeer past the apex and once in the wet.
SEB74 has shown that the stock 2.5t GTS with wheel, tire and suspension improvements can be as fast or faster than a 718 GT4 on some circuits.
Manthey Racing 718 GTS as a Nurburgring Toy - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums
If you need it, I believe with similar modifications and stage 1 tune the 719 2.5T GTS with larger turbo can have 991.2 GT3 or McLaren level performance for a fraction of the cost, with the exception of cars like a Senna or GT2RS and on faster circuits where aero and downforce begin to play a part.
As for the sound, coming from other turbo cars, I think it is fine. Like most turbo cars, this car does not have a big sound so if you want that you will need an aftermarket exhaust or get a 981 or the new 4.0 or GT3 if you can afford it. However, at high revs (5000RPM to 7000RPM) the in cabin sound has quite a ring to it and at high RPM I don’t think it is a lot different from the NA car inside the cabin, just quieter and slightly different frequency. Maybe outside there is a bigger difference but I am only in the car so I don’t really hear outside. I think only the GT3 engine is really distinct for in cabin sound, at least from what I can tell from recordings.
Some minor issues – I have the bi-xenon PDLS which are adequate but these cars should come standard with LEDs, even our 2016 BMW has LEDs. Cold start up is kind of clunky but so was the 981 and it settles down quick enough. On “non-smooth” tarmac the tire and cabin noise is kind of loudish, quite bearable on a long drive but its not your Audi or Mercedes tourer. I have the 18-way seats, these are great for day long comfort and reasonable support but carbon buckets offer much more support for rally and track type driving. The cup holders are ok but not great. This car needs to come with radiator protector grills as standard. Brake pedal takes a little getting used to, needs a much firmer press in comparison to our BMW. A little bit more aero would be nice like more aggressive front splitter and rear spoiler. Even our 3 series M-Sport BMW has this with M-Performance accessories for a little bit of individualisation. Porsche doesn't really have this and you may as well buy an optioned up S or base with at tune. As mentioned above, stock rubber can be inadequate near the limit.
The following 3 users liked this post by donR:
03-16-2020, 09:02 PM
#2
Pro
Thread Starter
718 GTS Tarmac Rally Car
Now onto the fun stuff, been meaning to post this for a while but only just got around to it. Note I am not a professional or competitive driver, just having fun.
IMO the 2.5t GTS is a great Targa Rally car particularly with the wide torque band and PDK gear box and minor upgrades which can really further lift the performance of this car. The event I went in last year is a 3 day event on closed road/tarmac stages from 5 to 25 mile through winding Alpine roads. I went in a non-competitive category so no helmets or roll cages required and go as fast as you want as long as you don’t pass the car in front and don’t go over 75mph. This is fine for most corners but you can see in the dry conditions I was easily catching up to the car in front. Next time I will try to get into the Porsche group which is faster but it books out fast. Unfortunately there was a lot of snow and rain so it was often difficult driving on Cup 2s.
Here are some photos from the event and a few in car videos. You can check out other Porsches from the event at:
Targa High Country 2019
More on instagram:
IMO the 2.5t GTS is a great Targa Rally car particularly with the wide torque band and PDK gear box and minor upgrades which can really further lift the performance of this car. The event I went in last year is a 3 day event on closed road/tarmac stages from 5 to 25 mile through winding Alpine roads. I went in a non-competitive category so no helmets or roll cages required and go as fast as you want as long as you don’t pass the car in front and don’t go over 75mph. This is fine for most corners but you can see in the dry conditions I was easily catching up to the car in front. Next time I will try to get into the Porsche group which is faster but it books out fast. Unfortunately there was a lot of snow and rain so it was often difficult driving on Cup 2s.
Here are some photos from the event and a few in car videos. You can check out other Porsches from the event at:
Targa High Country 2019
More on instagram: