worf928

OP: “718 Exhaust Tone – do you grow to like it”

Welp, I like it now.

If you don’t like it now, you probably won’t grow to like it later. And, likely, no “exhaust” on it will make you like it.

It’s a challenge to make a 4-cylinder motor sound not bad. The physics are not in your favor.

Move along to something with 5 or more cylinders. The Audi blown 2.5 inline-5 in the Mk.II TT-RS is one of the best sounding motors ever. ‘tis a shame Audi stuffed it into a lame duck chassis and dead-end model line.

cbarra

I was “ok” with the sound from the F4 turbo until I drove a friend’s 981 Cayman S. Now the F4 sound is a disappointment.

jimmex

I like everything about my '18 Boxster. The car performs so well that the exhaust sound is pretty irrelevant.

Tief Lernen

When I bought my 718 Boxster S (my first Porsche), I felt a little bit of regret over the whole sound situation. I could have easily bought a used 981 instead with the PSE that everyone raved about - but I liked the handling of the 718 better than the 981 I drove, and I couldn't actually find a 981 with PSE in the area to compare. So I went with a new 718.

Still, every time I saw a 981 drive by, I was curious to listen to it and hear the glorious sound that I was supposedly missing out on. I heard a few and thought they sounded okay, but not amazing, but wasn't really sure whether these cars had PSE or not - none were GTS, etc.

Then one day walking to lunch at work I heard a car coming that just sounded awesome. I looked up and it was a red Boxster. "Oh man", I thought, "this must be the PSE sound everyone raves about. Okay, yeah, that sounds pretty great."

As the car passed me I saw the taillights and realized it was a 718.

That is the end of my 718 exhaust sound story.

cerbomark

LOL, good story. It s sometime more in the head than reality .

Mozella55

I bought an early 911 back in 1967. Not long before that, if you drove a Porsche, you had a 4 cyl engine. There was no other choice. Although I immediately put a loud exhaust system on my flat-6 and thought it sounded great, not everyone agreed with me. Car and Driver (or it may have Road and Track) had a review on the new 911 and complained that the new flat 6 didn't sound anything like a Porsche. It sounded "like a Chevrolet Corvair". OH THE HORRORS! There was no worse insult. Many people hated the sound of the Porsche 6.

So feel free not to like the sound of a 4 cyl motor if you wish. To each his own. But there are still folks around (not for much longer I'm afraid) who think that the "real" Porsche sound is that of a flat 4. I love the sound of a Norton single, a Ducati twin, as well as a Ferrari 12 cylinder motor and pretty much everything in-between, but that's just me.

worf928

That's funny right there! It never occurred to me that the 'change' to the flat-6 would have ruffled as many feathers back then as did the flat-4 in this decade.

I guess you skipped over this part?
The sound of a "real" Porsche is a SOHC V8 from a 928. The flat-4 in the early days was a VW engine with hot cams. The flat-6 was that with two more cylinders. The 928's motor was a clean sheet.

(Now, that should set the Fox runnin' in the hen house...)

Preachin' to the choir.

For me it's a matter of Blonde? Brunette? Redhead? It's not the hair color that matters. So, as long as the engine and exhaust sound like an engine having fun, I'm good. The vast majority of car engines these days sound like something being tortured with chains inside a metal container filled with BBs. And a lot of good sounds are ruined by extra-noisy exhausts.

You CAN make a 4-cylinder engine sound good. For example: VW 16v Scirocco. Porsche 718. It's just that few manufacturers try.

I think some of the worship of the flat-6 noise is tribal. Or, IOWs, best proclaim that it's God's exhaust note or be ostracized from the 911 tribe.

Mozella55

Are you sure a "real" Porsche sound isn't that of an old school 917 flat 12. Check here: and here:

worf928

We don't need no stinkin' youtube. And yes, they sound glorious. But, I didn't know we were playing horseshoes and hand grenades.

It's not actually a 'flat' 12. It's a 180° V-12.

From back when pixels were not mega:

cerbomark

It will be funny in a few years when evryone wants the 718 sound and doesn't like the Jetson electric sound they ll be getting.

ldamelio

I've liked the sound from day one - coming up on three years - 2018 CS, no PSE. I giggled like a little kid the first couple of months and still grin, especially on the overruns - and I'm a grumpy sixty year old guy. I didn't even know there was a sound controversy until I started hanging around on forums. I respect the flat 6 tradition and sound. It's not mutually exclusive to like the sound of both. The flat sixes howl, the 9A2B4 growls.

Chester7

This is an awesome thread! 928, 917, 718. Thanks all! We have come a long way since 2017, and IMO, will the 718 will continue to climb in esteem.

gatorfast

I dont think I have ever heard someone describe the 718 sound as raspy. Certainly doesnt sound that way to me at all and I think it has much more of a bass/baritone note to it than rasp. When I think of rasp I think of something like an E46 M3 that has that tin can/metallic sound to it.

.2PDK

Exactly.

BlueNorther

Tough question for me. I've had 2 NA Caymans including a '15GTS and currently have an '18 991.2 GTS coupe (turbo'ed flat 6) and a 2019 base 718 Boxster (with PSE). Every time I start up the 718 I'm still a little disappointed by the sound. I'd call it harsh, not raspy, at idle and low RPM. It reminds me a bit of a diesel launch I used to get to sailboats in Wellfeet Harbor Mass. (first summer job as teen, sailing instructor). I think it is inherent in the 4 cylinder, a course idle note. I don't think I'd mind at all if the other car in my garage wasn't a 911, even with the turbos the sound it makes when I turn the key is an event. With the top down and the RPMs above 3K I love the 718. It is a great car and any disappointment is completely forgotten. On nice summer days the 911 stays in the garage. But after a year and a half I only just tolerate the sound of the 718 at start up. If I never had a flat 6, I' wouldn't care. If I were to order a new Porsche today it would be 4.0 Boxster GTS, but I figure it would cost me $50G for the upgrade from of the 718 base, just not worth it. Maybe in another year and a half.