718 Exhaust Tone – do you grow to like it
12-18-2020, 04:50 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
718 Exhaust Tone – do you grow to like it
I have been pondering another Porsche and drove a sweet 2018 Cayman S today. I was pondering a 981 Cayman or a 997 till I saw this car.
Loved how it drove and the options, including sports exhaust. But the raspy exhaust was just out of place to me. It's the only thing I did not like about the car.
Do you owners grow to like or at least tolerate the sound?
Loved how it drove and the options, including sports exhaust. But the raspy exhaust was just out of place to me. It's the only thing I did not like about the car.
Do you owners grow to like or at least tolerate the sound?
Popular Reply
12-20-2020, 02:39 PM
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.
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.
12-18-2020, 08:12 PM
#3
IMO the significant performance benefits out weigh the lack of NA 6 sound, but depends what you are buying for.
981 is definitely a great sound and good buying, I would definitely drive one and see if the performance is adequate for you .
Howevever, the 718 sound is also something not to be disliked and has a nice ring to it up at 7000RPM and a low RPM growl. There is also the soundactor modfication/disconnection which gives a more natural sound.
The 718 can also be nice and quiet at low revs or whilst cruising which can be better for comfort or you can go for one of the now numerous exhuast modifications if it is not loud enough.
Personally I drive my car in a manner that it is designed for, near the limit on the track or mountain roads, and my focus is not the sound but the art of driving, but I enjoy both.
981 is definitely a great sound and good buying, I would definitely drive one and see if the performance is adequate for you .
Howevever, the 718 sound is also something not to be disliked and has a nice ring to it up at 7000RPM and a low RPM growl. There is also the soundactor modfication/disconnection which gives a more natural sound.
The 718 can also be nice and quiet at low revs or whilst cruising which can be better for comfort or you can go for one of the now numerous exhuast modifications if it is not loud enough.
Personally I drive my car in a manner that it is designed for, near the limit on the track or mountain roads, and my focus is not the sound but the art of driving, but I enjoy both.
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rasetsu (12-21-2020)
12-18-2020, 08:25 PM
#5
I could do without the pops and bangs...
12-18-2020, 09:06 PM
#6
Just a small data point, but I recently had the privilege of driving a friend's newly ordered Boxster S manual. Had about 2500 miles on the clock. He drove about 30 minutes out from our meeting point through twisty hilly backroads and discussed the features of his order. He then let me drive on the return. I very much enjoyed the sound. He had it always in sport or sport+. I pretty much giggled the whole time. It had been years since I had driven a manual and it came back naturally. The sound was better than I expected from reading the forums and I would trade the low-end torque of the current engine vs. my memory of driving a Cayman S manual years ago. Pretty sure it was the 315hp engine, but wouldn't bet. Compared to my 335d at the time, the Cayman felt gutless. It was just perceptions of course. I was used to an immediate low-end pull that would actually push you into your seat. The Cayman S at the time was not designed for that low-end pull, but was fun in its own right. I am looking for a Boxster and will look at 718's more for the performance than the sound. Also, living in Alabama, I can just drive down to APR and get even more with a little software tune.
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Chester7 (12-19-2020)
12-18-2020, 09:24 PM
#7
Racer
I really like the sound at lower revs—but then I grew up with the V8 sound and not a 6 sound. Since I drive with top down most of the time any high rev sound is blanketed by road and wind noise so I don't care.
And yes, disconnecting the Soundaktor is (to me anyway) a must.
And yes, disconnecting the Soundaktor is (to me anyway) a must.
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Dry Side (12-18-2020)
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12-18-2020, 09:52 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
I have a 718 spyder and I absolutely love my wife’s 718 boxster. It’s sounds like a a scalded ape vw bug and for some reason I find that appropriate. It’s different that the flat six wail but I like it just as much since it’s so unique (I imagine a lot of older Porsche’s sounded similar)
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rasetsu (12-21-2020)
12-18-2020, 10:38 PM
#9
I like the way it sounds....and, it sounds like a turbo sounds....not a NA car.
If you take the sound deadening out of an older 911 (as I have) it sounds like an angry sewing machine inside of the car..... the very heavy mats of sound deadening in the rear seating area actually hide the flat 6 sound so you only hear an exhaust note.
If you take the sound deadening out of an older 911 (as I have) it sounds like an angry sewing machine inside of the car..... the very heavy mats of sound deadening in the rear seating area actually hide the flat 6 sound so you only hear an exhaust note.
12-18-2020, 11:02 PM
#10
Sport+ in Sport Chrono will see to that.
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jimmex (12-20-2020)
12-19-2020, 08:02 AM
#11
12-19-2020, 09:18 AM
#12
I love sound and spent many years chasing the perfect stereo sound for my ears. I've had my 718 GTS for 18 months and I like the sound- but it definitely does not sound as good as my 944 Turbo with cat removed and Borla exhaust. But in my opinion, neither does a 911 does sound as good as that 944 Turbo I owned for 22 years.
12-19-2020, 10:34 AM
#14