Porsche North

Hello all.

I'm considering making a move to a 718 Cayman GTS or S.

Understand I am going from the 6cyl naturally aspirated to 4 cyl turbo. I thouroughly enjoy the 2.7 L with PSE, sounds beaiutiful. But I am craving a little more power/torque.

Any thoughts or advice appreciated.....

El Crampitan

Phenomenal platform that will feel familiar, but slightly refreshed. Much more grunt down low, and smooth pull to the top. I have a GTS, and have no regrets with the 4 cylinder in regards to sound. Is it the classic flat six wail? No, but it still sounds great when you rev it out.

If you're after more torque and power, then a 718 should do it.

Todd B

I had a 981S from new for 5 years. Test drove a 718GTS and that's all it took. Sound is different but the 2.5l is an amazing engine that the 981S just cannot touch in the terms of performance. The power/torque is amazing and makes the car an excellent driver. The sound is different and I have grown to love the 718 sound. It's been two years and I don't regret making the move. Now that maybe help by the fact I also have a GT3 in the garage.

Going from a 2.7l 981 to an S/GTS will be a night and day difference.

OttawaSteve

Cannot order the 4-cyl GTS anymore (replaced by the GTS 4.0), but used or unsold new cars should be available at relatively good prices. The GTS 4.0 has lots more power and torque than the 2.7 and has the naturally aspirated sound and character, if that is important to you.

JBM718GTS

Fellow Canadian here. I recently bought my first Cayman, a GTS. 2019 new old stock.. there are deals to be had for sure. I drove both the 4.0 in Boxster GTS, and 2.5turbo Cayman GTS on the same day, and came away impressed with both. That said, the $ savings in buying an unused last year's, or barely used last year's car was too good to pass up. The city driving torque of the 2.5 is perfect.

Let's be real, they're both awesome. Good luck in your search!
R

spdracerut

Throw a tune on the GTS 2.5 turbo and the performance difference really escalates.

.2PDK

This.

Dr.Bill

Go for the 4.0.

Buckett76

Test drive one, you won't be disappointed. However, if you like the NA aspect then I agree with Dr Bill, look at the 4.0. I had a 2.5 GTS and loved it, tracked it and took it to the shops, it was really a jack of all trades and phenomenal around town and on the track. But when my 718 Spyder finally arrived, other than the dent in my wallet, the switch to manual/NA and high revving engine was what I was looking for and made the experience a bit more of an 'event'.

The 718 sounds fine with PSE and really is a great car, if you want a deeper sound and NA engine traits then consider the 4.0 GTS, which would give you the same usability of the platform and some of the creature comforts if that is what you want, but I would say the $ premium right now over a 2.5T is only in the eye of the beholder. Hopefully you have some options nearby that will allow you to do some testing. Oh and btw I had a 718 S too and the performance to the GTS was negligible, that said mine had the overheating turbo issue on track so didn't work for me and I prefer the look/stance of the GTS. But if tracking is a non issue then S vs. GTS is more about availability, pricing, options and your preferences. That said if you go S try and get the PSE option (I think this was standard on the GTS's).

David Borden

We own/owned several 911's from a 74 S to a 2007 Turbo. The keys I reach for 90% of the time are for my 2017 718 Cayman S... Im quite familiar with the Porsche flat 6 lineage and find the hate for the 4 cyl turbo curious. These cars are awesome and the engine sounds great. The turbo and torque makes all the difference in the enjoyment of the car. Going from a 2.7 to a 718 S or GTS will be a huge leap in performance.

ldamelio

PSE has been standard on all 718 2.5 models starting MY 2019.

c1pher

Me personally, I liked the 2.0t best. I preferred how it sounded and is the lightest of the bunch. Plenty fast but can be as fast/faster than an S/GTS with a simple APR tune. The is a little bit more turbo lag but nothing bad. Just like all Cayman/Boxster, the gears are a little long but once you know where to keep the car in the powerband, it’s awesome. Only reason I don’t have it is because I pre-ordered a Spyder. Otherwise I’d still have it. The nice thing about the 2.0t is it has most of the 981S brakes and other bits. It’s not a downgrade at all.

Rich_Jenkins

I think it'd be a great transition, if you like the Cayman.

I owned a used '14 981S for a year and loved driving it. Personally I think the whole "noise" thing is vastly over emphasized. It's a Porsche, with Porsche DNA.

With refreshed tech and more grunt down low in the rev range, a 718, even the base model, would be a great car for you.

jimmex

Base Boxster 2.0 is a great engine in a great car; plenty fast for public roads.

rasetsu

I never owned a 981 but I did test drive a 987.2 and a 981. Ended up with a 718 S because the power delivery was just too addictive. I was coming from a tuned STI so I wanted a step up from that. The power was much more addictive to me than wringing out the flat 6 to get the sound. I can appreciate that some people prefer working for the sound. I just personally preferred the near instant power on tap with very little effort. And I am eager to APR tune it too. I was originally going to order a T but at the time, there was no indication of when they would actually be sold in the US and the S I came across had everything but PTV so I went for it. If I were to order, I'd probably go for the T.