I’ve been away for a while. My last Porsche was a 2006 Cayman S. A solid specimen!

I am currently looking at a 2017 Cayman S with about 28,000 miles on it. It’s got the PDK so I’m not all that worried about overrevs. How are these 4 cylinder turbo engines holding up? 350 HP our if a 4 cylinder scares me a bit, but I don’t know jack. It’s definitely out of warranty. Should I buy the “extended warranty” that the dealer (no Porsche dealership) is offering? I typically do oil, brakes, AOS, plugs, etc. but that 4 cylinder pumping out 350 HP has me wondering if I ought to look at the ‘14-16?

whatcha think?

Thanks!

 

Porsche as a whole is arguably the most reliable automaker out there. The 718 is no different, as far as I'm aware... but there may not be a ton of them out there with high mileage as it is commonly used as a weekend car. I wouldn't worry a whole lot about the output. Modern engine outputs are insane compared to even just a few years ago, and they mostly all seem to be holding up pretty well. Porsche's only real misstep here was with the IMS bearings in the mid-00s flat 6s. Definitely don't take my word for it and do your due diligence, but I spend a lot of time on these forums and haven't seen anything come up as far as a significant shortcoming of these 4 cylinder engines. In fact they seem to be extremely over-engineered.

That said, you should be able to find examples to test drive. I'd highly recommend trying both a 718 and a 981 before you decide. There are inherent advantages to both- and the 981 has now been proven to be one of the most reliable cars you can buy. The 718 is pretty much an enhancement to everything over the 981, but it's kind of like if the 981 was a 9 out of 10 the 718 is a 9.5. But the 718 engine noise is worth investigating for yourself, as opinions on it vary widely. I feel like I have to mention it because I've owned both a 981 and a 718, both Boxster GTSs, and it really is tough for me to say which one I'd drive away with if they were both sitting in front of me right now.

The engine note isn't terrible in the 718 but me personally, I'm left always making excuses for it. Not having that flat 6 wail really does detract from the experience... but more power and sharper looks and handling (plus CarPlay) does give the 718 its own advantages.

TL;DR, drive both.

 

I agree with everything but this.
Growing up with V8s I much prefer a throb and growl to a wail.

On topic: Just coming up to 70,000 km and 5 years on the 2 litre 4 and absolutely no issues.

 

And that's why everyone who is considering one needs to drive and listen to one themselves, because I agree- the engine does have an appeal and I could easily see how some would prefer it.

At the very least I can say definitively it's nowhere near as "bad" as many journalists/YouTubers would have you believe. It's a great sound- I just personally prefer the 6.

 

Power from the four-pot is not an issue, it’s a tough puppy. For cars that are tracked, one of the most regularly bitched-about problems with the S is turbo heat sink which puts the car into limp mode. It’s claimed that Porsche admits there is an issue with overheating of the servo motor but it offers no fix, so no recall. If you don’t track then probably not an issue.

 

Thanks everyone. As for the sound… I don’t really care about that.

 

That's not a very high specific output for a 2.5 liter engine. Mercedes has a 2 liter street engine making 400 HP.

 

We have a base 718 Boxster and a 718 CGTS. The Boxster was a daily driver and the CGTS is just a part time fun car. The engine in both have been flawless. Both cars have only had very minor problems. The SiriusXM antenna on the GTS and a paint bubble on the Boxster. Both cars had recalls to put new side intake screens and additional fasteners in the front. All were handled under warranty at the dealership. The engines have great bottom end pull and pretty good gas mileage. The 2.0 easily gets 30+ on the road and the 2.5 around 28 mpg sometimes better. Neither sounds as good as an American V8.

 

My '17 Base has had no issues to detract from the pure pleasure of driving it!

 

beauty is in the ear of the beholder and comparing apples (flat 4) to women's shoes (v8) never yields good results.

 

A friend of mine has a base 2018 718 Cayman with an aftermarket exhaust, and I was a 911 or nothing guy before spending some time in it, lovely car, incredible handling, and that great Porsche quality inside and out.

Here are some prices from Fidelity and Freedom Warranty for top-tier extended warranty coverage on a 2017 Porsche 781 Cayman S.

Fidelity Platinum:
48 months / additional 60k miles
$100 deductible
-$4,305

Freedom Warranty Complete Manufactures Extension:
60 months / up to 100k miles
$100 deductible
-$4,195

For quotes, questions, and example contracts, reach out at (855) 924-1333 or tgibson@highline-autos.com