brett53087

I am new to the forums so my apologies if this is in the wrong place. I am looking at used 718 Carman S w/ a manual and I was wondering if anyone had any gotchas or must have options they would like to share...for example I heard the padding of certain seat options is significantly differen't, a LSD only comes with Sport Chrono (needs confirmation) etc. My budget is around 60k give or take a little.

Thanks!

ldamelio

You are in the right place. Welcome!

Yours is a very broad question. Seats are a personal choice depending on body size, intended use and personal idiosyncrasies. There are no bad seats, although some people have preferences with a zeal that borders on the religious. Try them for yourself and see. You can trust yourself on this - opinions will be all over the place and arbitrary.

How are you going to use the car? That dictates what other options add value.

Can you share the window sticker or options list? A 2018 Cayman S could have been anywhere from $69k to about $105k new depending on the options list. It's difficult to give an opinion on price/value without knowing more.

There are no 'gotchas'. Some 6 cylinder zealots decry the sound of the T4 engine, but this nonsense seems to have died down since the cars first came out. I think it sounds great and it makes me smile every time I drive it. I also like the sound of the traditional flat 6 - they're not mutually exclusive.

The S will rarely overheat at the track (see Suncoast thread here) but I've only had it happen in about 3 out of 150 track sessions, and it looks like a fix may be on the horizon (a simple piece of heat shield wrap in the right place.) They have proven to be very reliable cars over the 6 years they've been around. No known repetitive issues. I've owned one since 2018 and it's been flawless over about 35k miles and 30 track days.

Tell us more and we'll be able to give more detailed feedback.

brett53087

Thanks! Appreciate it. I’m working on having a dealership track down a window sticker for me on one, but for now I’ll try to keep my questions specific. Definitely agree with you in seats being subjective.

Lets start with Sport Chrono package on a manual Cayman. I’ve read that this only gives you auto rev matching and a more responsive pedal, is there anything else it adds? Does anyone here have strong feelings for or against this option?

Im also looking to put an ECU tune in the car. If anyone has any recommendations that would be very helpful.

Thanks,

Brett

cbracerx

Good luck with your search. Sport Chrono on a manual 718 S gives you Sport+ and Individual modes and the steering wheel mounted switch to control it in addition to what you listed. And of course the Chrono “watch on a wart” as well. Sport+ in a turbo 718 is pretty desirable.

For tunes I have had Softronic on two Caymans and very happy with it. Makes a big difference in the 718 turbo cars.

brett53087

Thanks so far everyone. I'll update once I get a hold of a window sticker.

TXRubicon

Sport Chrono should not be a deal breaker. It’s a nice to have but at your budget it’s definitely not necessary. There are a ton of great 718s out there at your price point, so enjoy shopping!