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Sad day today - I very reluctantly sold my beloved 718 Cayman S . I have owned it since new since January 2018. 56,000+ miles and 83 track days of fun and excitement. Those of you who who have been on this forum regularly know that I tracked the living daylights out of the car. It eventually caught up to me. A flywheel/clutch pack and eventual PDK failure led to a frustrating year. I got all this fixed but the car was still leaking at the rear main seal and throwing boost and cooling codes after every track day. It's driving well day to day and not leaking when street driven so it will make a fun weekend car for someone, but it was verklempt after the few track weekends I got in this year. I'm a drive to the track guy and it's at the point where I would need a trailer and tow vehicle and be spending a lot of time at the race shop between events.
So, lessons learned and observations:
1) Don't believe the flat 4 deniers and noise snobs. The engine is phenomenal and the sound is a hoot - different than a flat 6 (I also have a 992.2) but just as fun to listen to if not even more. And I didn't even have PSE. They go like a bat out of hell and the low end torque left many a 'faster' car in the dust on the track. The most fun car I've ever owned. The 992 is fast and sophisticated, but it's a GT, not a sports car.
2) These cars are pretty much bulletproof for street use. No reason why you can't put six digit road mileage on them with the same reliability as the average everyday German sedan BUT
3) For track use, the heat soak issues ultimately are limiting, especially in the S. It makes a ton of power from small displacement in a closed mid-engine space that is hard to ventilate. Thus, cooling is the Achilles heel no matter how many mods you throw at the problem.
I was happy to have my friend/mechanic find the cure to limp mode on the track (venting undertray and heat wrapping exhaust components) but that ultimately contributed to the car's demise. My lapping was no longer interrupted, but all that heat was still in there; just not triggering limp. It was slowly damaging things despite installing a third radiator. The guys who gave up earlier on the S as a serious track car were right in retrospect (that's you, Nineball).
I tuned the car at the beginning of this season - a reliable vendor, stage 1 tune to 430 HP. . It may be coincidence (car already had 73 track days at that point), but that's when the serious problems started. I think a tune may be OK if you just want a littler more 'pop' on the street, but for track use, I think it pushes an already taxed drivetrain over the edge. If you want to track a T4 car occasionally in a lower run group, it will hold up, especially if manual, but DON'T heavily track or tune one (especially an S or PDK) if you want it to last forever.
So anyway, I will miss this car a lot. When my track days are over (hopefully not for a decade or more), I will look for another one. For now, I'm looking for a 981 GTS or a 718 GTS 4.0. A GT4 would be ideal, but the market is out of control and very small at the moment. A 981GTS or 718GTS 4.0 is very much the same platform. I think (and all the smart people I know agree) that it will stand up to track use a little better than the little nuclear reactor of a turbo 4.
So have fun and keep enjoying these magnificent machines. If I wind up with a 4.0, you'll see me here. If not, off to the 981 forum.
I can see how it is sad to let your 718 go. We are 2 months into Boxster GTS 4.0 ownership and can honestly say the car is just pure magic! Not even broken in and it brings just pure joy to every ride. We have some good curvy routes we ride just for fun, completely effortless on anything we try to throw at it. I also own a 992.2, and agree, the 911 is awesome and has an amazing presence. The Boxster is just pure joy, even with PDK.
Track days are hard on a car, and 83 days on the track at higher skill levels is a lot of tracking. I would say you got your money's worth out of it. How did you sell it, and in what condition?
By all means, go out and find a 718 GTS 4.0, you won't be sorry, you won't miss the money once it is your hands, and don't wait too long, they are getting harder to find a good spec. Pics for attention on my 2000th post.
I can see how it is sad to let your 718 go. We are 2 months into Boxster GTS 4.0 ownership and can honestly say the car is just pure magic! Not even broken in and it brings just pure joy to every ride. We have some good curvy routes we ride just for fun, completely effortless on anything we try to throw at it. I also own a 992.2, and agree, the 911 is awesome and has an amazing presence. The Boxster is just pure joy, even with PDK.
Track days are hard on a car, and 83 days on the track at higher skill levels is a lot of tracking. I would say you got your money's worth out of it. How did you sell it, and in what condition?
By all means, go out and find a 718 GTS 4.0, you won't be sorry, you won't miss the money once it is your hands, and don't wait too long, they are getting harder to find a good spec. Pics for attention on my 2000th post.
Beautiful cars, PJ. I sold the 718 to a national wholesaler. It is running well, dry and no codes at the moment. I suspect it has many more street miles left in it and will make someone very happy. It would also make a good car for full race car conversion if someone wants to strip it down and weld in a full cage and has the mechanical chops to keep on top of it.
I managed to survive an excruciating 24 hours owning only one Porsche. I had been eyeing a beautiful 981 GTS at a local independent dealer who is a known good guy and drives with us in our region's events. I got a good deal on a pristine car. I'll gather a few bits plus what I'm reusing from the 718 and it's lights out and away we go!!!
Enjoy your 718s, guys. I'll miss mine. Off to the 981 forum.
Last edited by ldamelio; Nov 11, 2025 at 09:53 AM.
I can see how it is sad to let your 718 go. We are 2 months into Boxster GTS 4.0 ownership and can honestly say the car is just pure magic! Not even broken in and it brings just pure joy to every ride. We have some good curvy routes we ride just for fun, completely effortless on anything we try to throw at it. I also own a 992.2, and agree, the 911 is awesome and has an amazing presence. The Boxster is just pure joy, even with PDK.
Track days are hard on a car, and 83 days on the track at higher skill levels is a lot of tracking. I would say you got your money's worth out of it. How did you sell it, and in what condition?
By all means, go out and find a 718 GTS 4.0, you won't be sorry, you won't miss the money once it is your hands, and don't wait too long, they are getting harder to find a good spec. Pics for attention on my 2000th post.
83 track days? Awesome! These 718s are fun, capable and reliable cars when maintained and set up right. Sounds like you didn't astray too far with the 981 acquisition.
Sad day - Farewell 718
