clutchplate

And yet Ford offers the Focus RS only in a manual and you can't get one.

Noah Fect

I don't think the millennials are the ones who are at fault here. The people buying the PDKs are middle-aged types like myself, who don't have the luxury of living out in the middle of nowhere where the kind of traffic that takes the fun out of a stick shift is nonexistent. (And who, again like myself, have owned and driven enough stick shifts that we don't have anything further to prove or to learn.)

By and large, I suspect the only millennials who can afford these cars are either in China, or in a few select enclaves in NY, LA, and the Bay Area. Only the first group is big enough to move the market, hence the 718.

Powaup

Congrats on the new ride. Did you buy it off the lot or order it? I plan on ordering a cayman S at 81k MSRP and hoping I can get them down to $75k as well

718Owner

Good question: I bought it off the lot but was willing to order one if they did not negotiate on price, and I also mentioned I would "put the build out to bid." Meaning if I had to wait I might buy from another dealer. Good Luck!

PhilNotHill

You did good.

My problem is the cars on the lot always had some option or color issue. So l contacted every Pdealer in Colorado to order one. No trade in. Best l could do was $3k off MSRP.

Zeus993

You're now about a month and a thousand miles (?) post-purchase. What's the update?

JAhmed

Beautiful looking car, OP. Looking forward to hearing some updates as well!!!

randr

LOL they didn't put a DC type transmission in the RS for a number of reasons including the fact its already a heavyweight car. Another 60kgs wouldn't be beneficial

Phil G.

No question - the point I was making was that millennials and the "middle-aged types" are buying cars with automatic transmissions, whether they be Porsches or not. The trend is to eliminate manuals from cars in general. You'll notice Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Audi and MB no longer offer any vehicles with a stick. It's sad IMO, but clearly a sign of the times. If a higher % of buyers demanded it, the carmakers would offer it. Fortunately, P-cars are still available with manuals -- for now.

ocgarza

718owner: congrats on the new car. As an experienced driver with a good car history, I have a feeling you will have the time of your life in that car. You have indeed proven that:
718 owners' lives matter

Unconscionable

In this column by Jack Baruth of Road&Track (also P-car owner), he argues that the demise of the middle class and the fact that cars are ever more expensive has a lot to do with the preference of modern sports car buyers.

I would also postulate from his argument that this has partially led to the advent of super performance SUVs and watered down GT cars posing as sports cars. There is an entire generation that has no idea what a car should feel like, how to take one apart, or how to do anything with one aside from hooking up the Bluetooth.

I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm a millennial whose family had the means to help me buy some nice cars when I was young. I also had a good friend teach me to drive a stick in a POS Mitsubishi Lancer.

Now I own a Spyder. Even I recognize it as a small departure from the 987. It's not apostasy, but it's approaching that level. I certainly preferred the steering in my 987. I preferred the steering in my Lotus Elise much more. I loved the steering and road feel in my E46 325ci convertible (RIP) more than my E92 335i. I even liked the engine better despite 184 horsepower.

But Porsche, like BMW and all car makers from Pagani to Mazda, is simply catering to the customers' desires. And so we should celebrate what we have in the current Porsche lineup rather than lamenting what has been lost.


To the OP: Congratulations on a wonderful car. I can't wait to drive one. I rather like the exhaust sound. I think it's aggressive and playful.

centerisl

Our kids are millennials - you're still young in my eyes.

JCtx

Yep. I even think I'm relatively young here, and we're talking mid 50s. Few millennials can afford these cars indeed... and that's the way it should be IMO.

Unconscionable

I'm an old soul. I love talking to octogenerians at PCA events. Their perspective is so fascinating. They appreciate the small details and don't see the cars as status symbols.


Any PCA event will prove your theory correct (that you are young). I admit that part of my motivation for moving on the Spyder was the harrowing reality that cars, especially those with combustion engines, will be basically illegal to drive in the next decade or two. I cannot afford to wait!

digitalrurouni

I am not a fan of manual transmissions. I don't find them giving me any extra enjoyment. Give me a PDK any day over the manual. That is what I wish my car had first and foremost is a proper PDK! Anyway I just turned 35 and I was lucky enough to pick up a Spyder as my first Porsche. I have been as a result quite keen on seeing what the potential replacement would be for the 981 lineup. I will admit I did not like the 718 series at all when it got announced. I don't like the motor and the 60 kg extra weight with all the plumbing. I did see a couple of them in the flesh and did hear them as well and they looked good didn't sound as good. But overall even I can see it's a very competent machine. Congrats on the car OP! If ever something happens and I need to get a new mid engined Porsche, unless they stop making GT4/Spyders in the future I can see me being perfectly happy with a 718 nicely optioned out with a PDK