IL_Pete

So it has been just over 4 months and almost 6,000 miles with “Albert”, my Albert Blue Manual Cayman GTS 4.0. I also did quite a bit of comparing after I purchased it, to map out “what is next” in the Porsche journey. I thought I would do a writeup here on my findings and decisions.

Before I bought it, I test drove a 718 Cayman S PDK (used), 718 Cayman S Manual (used), a new 2021 Cayman S PDK, a very slightly used Boxster 2019 GTS 2.5L Manual, a 2019 911 C4S PDK, a GT4 PDK, M2 Competition Manual, M2 CS DCT, M2 CS Manual. I narrowed it down to the Cayman GTS 4.0 Manual and the GT4 Manual, and purchased the Cayman GTS 4.0 when I came across it, a PTS one spec’ed almost exactly as I would have done it, one that was custom ordered by someone else and they backed out at the last second.

I was close to pulling the trigger on the M2 CS Manual (the same day I put the deposit on the inbound GTS 4.0), but my heart told me to go for the Cayman. The M2 CS was a relative bargain at $30K less the the Cayman, but I really liked the refinement of the Cayman, and the NA engine for both the more linear power delivery and the sound/feel that comes with it. I had been big on both Porsche and BMW in my younger years, and felt more strongly about reconnecting with the Porsches versus the BMWs.

After I got the Cayman GTS 4.0, I loved it but still had a little bit of FOMO in wondering if I wanted a GT4 or a 911. I rented a GT4 Manual on Turo (from a fellow Rennlister here), and also a 992 C2 Coupe with a PDK. (I did write-ups on both here.) I determined that the GTS 4.0 is better for me than the GT4, I prefer the slightly less intense chassis of the GTS for my spirited rides on country roads. I also prefer the creature comforts and more colors and options available. There have been many opportunities to “trade-up” to GT4s since I got the GTS 4.0, and I decided not to and I am not longer interested in that.

After renting the 992 C2 PDK, I also had an opportunity more recently to test drive a new 992 C2S Manual. It was pretty great! I was looking at the potential of ordering one of those, and then the 992 GTS was announced, so I put a deposit for an allocation for one of those. But I love the Cayman GTS 4.0 *SO MUCH* that I am second guessing that, I was very concerned that I would spend a lot of money “upgrading” to a 992 GTS (my spec is about $175K), and that I would regret it because I would come to the determination that I liked the GTS 4.0 better. That would be an expensive experiment!

For me, the GTS 4.0 is a perfect daily driver for spirited driving on B roads, which is my primary use case. I don't commute to an office, so I use it 70% for B road driving and 30% for running errands around town. It is my primary car for 9-10 months of the year (still need to add a “winter car”, working on getting the garage ready for a lift). The GTS 4.0 is great fun at or near the speed limits, the NA engine is a blast and you don’t have to be going insane speeds to have it be exhilarating. The 911s I drove were amazing, but also they felt bigger and faster, in a way that you had to be going at much higher speeds to get that same feeling of exhilaration. Back in the day I had a 1997 Boxster (which at 201 HP was grossly underpowered, but the chassis feel was amazing) and a 1999 996 911 C2 Cab (which was awesome) - the Cayman GTS 4.0 feels like a modern day interpretation of both, to me, the chassis feel of the Boxster with the power, agility and NA Flat 6 glory of the 911 (and then some - 394 HP versus 294 HP!).

So what did I conclude from all of this about “what is next” in my Porsche journey? I love my Albert Blue GTS. That said, I didn’t spec it, and if I were to spec my own, I would do it a bit differently. Who knows how long the GTS 4.0’s will be available? Will they stop after 2022? What will the next gen look like? Will we get an NA GTS in the next gen? Too much uncertainty with all of that, so I placed an order for ANOTHER Cayman GTS 4.0 recently, with my preferred spec! Should be be here in the Spring of 2022. At a high level, it is GT Silver with the full Bordeaux Red leather interior, a very chassis Porsche spec, and by no coincidence was also the spec of both my 1997 Boxster and my 1999 996 C2 Cab.

I still do want a 911 of some sort eventually, but with my love of the NA engine in the Cayman GTS, I think the best strategy for me is a 911 GT3 Touring longer term, 991.2 or 992. That is a big pill to swallow, but what I think I would do is daily drive the Cayman and keep the miles low on a GT3 to preserve the value. That would likely be 2023 or later for me, with this recent decision to do another Cayman GTS 4.0 in early 2022. (Hopefully the used GT3 market returns to sanity by then. )

I do have a day booked next month to go to PEC ATL and drive both the 922 Carrera S Manual and GT3 PDK (991.2) there to further explore those, and to just have some fun.

I will expand here on this thread more on what I love about the GTS 4.0, and the spec of the new order and why with regards to spec decisions.

P-car-Vancouver

Thanks for your thoughtful piece on the various models and options. Did you spec your new CGTS as a manual or PDK this time around ? Love GT Silver. My BGTS also GT Silver but with black interior expected at dealer Aug 6. I have a bit of buyers remorse not going for the Black/Bordeaux interior though like you did.

IL_Pete

Congrats on your BGTS! You are getting pretty close, awesome.

I went with a Manual again, I absolutely LOVE this car in a manual, that is the only way I would spec it.

GT Silver Metallic is IMO a terrific color for the Cayman GTS 4.0. The lines on the 982 generation are significantly sharper than previous generations, and the GT Silver Metallic really shows that off. Plus I like the notion of being a little stealthy on the exterior color, and going more loud and fun with the interior. I actually am going for the FULL Bordeaux interior, has Bordeaux dash and carpet, and I spec'ed it with White Dials and Carbon Fiber Interior Trim and Door Sills.

Pics from configurator:









That interior is pretty bold, but I have had a similar interior twice before (albeit more than 20 years ago), and I dug the interiors back then.

One of the reasons I went from the GTS Interior package with RaceTex to the Full Leather Interior (in addition to wanting the lighter and brighter color) was for the Ventilated Seat option. After I added the AWE Wind Diffusers, I find that in the Summer months I mostly drive with the windows fully down. At 85-90 degrees+ F, I am really wishing I have the Ventilated Seats! (It was too noisy to do so at high B road speeds, prior to getting the AWE Wind Diffusers. That is a MUST HAVE option add in my opinion. I will go through my mods on this thread as well.)

Interesting that in the 2021 and previous 718's, the center of the Steering Wheel was also Bordeaux in the Full Bordeaux interior. For the 2022's, they are Black (including in the Boxster 25 Years Limited Edition). I don't have a strong preference either way, I just thought it was an interesting change...

P-car-Vancouver

Looks awesome!
I also did the Porsche Crests on the headrests, as I also did the leather interior with Race-Tex delete. I also got the MF steering wheel as I did the Premium Pac (I wanted most things in it and it was cheaper to do). I think the black looks fine on the wheel with the Bordeaux interior as you say.
I was on the fence with the ventilated seats…Our Cayenne (my wife’s to be precise as she would constantly remind me LOL) has them and she loves them. I was worried about keeping the seats clean in a convertible as they have holes in them for the ventilations, so opted not to take them, which I slightly regret now too.

Dan Nagy

Great write-up! Nobody could say that you didn’t make in informed decision!! I am totally winging it, but also on a list for the 992 Targa GTS. I highly doubt I am going to change out my BGTS for another 992, and now considering to sell the Soul exhaust system and cats in storage that’s waiting for the next 992.

If you are going to do the “718” in the back, maybe think about keeping the standard lettering, taking it off at delivery, and just adding back the”GTS” portion.

IL_Pete

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it!

I forgot to mention that I also am getting the Extended Deviated Stitching in GT Silver. I really like the full Bordeaux Red Interior option in the 992 with the Chalk Stitching, so I am opting for a similar look with this spec, to help break up what otherwise is a lot of Bordeaux Red.

Here it is in the 992:



I also am doing the leather with deviated stitching on the steering wheel column (which I have now and really like), the back of the seats and the door sills.

Some may notice that I did not spec the Smoking Package. I have it now. While it does look cleaner with the Smoking Package with the lid closed, I want to try it with a larger storage spot there (you lose a lot of space with the cigarette lighter). I don't use a key chain for my key, and sometimes I might want to throw my key there. Particularly when wearing athletic shorts or track pants where the key sometimes slides out of my pocket, a challenge I have had so far in mine. (First world problems, I know!)

Here is the entire spec:

PN5VP6W7

I will provide more feedback on what I picked and why, in case that helps anyone else here trying to make decisions.

P.S. I will save you time here before checking the link - SPASM versus PASM? SPASM all the way!! SPASM is amazing, particularly with the tires at 30 psi cold, and the DSC Controller! One of the great things about getting another one of these versus a 992 is that I get to bring my existing mods forward to the new car.

IL_Pete

Yes, I was thinking of that, thanks for suggesting. I am going without the "GTS 4.0" stickers on the doors. I don't mind it on the Albert Blue, because you can barely see it. But on GT Silver, I think it stands out a bit too much for my tastes. I actually have both sizes of the "4.0" that Bob Z did. So I was thinking of possibly doing "718 GTS 4.0" or "GTS 4.0" on the back, after PPF.

It's funny, my Albert Blue was ordered with just "718". At first, I didn't like it at all. I was going to replace it. I did my PPF through the dealer, and their PPF guys didn't remove the logo and put it back on, they cut around it. So to change the logo on the back, I would have had to get the PPF redone there, so I never did. (Despite the dealer offering to do for free, which was nice of them.)

I didn't used to resonate with the 718 branding. Now I totally do. I like how it pulls together the Caymans and Boxster into one family. We all have 718's, whether they are Caymans or Boxsters, Spyders or GT4s. I wouldn't even mind if they dropped the Cayman and Boxster names in the next generation and just called them the 718 Coupe and Cabriolet. (If they did, I am sure that would create some long threads ranting about that!)

Dan Nagy

Funny about the logo, and agree about the 718s. As I wrote elsewhere, I truly believe that the Porsche sporting heritage has been passed down from the 911 to the 718 at this point. I still need to figure out how I am doing PPF before I drive it back from Orlando to Delaware. I am considering just doing TracWrap to bring it up, otherwise, I need to coordinate getting the car paint corrected and wrapped down there. I fellow Rennlist member really helped me out with the right shops in Orlando, but I would need to stay a few days extra to get it down. Guess I could do Disney for a few days…

IL_Pete

Current Mods on Albert:

• (Full PPF)
• Soul Performance Over Axle Pipes
• Soul Performance Valve Controller
• Numeric Short Shifter Kit (1.5mm Spring)
• Black Forest Industries Weighted Shift ****
• T-Design9 Memory Module
• Rennline Mobile Phone Mount
• Clear Side Markers
• T-Carbon Carbon Fiber Key Cover
• TWL Carbon Ducktail Spoiler
• AWE Wind Diffusers
• T-Design cupholder
• DSC Controller

All of these mods are great, the ones that can easily be de-installed will be coming over to the new one. (Thank you to everyone here - I learned about most of these here from scouring old threads, when I first got my car.)

I will likely do full PPF on the new one, I really like having that. I am going to do some research about Ceramic Coating as well, I don't have any experience with that.

The Short Shifter is awesome. The stock shifter is not TOO long, it is great, but an upgrade to the Numeric Short Shifter or the GT4 shifter makes a big difference in my opinion. A weighted shift **** helps as well.

As I mentioned already, the AWE Wind Diffusers are great. The TDesign-9 Memory Controller is a MUST HAVE Mod as well. I leave it in Sport and completely forget about it Automatic-Stop-Start goes away, thank goodness! I love Sport Mode, it has the Burbles and Pops in the exhaust, and the fastest throttle response. Also I already mentioned the DSC - great mod! I glide over rough roads on a Magic Carpet Ride now.

The CF Ducktail Wing spoiler is definitely coming, I really love that and it sort of "makes it my own". (That is an easy swap, if I don't love it on the GT Silver, I can easily swap it back and sell it.)









I still have new HRE custom wheels on order, they should be in soon. I think they will be fine with the GT Silver color as well.

The only Mod I am unsure of at this time is the OAPs. It sounds incredible with the Valve Controller set to open all the time with the OAPs. I just think it is a little loud. I may try just an Exhaust with the stock OAPs, and do the Sound Symposer delete. I will continue to experiment with that with Albert, to find the right setup to bring over to the new one.

Dan Nagy

Paint Correction > PPF > Ceramic Coating. Don’t forget to do the rims - brake dust doesn’t stick well to it - love that.

CurbKiller

Thanks for the write up and loving your new spec!

Have you thought about adding the carbon gear lever? The leather is then matched to your interior and the extended stitching in GT Silver will tie it all together nicely. You can opt for the alloy gear lever at no cost btw.

IL_Pete

That sounds like a plan! Especially the Ceramic on the Wheels, I have spent a lot of time cleaning brake dust off the wheels over the past 4 months.

Thanks!

Yes, I have thought about the Carbon Fiber Shifter. I had it on mine, it matched the rest of the Carbon Fiber great! But I really like the aftermarket weighted one I have, both with regards to looks and feel. So I think I will just go for the standard one and then swap it out later. (I am not sure if the one I have now will match the Bordeaux leather well, we shall see.)

But maybe I should spec it and see how it turns out...

EDIT:

Just checked it in the configurator:






I see what you mean now. That is a big change. Thanks so much for the heads-up!

RoadrunnerGTS

Nice write up. Thanks. I recently switched my CGTS spec from Shark Blue to GT Silver for the same reason... bit boring, but shows lines better and classic. Opted for platinum wheels and black calipers.

Dan Nagy

[QUOTE=RoadrunnerGTS;17569958]I really wouldn’t call GT Silver boring. It’s classic and really does show the contours beautifully. It sparkles in the sunlight, and the slight brown tint gives it the ability to look good with just about any interior color. It will look great on the Cayman. I had a 911 in GT silver and loved it, but now headstrong to do a bright color. I did look at doing GT Silver with the brown leather interior - that leather is very rich and wish I could do it with Shark Blue. I nearly went to Carmine just for the brown leather.

P-car-Vancouver

I also on purpose omitted the smoking package. I like have the little bin to put my key in (due to keyless entry and drive) or as became habit during Covid, the little bottle of hand sanitizer. We omitted it on our 2019 Cayenne as well. I regret not doing the GT Silver deviated stitching on my black interior to contrast the black, but at a certain point you just have to say “no” to the Porsche tax I have that on my Audi S3 I’m trading in on my BGTS and love it.