rumatt

Short Version:
Has anyone owned both a Cayman R and a 718 GTS 4.0? If so, would you mind sharing your thoughts on how they compare?

Long Version:
I previously owned a Cayman R, but ended up selling it after about 2 years. On paper, it was the perfect car for me. But I eventually concluded that although it is a brilliant vehicle, it just wasn't the right car for the kind of roads I have available to me.

1. I have a lot of poor quality roads around me. I would never say the R suspension was harsh, but for bad roads it just didn't feel like the right tool for the job. If I lived somewhere with better quality roads I would definitely still have the R.
2. It felt fast in all the wrong ways. The engine didn't have much low-end torque, and it has tall gearing. On tight, curvy back roads I often found myself trying to accelerate out of a corner slowly at low RPMs in 2nd gear thinking - gosh this such a mismatch for this road. The car wanted to be on a race track with the engine at 5k RPM, not bogging down out of a corner at 2500 RPM.
3. I also didn't quite fit in the seats (it had sport seats, not buckets) so this discomfort pushed me over the edge to get rid of it.

I'm now looking at the Cayman/Boxster GTS 4.0 and feeling a strong desire to get on a waiting list and have one in my garage before the world switches to electric. I keep flip flopping between:

• Brilliant: the 718 is perfect because it fixes everything I didn't like about the R. It will have better seats, more low-end torque, a touch more compliance in the suspension (I might go PASM over SPASM (gasp) given my R experience), a touch more sound insulation, and a touch more refinement.
• Insane: I would be repeating the same mistake again - it's a sports car with tall gearing and a high-reving engine that comes alive on the track. Why would you expect a different result than the R.

Of course I would test drive one if I could, but there are none to be found. If anyone in the greater NYC area wants to take me for a ride in your GTS 4.0, please do message me!

clib

I went have an R and a GT4. So Would be hard to sort out gt4 vs gts4.0. The gt4 is amazing car. Engine wise there is only good. But whenever i am just driving as a pure road car, the R is better in almost every other way. I didnt realize how nice a car the R was honestly until compared to the gt4 and that is only after months of driving both in lots of conditions. Like any new passion at first the gt4 is incredible and easy to overlook day to day compromises. But over time as you know…….
If i had to sell one and didnt track the car, i would sell the gt4. But i do track it.
If the GTS is a bit softer which its supposed to be it could be a different story and maybe just hit the spot but i would guess more similar ride compromises to the R just more modern.
definitely drive one. Preferable a very long drive

Alpha Ice

I find that having the rev matching gives me a greater confidence on those low speed corners, being able to shift down into 1st without having to worry about rev matching myself and upsetting the car. I'm great at matching 2-5, but 1st always made me a bit nervous. While I didn't have the R, I did have a 1st gen Cayman S with a tune and a lot of bolt ons (not a great performance boost looking back on it, but it was the RS370 kit as close as I could get), and I was nervous about the power feeling similar, but there is a lot of power and torque to be had. I also don't find the gearing to be bad, I'm in MN, so we are always having road construction and broken roads around here. I did go with the Sport + seats for comfort on trips, no issues for me with SPASM.

WhipE350

I've had a bunch of seat time in the past in a Cayman R and it was always on my bucket list, just recently though I got to drive another one with very low mileage. This occurred right after I got my CGTS 4.0. To be honest if the Cayman R had become available a little sooner, I probably would have bought it, in fact I was looking for one at the time I found my CGTS4.0. I'm on Porsche #11 and have owned four Boxsters, and several 911s in the past, the Cayman GTS 4.0 has one of the best suspensions on muting manhole covers and alike that I have driven. It is one of the reasons I liked it, and I was coming from a 2014 911 Turbo S.
As for pulling out of corners, all the big power in this engine is above 5,000rpm, but let's be fair, compare to the R at lower rpms it pulls pretty hard. If you want a lot of punch down low, then maybe the CGTS 4 cylinder is the way to go.
In the CGTS4.0 Sport Plus is pretty amazing and very fast, however if you want to feel how the engine is really tuned, go into manual mode (I'm in a PDK) and rev it up above 5,500rpm, it is a beast and comes alive, like it really pulls and is fast! Now on public roads that lasts about 2 second before you are going to get in trouble with the police so I generally drive in Sport Plus, this engine was meant for it.
Good luck!

rumatt

Wow, that's a strong endorsement! Thank you.

Do you have the standard SPASM (-20) or optional PASM (-10) suspension?

rumatt

Thanks for sharing. Yeah it's a bit hard to know how much of that would apply to the GTS 4.0.

I was thinking about this as well, whether the auto rev-match would make a difference to the fun on slower roads. Sound like it might.

Interesting about SPASM. Did you have the stock or sport suspension in your S? Or PASM? How would you compare them?

WhipE350

Mine has the standard -20 suspension. To have it -10 you have to check a box on the build. I bought mine with 2k miles on it and nowhere can I find on the build sheet or the monroney where that was selected...meaning I assume it is the SPASM. I had the SPASM on at 911 without 18 way seats and it was too rough on my hips and back. I have the 18 way on my Cayman which works well for me.
Do you have access to one to try it?

rumatt

Yeah I really need to drive one. Right now, no I don't see any anywhere for a test drive. But I'm going to keep trying to hunt one down.

If anyone in greater NYC areas wants to take me for a ride, I'd be forever grateful.

OldJedi

Don’t forget that you can drive a Boxster/Cayman 4.0 at Porsche PEC Atlanta.

Zeus993

Ha! I too am on Porsche No. 11, my 718 Spyder.

I've not owned a Cayman R but I have owned two 987.2 Spyders and loved both to bits. The suspension and the steering really make that car and yes even if it is slightly underpowered. You can do a Cobb tune on it but I never did. Others have added Wevo engine mounts to get a bit more engine and transmission noise in the cabin.

Will I someday go back? I think so, yes. I'm, possibly like some of you, just not 100% enamoured with the new generation of Porsches, with the e-steering, the e-brake, the annoying "ticking" noise of the engine etc... but time will tell. These days I am feeling incredibly fortunate to be in the stewardship of any Porsche, never mind a PTS Spyder.

So will there be a 12th Porsche in the future, back to a 987.2 Spyder? Possibly, yes, but prices are rising and not only because of the current lack of cars. They're just that good.

P.s. and yes, you do have to watch the speeds on either the CR/Spyder or CGTS 4.0. Both gens are very capable at attracting unwanted police attention. Maybe not to the degree of my now divorced 997.2 GT3 RS, but that's a story for another day. Legendary.

mgd7444

Where in the tri state are you? I am in North Jersey and have a -10 pasm car . I would be willing to let you try it out

Yc911Kid

spasm on 718 handles broken pavement much better than the 987gen. another one to consider is the new emira, shorter gear & also brilliant ride comfort(assume from exp of evora gt)

Zeus993

I agree, but I would feel like a traitor to my Porsche family. But what a looker the new Emira is. Love the simplicity, the sparseness of the interior.

MaddMike

Except the all-digital gauges and the huge i-Pad stuck to the dash. Those two items make me pause.

Alpha Ice

I had the stock suspension on my S, and then went to Bilstein PSS9's. I found a bit too much rebounding on that, so the Spasm is nice that it is still stiffer, but comfortable. I'm never in a specific scenario were I'm always on Sport unless I'm on some back roads or driving sportily. I know some people like to always have the Sport suspension on.