Adrift

The intake noise is so glorious on these (718) cars, I just don't see the need others do for exhaust. The things fairly howl already. Sure, not all the time, but it's kind of obnoxious to be loud when toodling around town. They are loud when they should be loud. And in the cabin, where it counts.

My 2 cents.

Cpt Voodoo

Nick,

I used to own a 2014 981 GTS Boxster with PDK and now drive a 2021 GTS Boxster manual. A few thoughts/opinions:

Coupe vs Roadster: This one comes down to personal preference. For me NorCal is ideal convertible weather so the Boster was a no brainer. When I lived in Dallas and Atlanta, I was definitely more into coupes. The summers in those cities could get pretty blazing.
Sound: This one is a toss up for me as I feel both cars standout in different ways. The exhaust on the 981 is more visceral and makes great noises; however, the 718 engine induction noise is really something else. Around town, I give the 981 the edge. At wide open throttle I prefer the 718.
Performance: The GTS definitely pulls harder, and I feel that the handling is sharper. There are times I miss the PDK (e.g., at a recent autocross), but overall, I prefer the manual. Similar to coupe vs roadster, transmission will come down to personal preference.

As far as test drives go, you are more than welcome to go for a spin or a ride along in mine in Mammoth next week, lol!

nikuhina

sounds good sir! Thank you for your input!

Jotaeme_

I am of the same opinion.

I had a Boxster 981 2.7 before, I find the sound of the 4.0 very correct (silent in towns and with enough sound on the highway) and I have no nostalgia. I am happy with the 718 Boxster GTS 4.0.

And dynamically the 4.0 is clearly better

TXshaggy

I had a Gen 1 Spyder with the 3.4 w/PSE mill which I thoroughly enjoyed.

However, I prefer the 4.0 guttural shriek more.

I eliminated the GPF but retained stock PSE programming...perfect.

The stock system w/induction noise is very good also.

lee_337

I have a 14 Boxster S and sold my 16 GT4 to buy a 21 718 Spyder.Spyder VS GT4;

The good

- Power feels pretty good, almost turbo like low down torque
- Car is beautiful, love the way it looks
- I enjoy top down motoring
- Infotainment better

The undecided

- Hard to tell, sound, dynamics sense of occasion... Not sure if I prefer the 981 to 982, think the 981 GT4 felt more special overall

The not so good

- Cylinder deactivation sounds horrible
- Think there is a sticking lifter problem, as well as the annoying ticking
- Roof is a bit pain in the *** (bought the smarttop box, have it in my Boxster, it's great)
- Trunk does not open when roof up
- A lot of things feel kind of cheaper than the 981s
- Interior design seems more Audi / VW than Porsche, but I am happy to still have buttons for stuff
Spyder VS 981S

- I love my Boxster, the sound, the dynamic nature of the car
- I have PASM in the 981 and it's great, car is a great all around car
- In fairness, I have not finished breakin of the 718, but the low down torque is impressive
- For me, while the chassis of the 718 feels great it is not revolutionary, but rather an evolution, both are super fun to drive.

It's a tough one, from a money standpoint, I was able to get 5% less than I paid for my GT4 after 5 years, so the Spyder was not a huge outlay, I didn't pay ADM so that does not factor in, but I think if I were faced with trading my 981 for 982 4.0 of some sort, it would not be worth it to me. Although I find the Spyder beautiful, I think, for how I enjoy my cars, keeping the GT4 may have been the better move.

baege

I've had 2 981CS's, a 2014 and a 2016.

I've had my CGTS4.0 for about 2 months now but still haven't reached break in!

But I would echo most of what was said here:

the sound on the inside of the GTS4.0 is amazingly addictive and better than the 981S, but the 981S sounds better from the outside.
the 4.0 definitely pulls stronger and better from down low
I don't find a substantial difference in road handling, my last 16S had the x73 suspension and so handled pretty well
the ride on the GTS 4.0 is definitely superior, more compliant
the manual in the GTS4.0 is more engaging

I love the GTS 4.0 but I also loved my 981S

but then there is the tightness and crispness of a new car that you will get with the 4.0, I don't think overall you will regret what is unquestionably an upgrade

SoCal-NSX

couple weeks ago I test drove a 981 CS 6MT and a 2.5 GTS 6MT back to back and although the 981 sounded better, it wasn't even close in every other comparison

so........

I sold my 981 CS w/PDK



and picked up this base 718 6MT out in Tucson




and couldn't be happier....
the base 718 seems much quicker than my 981 S , has much better tech, same brakes and(besides sound outside the car) is just overall better car in just about every way.....although, mine needs an exhaust and lowered asap, I freaking love the thing!!!

c1pher

I considered a 2016 CGTS a few years back and felt like you really had to work the engine to extract any power out of it. I much prefer the 4.0 GTS, even at 2000 RPM there’s usable power. I can be in 6th on the Highway and not really need to downshift…..but I do muhahahahahaha.

baege

coming back to this thread after more time with the GTS 4.0

now that things have normalized for me, I would say that if I had a 981S or GTS with low mileage and in top condition, I would not bother with the move to the GTS 4.0

For someone who does not track their cars, for pure road driving the difference in the driving experience between a 981S or GTS and a 4.0GTS is not huge. They both sound good inside (4.0 sounds better inside than a 981S but a 981GTS sounds better inside and out), they both feel fast when you rev them out (the 4.0 definitely feels torquier though) and they both handle well (I honestly can't perceive a huge difference between my 16S with x73 and my GTS 4.0 in road handling, although the 4.0 is definitely more compliant) and they both look great.

So unless you just want a newer car with warranty, I wouldn't bother with moving to a 4.0 from a 981S or 981GTS.