I just got notice of an allocation for a 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. No ADM, full sticker price.
I have a great 2015 981 Cayman GTS 16k miles, and am unsure if I should go for the 718.
Any advice/thoughts on this question?

 

Honestly, I'd keep the 981 GTS unless there's a specific reason to upgrade. They've been holding their value so well I'd be hard-pressed to get out of one. The 718 is the newer car with a lot of updated components to your car, but I'm not sure it would be worth the price delta, especially if you're already enjoying your 981. If you track a lot, the 718 would be a good upgrade, but for street driving, I doubt you would recognize the upgrades.

 

We still have our 981 GTS and the 4RS. I think the 981 with a 3.8 X51 or a little more would be everything we need. But a 4RS was a hard thing to pass on.

 

I had a 981 base that I bought in 2016 because it was the last of the six cylinder naturally aspirated Caymans.

But when they announced the 982 GTS 4.0 they sucked me back in and I ordered one. When the GTS 4.0 arrived in port, I sold the 981 base but the 982 was stopped in the stop sale for defective con rods. So I didn't have a Porsche.

So I bought a 981 GTS 4.0 with the X73 suspension package and 14,000 miles while I waited for a replacement 982 GTS 4.0.

The 981 GTS 4.0 is a wonderful car and I loved the X73 package though it could be harsh. I'd happily take the X73 over PASM.

I was really on the fence about selling the 981 GTS but I went ahead reordered a GTS 4.0 and sold the 981 GTS for the following reasons:

• Even a great 5 year old car is a 5 year old car. (In your case, it's now a 7 year old car.) No matter how well we take care of them age will ultimately win out.
• When I bought the 981 GTS I bought what was available which was a black on black on black car with heavy window tint. I didn't like that combo.
• It had PDK which I never connected with.
• The whole point of upgrading from the 981 base was to get the last of the naturally aspirated Caymans in the precise configuration I wanted. The 981 GTS wasn't the end of the run.

On that basis, I upgraded to the 982 GTS 4.0. I'm glad I did but it's not a completely rational decision.

Here are my thoughts on a comparison.

• The Porsche sport exhaust on the 981 is better.
• The engine on the 982 4.0 is better but not 15% better as the horsepower statistics would indicate. In real world usage, it's less than 10% better. The engines in both cars are fabulous.
• As I mentioned, I was very happy with the non-adaptive X73 suspension on the 981 so you don't get a better suspension unless you simply must have an adaptive suspension and you might have PASM on your 981 GTS. But the suspension in the 2023 GTS is basically the same as it was in 2015.
• The 982 really isn't a new model. It's a refresh of the 981 (a 981.2 if you will) that was rebranded as a 718/982 because they changed it from a 6 cylinder to a turbo 4. The 981 wasn't in production long enough to warrant a total refresh like they did when they dropped the 987.2 for the 981. I loved both the 981 base and the 981 GTS and I really love the 982 GTS 4.0. But the 2023 Cayman is a refreshed version of a model that was introduced in 2014. That's not a criticism but just an observation. if we were talking 911s and you asked should I go from a 991 to a 992 you would be talking about an entirely new model. That is not true if you are going from a 981 Cayman to a 982 Cayman.

It comes down to what you want to do. Do you want a new car versus a 7 year old car? Do you want the last of the internal combustion Caymans with a naturally aspirated engine? If yes and yes, upgrade.

Do you want a car that performs dramatically better than the 981 GTS? The 982 GTS 4.0 doesn't accomplish that goal in my view. Suspension is not much different. Engine is not remarkably more powerful. Interior's virtually identical. Technology is a bit better but still out of date.

For me the answer was to upgrade. But if the next gen (983) was going to be another ICE Cayman, I probably would have skipped the 982 generation and waited. I bought the 982 because it was the last six-cylinder, ICE naturally aspirated mid-engine sports car from Porsche.

Funny thing is, I bought my 981 base in 2016 because they were going to four cylinders and I wanted the last six-cylinder, ICE naturally aspirated mid-engine sports car from Porsche. Then they introduced the 4.0. That's the genius of Porsche. They sell you a perfectly good car and then offer you a car that convinces you that you need to trade in the perfectly good car for yet another car.

 

Did you build your 15 CGTS to your spec or did you purchase it used?

Do you care about every little build detail, and know YOU are a type of person who will experience a 'high' beyond the face value of just a 'newer car' if you get to spec your own 982?

Ponder and answer those questions. Then you'll know what to do.

 

I went from a 981 CGTS to a 718 GT4. The 4.0 will have options not available to the GT4, so I'll ignore those aspects. The 981 CGTS was a great sports car. The exhaust was louder, but I find it had more drone in the mid range of the RPMs. I was not a fan of the artificially induced pops, but I know some people like it. The clutch in the 981 was much heaver than in the 718 (not sure if that matters to you since you didn't indicate manual or PDK). The interiors are very similar, but I appreciate the built-in Apple CarPlay (I use it with a wireless adapter) and the better screen. As for the 4.0 engine, you really need to hit the higher RPMs to make it sing and it's hard to do on public streets. I've taken the 981 to the track, but haven't taken the GT4 yet (maybe this summer) and the 981 CGTS 6MT was lots of fun at the track. I think both are fine vehicles and are a great sweet spot in their respective price range. If you're getting a great trade-in value for your 981 CGTS, then maybe it's a good time to trade up.

 

You will get a great price for your 981, the 718 4.0 is likely the last, great ICE cayman. So do it! Esp. Without ADM. Spec it perfect, drive it forever.

Just don’t expect a radically better car.

 

if you’re unsure, and you love your current car, then no. if you want to configure it differently, or want something newer with a warranty, then sure. but as others have said, it’s not a dramatically different car. i’ve got a 981 bgts and a 982 spyder. i’ve been meaning to sell the gts, but love it so much. i’m 87% sure that i’m selling the gts…13% that i’m selling the spyder.

 

Well, I’ve a similar but different garage setup, a 981BS stage 2 and a 718 Spyder stage 2.
X73 on the 981 is good but the suspension on the Spyder is much better, surprised me on the first drive, the better comfort too.
Engine, the 981 feels better on daily street driving but lacks the torq of the Spyder. The Spyder is too powerful to drive on regular streets to be fun without getting fines/tickets for exceeding speed of sound limits.
I drive both but bought the Spyder because the odo on the 981 shows 130.000+ and expect the Spyder to be the last of its kind.
Would I buy it again or sell the 981? yes and no.
Both are too nice to have but if I had to sell 1 of them it probably would be the Spyder unless the future gives me more slack on speedlimits/soundlimits.

 

The thing none of the responses so far have taken into account is the mileage. If you like it, 16k miles is still virtually new for an 8 year old car. I suggest to just keep it, especially if you've had it since new... it doesn't seem you drive it very much, and the 981 GTS is right on the cusp of becoming a true classic in a few years. The 718 probably will too, but I think the 981 GTS deserves to be in the pantheon of all time great Porsches in its own right.

If you do decide to move on to the 718, it will be a categorical upgrade- everything is just a little bit better, or exactly the same (the exhaust sound and front bumper are better on the 981 IMHO). But honestly if my 981 only had 16k miles on it instead of 65k, I would have kept it. True story. I absolutely adored that car, every bit as much as the one in my avatar... I just missed the chance to put the first 50k miles on it, otherwise it would still be in my garage.

 

I went from a 2015 981 Cayman GTS to a 2020 718 Spyder. For me, the top down element adds a another huge level of sensory experience so it isn't quite the same comparison, but the biggest differences are the engine and suspension.

While the 981 was "quick", the 718 definitely crosses the line into "fast". It has a straight line speed capability that feels just right. Fast enough to impart a really enjoyable sensation of acceleration and speed, while not so fast that it its over before you can savor it, unless you you happen to be at a closed airstrip.

My 981 had the X73 suspension which was capable, but harsh. I was so pleasantly surprised by the ride quality in my Spyder, any yet the handling capabilities are in no way less.

Other things are trivial, quite honestly. The interiors are virtually identical, and steering is equally as capable. The exhaust in the 981 was more aggressive but there was also drone. In fact, at high rpm, I found it to draw too much attention. I like the sound of the stock 718 exhaust above 5000 rpm. It is the low rpm sound that is abysmal.

In conclusion.....If your 981 is in a spec that you absolutely love, just stay with it. If not, and you can get your 718 in your ideal spec, make the jump. This is in retrospect. When I had my 981, I was all over the upcoming 718 with the NA 4.0. I had originally planned on a GT4, but it was game over when I saw pics of how the Spyder looked !!

 

You’ve started multiple threads on the same subject.

I expect those threads contain much the same advice being given here.

Is there something specific you’re struggling with?

 

Many thanks for the thoughtful and complete advice.
still not sure what I want to do.

 

Good points. I am original owner and specked the car as I wanted, Rhodium Silver, garnet red natural leather, MT, PTV, X73, etc.
I would spec the 4.0 very similarly but maybe with only 10mm lowered suspension, otherwise almost identical car.
Do I really need a new car? Not sure!

 

You are very much in my line of thinking. 16k miles is not a lot and yes, I don’t drive the car that much.
It is very new like in many ways and probably as like to become a classic.
thanks for the reply.