667 Luxx

Hi everyone, how are you? I hope it's all good.


I have a question. I am considering the purchase of a second-generation 981 Cayman, the new one.


I know there is a difference in power between the three mentioned above, but I was wondering, is there also a difference in sound between those three models? A friend of mine told me that the sound should be the same because the engine is identical.

Have a nice day and let me know, bye.

NB:I'm talking about the sound coming out of the exhaust and that you can hear from outside, not from the interior.

DrBillyD

In fact, the engines across the different 981 trim levels are not identical. Base has a 2.7L H6, S and GTS have 3.4 L H6 (same engine as base 911). 981 Spyders have a 3.8L H6 (same as 911S; I realize you didn't ask about Spyder). So base and S/GTS will have different exhaust sounds. Another factor is whether car has Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE); believe this is standard on GTS and optional on base and S.

Finally, (and I realize you specifically did not ask about exhaust sound from inside car) the GTS trim has a "sound symposer" which is a tube running from (I believe) throttle body area to the rear wall of the passenger compartment. Around 4K rpm, there's a valve that opens and funnels some of the engine sound to the cabin.

saabin

^ I took the question as one about the 718 Cayman, "2nd gen 981 Cayman, the new one."

Maybe I'm wrong, but if not, it's a different engine family than the 981.

CaymanSinAR

I didn't understand what was being asked either. It's why I didn't comment.

vracer

Is the sound more important than the driving experience?

txbdan

Gen 1: 987
Gen 2: 981
Gen 3: 982 (named 718)

So the 981s are the second gen and the 982 (718)s are the new ones.

667 Luxx

Thanks for your answer. But let's take that we have three 981; the base, the S and the GTS, all equipped with PSE. S and GTSdo they have a different tone or are they just noisier? Some people who have 2.7 even tell me that it sounds better.

matttheboatman

Hi 667Lux,

I have owned all 3 variations. And, note there are some variables such as if it has or does not have Porsche Sport Exhaust. So, here is how I will list them.

The 981 2.7 Base exhaust sounds GOOD, like a flat 6 should. If equipped with PSE, it will be deeper and louder, when you engage the button. Plus it has Sport button for more aggressive throttle mapping.

The 981 3.4 S exhaust sounds GOOD, like a flat 6 should. If equipped with PSE it will be deeper and louder when you engage the button. Plus it has the Sport and Sport Plus button.

The 981 3.4 GTS exhaust sounds a slight bit BETTER, plus it has the extra drama of over fuel crackles when downshifting or coming off the throttle quickly. PSE is standard. The GTS also has a larger intake opening so the exhaust note is different.
- note some people don't like that the GTS sounds like a proper race car when downshifting, but I loved it. My favorite to this day.

Of course, all of these exhaust can be changed to aftermarket like Borla to give you even more excitement.

667 Luxx

So the S and the 2.7 base have same sound but GTS sounds better than base and S? And what you mean for better sound? Louder or different stamp?

txbdan

Can you elaborate on the GTS having a bigger intake than the S? Which part specifically is different?

jwalz1

So did the 981 S you owned have the Sports Exhaust? I bought a lease return Cayman S that had all of the non-appearance options. All of the performance stuff. It makes all the pops and crackles you say the GTS does. I only had one short drive in a GTS and did not notice any difference in exhaust sound, but I did not hammer it too much.

I would say all things being equal, I would get the GTS for the whole package and the little appearance tweaks, but a 981 S exhaust sound (if equipped with the Sports Exhaust) sounds great and has the pops and burbles most would seek.

The power dfference is minimal and an aftermarket tune would negate any difference and someone like Softronic has the option to build in the pops and crackle into the tune.

Again I like the GTS better, but at the time I was looking I found an S with all the same performance options at a much better price than a GTS, although now it is much easier to find a decent deal on a GTS.

DrBillyD

Porsche's usual MO is to introduce a GTS trim level a couple of years before a major model overhaul to try and squeeze out some more sales.

Usually, the GTS has standard features (e.g. PSE, sport chrono, etc.) that you'd probably want to get on an "S" trim and, at least on MSRP, there's a slight cost advantage between getting a GTS and paying the Porsche tax on all the options you'd put on an S. They also make some style changes to a GTS (e.g. blacked headlights, unique tail lights, etc.) and usually claim a slight HP/torque boost on the GTS vs. S (e.g. think a 981 S listed as 315HP, while a 981 GTS is listed as 330HP). As far as the used market goes, I'm not sure if the price differentials are maintained.

Have to say, the two things that got me to spring for my Boxster were the driving dynamics (the mid-engine layout is very balanced and makes me a much better driver than I am), and the sound with the PSE engaged.

manifold danger

I have to think that an S with PSE would sound the exact same outside the car as a GTS.

There is, however, a mechanical "symposer" in the GTS models that enhances the sound inside the car. There isn't much in the way of documentation about this, or the other engine tweaks. There's loose references to the GTS cars having a different intake manifold and tune to give it the extra bump in horsepower but I have yet to see any detailed technical explanations. My thoughts are similar to what others have said on here; the 15 or so extra horsepower is easily replicated through the aftermarket, you're getting the same engine (unlike the freshly announced 2020 Macan GTS, which gets the 2.9 from the Turbo model ).

The problem with the 981s, to my experience, is that GTS models are actually extremely hard to find. You can find them, but finding the perfect option combo (especially if you want a manual) is either actually impossible or prepare to buy sight unseen and/or travel great distances. The price doesn't seem to be all that different (maybe $2-3k premium on average), at least not when I was looking 2 years ago.

Me personally, I had to have a manual in either white, black, grey, or red, with Bose and the GTS interior package. That's really about it. There were only 3 manual Boxster GTS's in the entire country, only one fit my standards. I had to travel to Memphis, TN from Maryland to pick mine up. ~900 miles or so. Took me 3 days.

Zeus993

2.7 is a lovely little, fast-revving engine. I owned a base 981 for about a year before switching back to a Gen-1 Spyder. A super fun car that you get to rev the snot out of without ending up too often in the impound. Try and find a MT if you can, although mine was a PDK and drove it 100% in manual, flappy-paddle mode. Good luck on your hunt!

96Tiger

I concur, the 2.7 in my MT Cayman is great, and that’s coming from a 3.8 997.2S. Only thing is you have to keep it high in the rev range, not much going on down low. I haven’t been to the track with it yet but thus far I think it handles better than the 911 did.