chillindrdude

not sure how much validation the RL collective gives MT, but it was interesting that the number 2 car here is the cayman S, where the number 1 is the 488 GTB, a car costing 3-4x as much.

i think it's testament to the punch and value of this platform and perhaps begrudingly, the 4cyl turbo.



http://www.motortrend.com/news/porsh...t-drivers-car/

SA_Sean

Pretty impressive! Curious, do you have MT On Demand? I only see the 3rd place video on the YouTube channel right now (911 turbo S).

JAhmed

I think the article is probably posted prior to all of the videos.

Impressive result, but not totally unexpected. I am kinda surprised at how far the 570GT fell down the list...the 570S won last year...

SA_Sean

Ah, I see the article now - thank you.

Yes, the drop for McLaren is quiet surprising. Especially since it's below the Lexus.

pc4ever

When the 718 GTS appears, it will be interesting to see how it fares against the 981 based GT4. I'm also kind of surprised that there has been no comparison reviews of the GT4 vs Cayman 718S when both are equipped with the same tires.

chillindrdude

I think the S as it stands is pretty close. Could be just tire choice. The GT4 was 2nd place in MTs 2015 DCOTY and clocked a 1:37 with pobst at the helm. The 718 S was 1:40

718 GTS should surpass it. The correllary example is that the 991.2 GTS is quicker than the 997.2 GT3.

That said, I'm currently loving my GT4 right now. It's so much fun on the road circuit.

pc4ever

And well you should - the GT4 is fantastic and I love its sound. Can only imagine how great the next gen GT4 will be.

fast1

I expect that the next GT4 will have 400 HP and be a six cylinder. Unfortunately, I expect the base car to sticker for nearly $100K.

PorscheAddict

MT is weird. I love Porsches (and Caymans, of course), but they complained about the 460 HP grand sport being underpowered in that company and then chose the 350 HP Cayman as the 2nd best of the lot? I get that it performs a lot better than most 350 HP cars (as does my 325 HP Cayman S), but next to McLarens and Turbo S it is a tough one to pick as 2nd IMO. No offense meant to 718 owners, I love them almost as much as 981's, just think that it's tough to rationalize as a better drivers car than a McLaren or Turbo.

JCtx

You could have an even better driver's car with less power than that. Power is not everything; not even close. I much prefer driving my Cayman GTS than many way more powerful cars. For some of us is all about the driving experience, not the amount of power. But many folks think like you, hence the Hellcats of the world, etc. But you'd have to catch me dead in one of those. He he. But yes, rags are not consistent on their criteria, depending who pays better; that's why I never trust them. Only with their certify weights.

Scooby921

I have driven a 718 S and own a 981 GTS. I can see how and why the 718 S rates highly. It has all the same handling of my GTS with an improved torque curve in that turbo motor. Outside of the exhaust note it is a better car everywhere. I can only imagine what they'll do for a GTS. For the sake of performance I hope it's a significant upgrade vs. the measly 15hp bump my GTS has over an S.

Regarding the McLaren in this test I suspect it was handicapped by the prior year using a 570 S. They knew this car was softer going into the test and likely were already biased against it knowing how good the up-model was last year.

As for the 911 Turbo S, I think it comes down to a balance of power and weight. It has so much power to deal with and a lot more weight than a 718 S. Yes it is faster, but cars like this are usually more difficult to drive at the limit and not always as much fun. I have also always viewed the water cooled Turbo models to have moved more up-scale in the target market. Instead of being the ultimate drivers car they are a show-and-tell object for wealthy executives. Porsche introduced the GT3 models to carry the race track performance torch. Comments from friends suggest as much. A couple friends own 996 and 997 Turbo models and neither has been impressed by the stock suspension and steering response while on track. A third friend has driven both cars and been completely turned off to Porsche as a manufacturer.

fast1

In my case I don't want to tempt myself with a super HP car. It would have been like me having an "innocent" lunch with my beautiful secretary. I don't trust myself in either scenario.

pc4ever

Coming from a R8 V10 Plus and 991 Turbo S to a 981 CGTS and now a 718 Boxster S, I completely agree with your premise.

The heavier, high horsepower cars were just not all that much fun for the kind of driving and drivers with which I have to contend. One of the biggest problems with super powerful cars is that folks in their Hyundas, Toyotas etc often can't appreciate just how fast you can close on them. I've had alot of "hit the brake hard" events when using those 560hp cars at even half of their potential on crowded highways, especially when executing a fast pass. And as far as handling, they both are just too heavy to be "canyon carvers". The Turbo is a superb GT; the gen 1 R8 was a showhorse, but it understeered and also felt heavy. Love the 981 GTS and the 718 BS - perfect sportscars, in my definition.