I’m pretty sure upshift is not a dirty word to my generation. But maybe it is these days. So is clutch, I suspect.

Dup. Stupid thumbs.

Since I can’t simply “like” your post, and find it worthy of comment, let me say I was one of those cross-shopping a 981CS/CGTS versus a 718CS. I test drove a 718CS fully expecting to “rule it out” and return to my search for a 981 with the confidence that 6>4. But the opposite occurred. And faced with a ~$20-30K gap from my Boxster to a newer 981 Cayman or a ~-$35K gap to a nearly-new CPO 718CS, the choice wasn’t so simple on the maths.

If you’re one of those that can only buy used, or only lease new (or the special breed who only buys new), then your die is cast. Find a 981 CPO and drive it to 99,999 miles. Or work a deal on a 718 lease and move up in 36 months. They don’t make 981s anymore, so you have to be comfortable comparing new to used/CPO. (Rennlisters are, obviously - the general public not so much, I suspect.) $60-90K on a used car is fairly absurd, but our community doesn’t bat an eye at that.

For this group: set your bid price and get the best car you can. It could be a 981 or a 997 or a 718 or a 991 or a BMW. (Just checking.). But don’t rule out the 718 just because of the cylinder count or the Mongolian/didgeridoo sound. Drive one first.