Tief Lernen

After much deliberation, I finally decided to put in an order for a Boxster S. Configuration freeze date is January 23, so I have some time to obsess over any changes to the build. Build is February 24 (IIRC) and dealer estimates delivery by May 5.

http://www.porsche-code.com/PHYR1D59

Here is the build I gave the dealer. My budget is $90k MSRP. Dealer agreed to 5% off quite readily - I probably could have gotten more if I was willing to put in the effort. Oh well...

Some questions / comments:

1) I live in the SF Bay Area and traffic sucks, hence the PDK. Any experience with the Active Cruise Control, particularly in stop-and-go traffic? The idea of just sitting back and letting the car creep along by itself in stop-and-go traffic is very appealing.

I had ACC in a Jeep Grand Cherokee a few years ago, but it would disengage below 20 mph and would not brake to a full stop.

2) Any thoughts on the GT sport steering wheel? I like the feel of the stock wheel just fine but it's a pretty cheap option.

3) Sport Chrono doesn't seem worth it to me. I can always shift manually if I want to shift at redline, and I don't mind pushing a few buttons to get the sports exhaust, PASM, etc. set the way I want. Don't really care about launch control either. Am I missing something?

4) The "Premium Package Plus" doesn't actually seem to provide any savings over the regular "Premium Package" plus choosing items a la carte. I can save $800 by going with the regular Premium Package, skipping the keyless entry and selecting ventilated seats by hand. Am I missing something?

5) What exactly is the "Light Design Package"?

whatevva

Ok, here's my take on this. If you want PDK, that's a personal preference and that's fine, but IF I had PDK, I'd dump active cruise and take Chrono

Milehigh981

had ACC in my Audi A6 and have tried it on other cars. Have not found it useful, though I've not tried porsches verision.
Agree with whateva-drop it and get SC.

Light design package is additional led interior lights. I have it now and would not get it again.

Go with the GT steering wheel unless you really want controls on the steering wheel.

My $.02

Tief Lernen

I'm having trouble understanding what SC actually gets me in the 718 (that is worth $2,500, I mean).

Are the shifts actually faster in Sports Plus? Is that what the appeal is? Because other than that I don't see anything I'm interested in.

- Don't care about launch control.
- Don't care about individual mode, and to save $2,500 I don't mind pushing three buttons on the console myself before the fun starts.
- Sport Response seems like a gimmick.
- Not sure what the effect of the dynamic transmission mounts is

pfbz

1) On 991's, the PDK experience is transformed with Sport Chrono. I imagine it is the same on 718's. And unlike earlier generation cars (987/997), you can't add Sport Chrono after purchase.

2) If you check in the 'Hot For Sale' thread, again in the 991 forum, you'll see that PDK cars without SC are a much harder sell among enthusiasts...

3) With a manual transmission, sure, go ahead and leave SC off. With PDK, it really is a must-have in my opinion.

4) If high-performance driving improvements offered by the SC package with PDK isn't really a priority, why not just get a non-S Boxster and save some real $$?

Phil G.

Milehigh - I agree with each of your points. I think ACC is not an option I'd even consider, and the light design package adds little. But, it's a very nice build. Can someone post pics of the GT steering wheel vs the standard wheel in the 781? I understand the GT wheel is smaller diameter (which I like). Is it a thicker wheel as well. I have the sport wheel in my 981 without the buttons and bells and like it (wish it was a bit thicker). It's simple and tasteful.

westwest888

I'd recommend the Light Design package. The new 2017 Audi A4 has a lot of tastefully done LED lamps in hidden places and it's really slick at night. Very clean light.

Avoid Porsche Active Safe. I ordered it and it has been a lemon. It broke at 5000 miles and no dealer has been able to fix it. They're replacing the whole unit next month. It's a very awkward system because you're not sure if you're supposed to drive or if it "has it". Sometimes it just misses things. It's pointless. When it is working properly other cars pass you on the right, wondering why you are driving strangely.

GT steering wheel will make it easier to get into the car because it's smaller. Might be a little more fatiguing to turn the wheel.

Tief Lernen

Thanks for the comments. I am sensing a recurring theme.

I still don't understand, quantitatively, what "high-performance driving improvements" SC is supposed to offer - but I've scheduled a drive with my dealer of a 718 Cayman S with SC to try it out and see for myself.

I am inclined to keep ACC. I'm an engineer and pretty good at understanding a system's limitations and making the most of them. If the 2017 Porsche system is as good as the system in my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and also capable of fully braking to a stop, I'll be completely satisfied. Matching a five-year-old Chrysler product should not be a high bar to overcome?

Maybe I can find another $2,500 under the couch cushions to pay for SC.

il pirata

1) The freeze date can change without notice! Mine was moved up about a month with no notice beforehand. Get your configuration set with your dealer now. You can always try to change later but get what you can live with now.

2 If you are going PDK (and nothing wrong with that, I found it a bit boring just driving around when I had the 2011 Spyder) I would HIGHLY recommend getting sport chrono. Have the dealer show you what you only get with SC. If you ever want to push the car you will love it. Like others I would drop ACC for SC, but yes, each to his own.

Nurburger

Another +1 for Chrono.... You'll see (hear & feel) for yourself when you drive it back to back with a non-chrono car.

extanker

a base boxy off any dealer lot is what you should get from your description .....seriously

Tief Lernen

You guys are hilarious. You're worse than the salesman. I'm still waiting for someone to actually tell me what SC actually does on the 718 that is supposed to be so great, as opposed to vague non-specific things like "totally transforms the car".

Launch control: this isn't a Mustang, I'm not interested in drag racing. This is not transformational.

Sport Response: this isn't Mario Kart, I don't need a 20-second powerup. Maybe in the next generation I'll gain extra HP by collecting Pokemon?

Dynamic transmission mounts: I've never thought about transmission mounts on a car before and I don't understand why I should start.

Individual mode: press one button instead of 3. Um, okay...

Sport Plus: this is the only thing interesting about SC to me, but I can't find any real information on what it is. From what I've read on other sites, it sounds like it changes the shift points so that PDK always shifts at redline. That's cool, but if I'm really having any fun, I'm just going to put the car into manual mode and use the paddles. And the 718 doesn't require as much engine speed management as previous generations anyway, due to the torque curve.

Unlike previous generations, even w/o SC the 718 still comes with a "Sport" button, which adjusts the throttle map and PDK behavior. I've seen plenty of posts on other forums that say Sport Plus is really only useful if you're tracking the car and too busy to shift with the paddles.

I admit I don't have any plans to track my $90k convertible. If that makes me a poser, so be it.

Milehigh981

Sport plus changes the shift points and makes for a much more aggressive drive.
From the 718 brochure:
"The second function is the motorsport- derived gearshift strategy. In this mode, P is geared up for extremely short shift times and optimal shift points for the maximum acceleration available. "
Additionally with sport exhaust it opens the flaps for improved sound.

Sport plus is pushed every time I start the car. It really is that much different. Try it out and see if you like it.
If that's not what you're looking for then pass. That's the beauty of the a la carte system.

SamG

Some of us spec Porsches for the Walter Mitty racer in us and others for the sheer delight of taking a leisurely but sporty cruise with the top down and the wind in what's left of our hair.

I'm guessing from reading your responses that you won't be autocrossing or doing DE track days with the car. If this is the case I don't think you will benefit from Sport Chrono. The Sport Response button and active mounts are only beneficial in "aggressive" driving modes.

I personally would skip the Sport Exhaust. The 718's don't have that great flat six motor sound and I'm not sure I'd want to make it any louder than necessary.

I would however suggest that you try to sit in a car with 18-way adaptive Sport Seats Plus. I know they are more money but I have found them to be much more comfortable than the 14-way seats. I have them in my '14 Cayman S and maybe it's just me but I get a real pain in my left shoulder after about a hour in the 14 ways from being "pinched" by the seats (i'm 6' and 225 lb) in fact it gets so bad I'm considering selling the car. Skip the Sport Exhaust and apply that money toward the better seats.

As far as the ACC goes it sounds like it might be great for stop and go commuting. And the multi-function steering wheel choice again seems better suited to your driving style giving you finger-tip access to many functions on the car.

Nice build I'm sure you love the car. I test drove a 718 Boxster S and was blown away by the low end torque and overall performance.

Tief Lernen

Well, I'll decide on SC after actually driving a car with it. I'm definitely not looking for a relaxed, leisurely cruise, I'm just trying to keep the price out of the stratosphere. When I first started thinking about Boxsters, my "budget" was about $70k, and things have ballooned from there. If SC is as fun as you guys say I'll definitely take it.

Re: the steering wheel, on the 718 the multifunction and GT sport wheels are not mutually exclusive, you can option both. So the question is just whether I want the GT sport wheel or the regular wheel, the multifunction stuff is available on both (actually I think the multifunction buttons are totally useless, but I like the idea of heated steering wheel in a convertible). I thought the standard steering wheel was just perfect, not sure how the GT sport wheel could be an improvement?

Re: the seats, I am 6'1 and 200 pounds, but I'm pretty solidly built and was worried the deeper buckets in the 18-way seats would be too restrictive. The Cayman S with SC at the dealer actually has the 18-ways also so I'll get the opportunity to try them out. What's another $1500 at this point?

I think the 718 sounds cool and I'm hoping the PSE sounds cooler still.