So the 718S outperforms the base 991Cab and is within 1/10th of the 991S Cab
 

It appears Porsche isn't as concerned over performance overlap between the 718 and 911.

I guess this is due to the fact that they no longer share a common engine and the 718 has what many consider a lowly 4 cylinder engine.

This is interesting, reminds me of thr 944turbo/S outperforming the 911 of the time

I don't know why they ever cared. I doubt people cross shop these cars and, even if they do, I doubt the reason people have historically paid $40k more for the Carrera is because it was 4/10ths faster to 60 mph. The cars are such different animals. If they want to sell Boxsters, making it faster is a good thing. I don't think it'll hurt Carrera sales one bit.

944 Turbo S was actually close to if not better than the 930 in straight line performance. I had the "plain" 944 Turbo and it was a delight. Far more "purist" than any modern Porsche.

I agree to a point. However I think there are a certain subset of 911 owners that look down on the Boxster/Cayman and those few tenth of seconds give them a sense of superiority.

Keep in mind, both cars shared basically the same engine. The interior and finish in the 981 and 991 are comparable and as far as styling is concerned the 981 is more exotic looking and imho a prettier car especially in convertible form.

Also many Non car enthusiasts I've met think the 981 is the more expensive Porsche. If the 981 outperformed the 991 on top of all that it would be a very bitter pill for 911 owners to swallow imho.

The 4 vs 6 thing changes all that to a degree. Now even if a 718S blasts past a new Carrera, the owner can take solace in knowing he still has a flat 6 behind him and the 718S is nothing more than a German made Japanese style sports car with a suped up 4 banger engine. Frankly If forced to choose between the 718S and the new Carrera I'd take the 718S

The 911 has clearly moved into the GT category and it appears that 911 buyers are more interested in features/comfort/performance combination than performance alone. The mid engine cars are finally getting the attention they deserve but realistically their performance has been very close to the 911's even since 2009 when the engine changeover occurred. Granted they never overlapped (except Spyder Cayman R) but they were very close.

It has taken some time for buyers to catch on to what a gem the mid engine Porsche's are, that includes myself. I didn't pay attention until the first Spyder came out. But I think it was the GT4 that put the mide engines into the forefront for buyers. It seems buyers started paying attention to the entire mid engine lineup and the Boxster bashing (girls car) has all but disappeared.

Nice to see that Porsche isn't holding back on the 4 Cylinders, I think they are showing that size doesn't matter. :D I do wonder if the 4 cylinder cars are also lighter, that could be a huge advantage as far as handling, acceleration and braking.

I did.

No, not really. Every part # I've seen on my 981 starts with "991." It's the same car, give or take a couple of gauges and vestigial seats.

It won't now, but rest assured, the 981.1s absolutely did take some market share from the 991.1s. That was not a situation that Porsche could allow to stand... and their own engineers will tell you as much.

I've owned both a 991 (S) and a 981 (S) and they are totally different cars. Sure, they may share parts, but the shape of the headlight has got nothing to do with how it takes the turns.

FWIW, it's the 981 that I have now. It's the better car, and the $50K in my pocket feels good too.

if the new 718 sales hurt 911 sales I'm sure they will do something about it.
I really want to see a review of this car and drive it to see how the power delivery feels.

I think that it is absurd to make statements re the 911 buyers' motivations or reasons for not buying the "girly man's" Boxster. The Boxter remains an move up for folks being used to "sport" cars from other brands. The exception would be the GT4 of course. I'd have no problem owning a Boxter S but it would have to share garage space with my 997.

For someone driving a yellow 911 that's a bold statement.

Nope. All the turbo magic costs weight too.

Each model is 30-50kg heavier than its 981 counterpart. See the spec sheet on the 982 website.

You mean except for every body part, the suspension, much of the interior, brakes, wider wheel options, and much of the powertrain, including different manual gearboxes and different engines in the same model trim? And the totally different driving experiences between the mid engined Cayman and the rear engined Carrera?

They're two entirely different driving and ownership experiences. Anyone who is truly cross shopping the two and focusing on the 0-60 times as a big factor in their decision is really not paying attention.

I can see someone wanting a sports car and debating buying the Cayman or the Carrera. What I can't see is the power gap having much of any weight in that decision, as it would really missing the point of each of the cars.

I agree.

911 is more of a GT. It has a back seat. Nothing WRONG with that. Great for autobahn cruising.

Because l live in the mountains and we have no autobahn the Boxster S is my choice.

Boxster has a different feel in the twisties. Mid engine.

Looks. There is no right or wrong answer. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The interiors are absolutely identical except for purely-cosmetic differences in the dashboard and the aforementioned extra two instruments in the 991's binnacle. The available options are 99% the same. No available rear seats in the 981, though. :)

I don't consider the differences in brake or wheel sizes to be of any real significance.

The front suspensions are essentially identical.

The rear suspension is substantially more complex on the 991, because it turns out that killing your customers is bad for repeat business.

The engines are the same, apart from small differences in displacement and ECU tuning needed to maintain an artificial distinction.

PDK transmissions are the same, although the 991TT is said to have a beefier version of the PDK.

The manual transmissions are completely different, of course, in that the 991 gets a modified PDK, while the 981 gets a custom 6-speed that most people would conclude is better.

So, sorry. Not seeing where the extra $30K-$50K goes. :to_order: (And yes, I know that's not the case you're trying to make. I'm just calling out brilliant marketing for what it is.)