BA73

First time Porsche buyer. Excited, anxious, and nervous about making the RIGHT decision. Despite thorough usage of the search tool, I have yet to stumble across someone who has experience with both. My local dealership has an allocation for both a 911 Carrera T as well as a 718 Cayman GTS. The car will be ordered with three pedals. I had the opportunity to drive a manual T, but unfortunately only a PDK equipped 718 GTS. Hoping someone out there may have had the pleasure of driving both of these cars with manual transmissions. I have now experienced the mid vs rear balance, 6cyl vs 4cyl, etc. At the end of the day the cars are within 110lbs, 5hp, and 5 inches (length) of eachother...the performance and overall feel were very similar during my drives (granted, mild SA accompanied test drives). No kids, weekend cruiser, back road explorer, maybe tracked once or twice a year Pure driving enjoyment is the ultimate goal. Is the T worth the $22k premium? Is the 718 GTS manual "sloppy" compared to the T? Is the T more enjoyable for cruising? Does the 718 GTS need to be pushed harder to get the same enjoyment? I've rambled enough, any feedback, feelings, opinions, experiences, must have options (RAS), etc, will be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

Psorcery

The rational person in me will tell you to go for the 718 GTS. Better bang for your buck and will handle like precision surgical tools. Its really fast too. The 718 does not need to be pushed any harder to get the same enjoyment and is probably just as fast as the T. The manual transmissions should be the same.

With that said, I'm a 911 type of guy so yeah.. 911 for me even though the 718 might be "better".

Bob Z.

Have you tried posting the same question in the Cayman forum? Just start the thread with "781 Cayman GTS" and see what kind of feedback you get there. Otherwise, it is a tough call and I encourage you to find at least a manual Cayman to drive, which may help you decide but buy the one you get the most enjoyment from. I have had a Boxster S and have a Targa GTS on order. I loved the S but I tend to switch cars a lot and I wanted to try a newer 911 since the old 930 was a totally different kind of car.

BA73

@Psorcery, thank you for the reply! I get it. the road to owning a new Porsche has been a long one, and it's hard to get past the pure lure of the 911. Thanks again for responding.

BA73

@Bob Z., I have not posted the same question yet in the 718 forums. I assumed, I'd recieve more pro-911 responses here, and more pro-718 responses there. Knowing that, I guess I subconsciously posted here first with hopes of being talked into the T.... because ...911. I will definitely have to set out and get behind the wheel of a manual GTS. Thanks for your thoughts!

koala

The MT in the 718 is better, the 718 looks better, and it has two trunks.

BUT, it sounds like a Subaru and for that reason alone, it's a non-starter for me.

​​if I were buying a new Porsche right now, the T would be the only car I would consider.

BA73

Thanks, koala!

Psorcery

I'd have to disagree on the looks.. Another knock for me is how the 718 looks feminine and boy racer at the same time. The rear looks like a chick wearing makeup.. Just my goofy brain.

ForeverCar

BlackOptic

WhipE350

Test drive again if you need to, PDK or not. Tell your sales guy you need to get a good 30 minute drive in each and it needs to be on some fun road. Make it clear you are buying but you want to be sure you get the right one for YOU. If they aren't willing, fly to my dealer and I'll make sure you get 45 mins in each in the foot hills of NC.
Ask yourself also when you walk into your garage which do you want to see sitting there. Will you be wishing the 718 is a 911? I assume if you are like the rest of us this won't be your last Porsche so there is time to get one now and the other later.
If your test drives leave you feeling like either would make you happy then the only thing left to do is which one do you want to see in your garage.

stout

718 GTS very hard to argue with on a performance front—and the chassis is sublime. Looks do less for me, as does the sound—though I find the flat four less objectionable with the 6MT because you know what it's going to sound like and don't get surprised by a racket...that is instead just fine when you're in control of it. Scintillating? Well, no.

Carrera T is very hard to argue with on a performance front, looks front, and flat six sound front.

If the money is even sort of close, I'd go for the T. Not the same cars, and to each their own, but I moved from a GT4 to a 991.2 Carrera 7MT and have zero regrets. Might feel differently if I was still doing track days with regularity, but those are on pause and the 991.2 is more fun more of the time. Its back seats are useful for people up to 5'6 or 5'7, too.

Valvefloat991

Why do you think the gearing is very tall on the Cayman? 1-3 are a little taller than on the Cayman, but 4-6 are much shorter--24.9 mph/1000 in 6th for the Cayman versus 27.8 for a Carrera T/S/GTS.

S S

This may or may not help your decision:

Excellence Article from August 2018

Autoweek Article from May 2018

I remembered these when I saw your title. Weight whatever one resonates with you more. For my .02, if you can swing the extra dough, get the Carrera. I know it is a lot, comparatively speaking, but you will not have to wonder about "If I'd just..." Get the allocation, build it just as you want, and use RL to help you cope with the wait like the rest of us poor slobs! In the fruit comparison, I traded my wonderful 2014 981 CS in to move up to the T. I was lucky enough to get an allocation, at the right price and great timing for me. It was completed last week and now I am waiting to hear about what boat she will be on coming across the pond. Only you can know what works best for you...

At the risk of sounding snobby, ask yourself this... Do you want to be able to tell yourself and others, I had a 911 or I had a 718 built for myself? They drive very similarly, if spec'd right. They look different. They sound different. They definitely feel different. One is a two year run of a special marque. One is considered to be the best Cayman ever. Go with what you believe is the best, and that will be the right decision. Luck!

S

CarAholic

T all the way for me. Now if your talking 718 GT4 vs T then it becomes a tougher decision.