edfishjr

Got to take one autocross run in a 718 and one in a 718S at local dealer unveiling. I'd had one ride at speed so I knew the simple course and attacked it hard. The dealership's young mechanic was riding shotgun... I think I scared him a little. (There are poles on the site.)

-Sound is pretty terrible and quite loud. (Edit: with switchable exhaust set open.) I dunno... making a poor sound louder doesn't usually help. I bet that Caymans will be really loud inside, and if there is a resonance, as some have reported, OMG. I couldn't stand it.
-S is more responsive engine, set up lower & little stiffer (as usual). Maybe great, for a turbo, but engine response otherwise lackluster.
-Both have really good power. The S pulls harder in 2nd than my 2000 'Vette
-Not allowed to turn anything off, neither car had S/C, I don't think either had Sport suspension. Handling was good, but not great. Both cars seemed big, wide, heavy and soft to me, very different car from the original 986, which I thought was amazing the first time I drove one. (Maybe something wrong with me & my ideas about good handling... all the testers say it handles better than the outgoing car.) P-Zeros had OK grip, but maybe only 0.9G on the relatively low-grip surface. The RE71Rs pull 1.1G on that same surface. Tires were hot, however, when I drove (but not greasy) and pressures had climbed too high (38F and 40R, per the display) being hot-lapped. Maybe with 10 psi less it would grip like an F1 car.
-Both were PDK. The 1 to 2 shift was in a sweeper. I had it in manual mode, shifting myself. No drama, but not a really fast shift either. Feels seamless, but torque/stability is being manipulated to make it feel that way with some loss of forward thrust the result. Of course, starting by moving the foot from brake to throttle was slow. Porsche says they want the PDK to respond in that case like a regular torque-converter transmission. Nope. At least not when you add in a little bit of turbo lag.... such a start, especially in the non-S, is really poor. I mean, 1975 Toyota Corolla automatic poor. Deal-breaker for me as a street car. I had a Jaguar S-type V8 with ZF auto. That thing would hit it hard if you gave it a lot of gas from a stop. These cars are really sluggish off the line. Clutch needs to slip less and engine needs to respond faster. (I know, you can hold your foot on the brake and rev the engine then let go, but I didn't think they would appreciate that. And I wouldn't want to do that every time I pull out of parking lot.)

Hard to tell how the cars will be in SCCA street trim with S/C, other options, stickier tires, big front bar, better tires, better shocks, autocross alignment. When I first drove the 'Vette home it was nothing special, but setup changes really transformed it for autocross. The S would definitely be competitive in BS, probably the car to have, so probably AS eventually, with non-S probably a good BS car. SCCA will probably start them SS/AS... I don't think they are classed yet?

sjfehr

I test-drove the local dealer's 718S launch car last week and was generally impressed with it. My closest basis for comparison is my 987.2S, and I thought the 718S was a better car. The exhaust sounded good, like PSE turned on. I can see how it would get annoying, but it made a good impression during the test drive. I was also impressed with the low-end torque (I wasn't expecting much) and how hard it pulled. Grip was off, but I think it was the pzeros which I didn't like. It didn't have PASM or sport chrono, but had motors a ton of unnecessary places, like for steering column adjustment (weight++). If there are flaws in this car, it's not the turbo4, it's the bloat and the comfort compromises. People are buying these to show off, not to race.

Did you autocross in Sport or normal mode? I didn't think to try to see how it impacted clutch behavior; I didn't have any issues with the PDK driving around VA Beach, but I wasn't attempting launches, either.

mopar bob

I'm thinking that a 718S with PTV, SC+, SPASM and Sport seat+ or sport buckets. Then add a big front bar and some 18" RE71r's the car might hang in the class up here in Colorado. The 99.7 GT3 will drop from 450 HP to about 370 - 380 HP, But that suspension in the GT3 will be the deciding factor. At the nationals out classed but it may make great car to have fun in.

edfishjr

Assume sport, but can't say for certain. Re: sound. I edited OP to make clear exhaust was set to open mode.

mopar bob

Ed you could be correct for a prep class for a 718. If the 718 runs with the rest of the Boxsters and Caymans in ASP this may be a good car to have. You might get 400 - 450 HP out of a tune with headers and exhaust it should hold it's own in ASP. They may put it in SSP but I think it would be out classed there.

Grantsfo

400 to 450 from SP spec 2.0 turbo motor seems optimistic. I haven't checked SP rules for awhile. Can you change boost in your mapping? I know in ST with my Mini Cooper I was limited on what I could do with boost. If you can up the boost in SP the 718 will most assuredly be doomed to SSP and you might as well get and 718 S with 2.5 liter.

I just wonder with all new turbo Porsches coming out if one will get missed by SCCA. I am looking at FP and whether I might get a turbo motor in my 987.

mopar bob

I meant a 718 S but that car would be doomed in SSP or SS.

User 52121

Interesting take.

I got to drive a 781S Boxster a few weeks ago. The mid-range torque over the 981 I'd just purchased for my wife was impressive. I'd think that, for AX, the 781 would be a much stronger contender out of the box. 981 really needs you to wind it up, and with the tall gearing.... *shrug* I imagine if I ever AX my wife's 981 I'll be either (a) spending a lot of time in 1st gear or (b) waiting for torque.

I haven't had the chance to AX my 987 yet so I can't compare it to the older cars... though I do not recall my 987 (haven't driven it in a while, down for engine transplant) having the LONG gears that my wife's 981 has.

SamG

Just placed an order for this exact spec Cayman S w/2-way sport seats plus. Plan on using it for AX and track days. Looking for 18" or 19" wheel and RE-71R tire size recommendations.

burglar

RE-71Rs actually come in 4 20" sizes now if you don't want to buy new wheels. 245/30 & 285/35 may work? No idea.

Might want to hold out until the 200tw class of 2017 picture comes a little clearer - there's a few new kids on the way, and we don't know yet if they will be revolution, evolution, or also-rans.

SamG

Planning on a second set of wheels for track tires so I want to go 19" or 18" to save some weight and money. I'm reading threads with people using 245, 255 and even 265's in front, 265,275 or 285's rear on 981's

Grantsfo

Agreed. It should be quicker in most cases. Will be interesting to see if turbo makes it tougher to modulate power though. And is there any point where turbo has lag at AX speeds. PDK should do away with that but manual cars might have situations where slow turn keeps car off boost. Pretty sure driving approach will change a bit with these turbo powered cars. A

chriswd62

I just purchased a base 718 Cayman to replace my base 981 Cayman. I had been running my 981 in AS for the past two years and it did okay locally, but was never a contender on a national level. However, I think the added power and torque of the turbo 4, plus PTV (which I didn't have before) should make a big difference. I can't wait to get out there this year to see how it does. The only potential drawback will be going from the X73 Sports Suspension option to PASM on my 718.

burglar

The pretty white car is gone?

chriswd62

Yep. It was time for a change. I'm sure, now that it's gone (my base 981), they will move it down to BS.