jo_ker

jo_ker

groundhog

I like the logic but can't see Porsche putting an engine in that was outclassed years ago - no amount of suspension tuning can make up for the poor low and mid -range response of the 3.8 9A1 and the 420HP occurs over such a tiny proportion of the rev range that it is largely irrelevant.

Porsche marketing "Ever Ahead" hard to reconcile an engine that was dead and buried 3 or 4 years ago with the marketing and lack of performance that it offers.

Porsche is cognisant of the competition and would be well aware that a conventional 9A1 (and the X51 is a conventional 9A1) won't cut it in 2019.

Starting to look like a showbag - looks great on the outside but is in crap on the inside. Time for Porsche to step up to the plate and get it right.

I genuinely can't believe the GT division would stuff up again...........

In my locale the ratio of 981GT4 sales to 981GTS sales is 4.6 to 1.

jmartpr

Are you talking about the 9A1 as it's configured on the current street GT4? I think that for the price and being a Cayman...but more for the price....the overall performance was above average. Of course they could have gone X51 and/or 4.0L from the start but then you would end up with a +$100K Cayman as a base price. The GT4 if stays under $100K line hits a sweet spot IMO.
Also, on the CS, the GT4 class has evolved and the current GT4 CS being a pioneer of the class has been overwhelmed by the competition coming in with far superior vehicles from the start....some with base prices well above the GT4.
Lets wait and see what Porsche solution is for the street and race car.....but if I had to guess both will have the same engine.....we will probably get a 35-40 Hp boost (inline with Porsche evolution from model to model), mostly on the upper end, which for racing is OK.

neanicu

Simon(the cleaning lady) says : 3.8 L NA.
Simon says : X51.
Simon says : 420 HP.
Simon says : redesigned manifold...still plastic,so don't get your hopes up.
Simon says : plastic oil pan-really dumb. Saves 1 pound from aluminum.
Simon says : improved tune,better torque curve.
Simon says : different(improved) calibration for steering and suspension.
Simon says : still lug bolts,no CL.
Simon says : reinforced gearbox to withstand more torque.
Simon says : 6 speed manual,with pdk being offered later in the production cycle.
Simon says : absolutely a very desirable car,everyone will want one!

GrantG

Since the 3.8L NA X51 motor makes the same amount of torque as the last GT4, why would they bother revising the manual gearbox (beyond returning to the original welded 3rd gears that did not break)?

Just so they could improve the ECU tune in the midrange and give the maximum extra 15 ft-lbs (assuming particle filter doesn't absorb that anyway)? Seems strange...

H-MAN

One improvement the GT4 will receive is the updated widescreen nav, just like the '19 Macan has received. This will be a significant update to the interior.

Dr.Bill

This is certainly true. The Audi LMS GT4 can be purchased for customer racing and is north of $200k.
How is a $100k Cayman supposed to compete?

neanicu

I think that's exactly what it means! I don't think they want a continued debacle over the 3rd gear issue,now do they...?

GrantG

OK, so basically just returning to the way they built the gearbox at the beginning of production (in 2015), not a re-design...

VLJ

Wonder how many thousands of these cars they will make. Offering pdk is confirmation that they're focused on selling a much larger number of cars. Porsche is being watered down in terms of exclusivity and rarity. Perhaps up help bail out VAG?

neanicu

Well,I said reinforced not redesigned.
In terms of what they'll be doing with it internally,I don't think anyone knows...perhaps GTGears will know once he gets his hands on one. But bear in mind,I have read on Rennlist of a few failures even on 2015 production cars. Granted,I must have read about 3 or 4 if I'm not mistaking... A much lower number than 16 production cars. There's one that's just been posted,where they've replaced the transmission on a November 2015 production car because of gear whine,not because of a 3rd gear failure.

bccars

@VLJ : Every brand is being watered down. Lamborghini makes the Urus, yuk. Ferrari announced 15 new models by 2022, one of them being a SUV, effectively doubling their production !

ajw45

​​​​​​Haha I'm a huge believer that the GT4 should have come from the factory with the X51. When I bought my GT4, I assumed I was buying a 430hp car and calculated the x51 into the cost of the car. Heck, I almost bought an x51 kit when Suncoast had them on sale before I even had my GT4 and only hesitated because at the time it just hadn't been done yet. Once I heard you guys figured it out I was ready. Rick wouldn't even take my money when I tried to buy one of the x51 kits in the shop on the spot. I know not everyone feels this way and many folks don't find the difference between a 991.1 S and GTS/powerkit engine that significant so certainly ymmv but I thought it was a huge difference in feel and character when I drove the 991.1S and GTS back to back.

Coming into Porsche as an old school BMW M owner, it was really hard to get more power out of the BMW na straight sixes. BMW made great engines and it felt like the engineers really delivered the best engines they could with each iiteration (equal length factory snake style headers on my euro m6!). Porsche makes great engines too but the blatant artificial detuning for product placement bugs me. On the plus side, they leave massive opportunities for more power on the table which I feel it is our responsibility as enthusiasts to take advantage of 981 GTS was just an S with a tune. 991.2 GT3rs' extra hp over the GT3 is just a tune. 981 GT4 was a detuned 400hp 991.1 S.

The 718 GT4 will be faster and better than the 981 GT4 no doubt but it will still be artificially handicapped by marketing and detuned from it's full potential. That's not to say it won't still be a good value (the 981 GT4 was a great value, detuned and all!) and I like the new styling so if I didnt already have a 981, the 718 GT4 would be an exciting option but I have a hard time imagining trading in a 981 to move to a 718. I'd rather spend my my $$$ unlocking the potential of the 981 and tuning it to my preferences beyond Porsche marketing's idea of what the GT4 should be than moving to a newer but still ultimately detuned 718.

​​​​​​That said, if Porsche took off the handcuffs and made a GT4rs with 520hp, 9k rpm, and a short geared close ratio manual, that would get me into the dealership with cash and smokes. Until then, I'm excited about the 718 GT4 to see if it brings any improvements that can be applied to the 981.

ExMB

You shouldn't compare the street version to a race version. Unless you think the race race version is that cheap.