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Autocar reviews the 718...

tim993

Well-known member
Joined
22 Aug 2006
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5,260
The Autocar review is interesting - they are far less critical of the engine than I'd expected and say the chassis is better than ever. It gets a 4.5 star rating.

No real surprises there with the chassis (Porsche's latest model always improves on the last), however the new vs old economy figures they recorded were fascinating. They are not quite like for like, as they compare a non-S 982 to a 981 S:

overall / cruise / track:
981: 25.2 / 32.8 / 10.8 mpg
982: 25.6 / 35.9 / 12.1 mpg

the 'overall' mpg is the operative one for me and it's barely any improvement!

I guess though the 10% improvement in 'cruising' consumption allows the car to spoof the official tests and get into a lower tax bracket...
 
I don't understand, the engines were changed to improve mileage CO2 etc and the figures are almost identical. Why did they ruin a great car with that engine if they are not any better?
 
I went out in my smelly old 986 today and it sounds glorious when you thrash its chunks off.Just saying. :grin: :thumb:
 
kas750 said:
I went out in my smelly old 986 today and it sounds glorious when you thrash its chunks off.Just saying. :grin: :thumb:

:thumbs:
 
Maybe it was only me being selective, but i don't recall magazines going on about how good the 986/7/1 cars sounded. If I'd known Boxsters sounded this good, I'd probably have bought one sooner.

Back to the 982, Autocar suggest the base model 718 is the one to go for - to quote: 'The motor is a fine one - more likeable than the 2.5-litre variant'

i don't have an issue with 4 cylinder turbos per-se. I used to run an Impreza Turbo and a Legacy Turbo, many moons ago and they both sounded pretty good. I think the problem for Porsche is that their flat 6 n/a motors just sound incredible and have got better and better with each post 993 variant. And enthusiasts know this, so anything less is always going to be a disappointment. Now, if they'd squeezed their latest turbo flat 6 under the metal-work, then I'm sure it would have been a very different story.

Anyhow, Autocar says we will see flat-6 motors back in the Boxster with the next round of specials. I take it that means the Spyder, not the GTS. I'm rather tempted to put my name down for one, though knowing my luck it would come to nothing :dont know:
 
I just keep coming back to the fact they could have put a 2.7 turbo flat 6 in the 982 to undercut the 991.2 performance figures.
Porsche say a turbo 6 wouldn't fit in the Boxster, but I bet if they had to they could have.

I just think it's a bit sad that now if you want to own the legendary Porsche flat 6 you have to stump up for the base 991.2 as a minimum.

Glory days ahead for the 981 I say...
 
Anyone who hasn't heard one live, you need to do it. If only they sounded as good as a Subaru (and I don't like Subaru's sound). I could never live with that Beetle sound.

How can they say it's better? The turbo on the 2.0L doesn't have the VV Turbo so pick up isn't as smooth.

I'd expect the 6 to be in the new GT4 and new Spyder. If they put a 3.4 flat 6 in the GTS it would have less power than the S with turbo engine.
 
tim993 said:
Maybe it was only me being selective, but i don't recall magazines going on about how good the 986/7/1 cars sounded. If I'd known Boxsters sounded this good, I'd probably have bought one sooner.

Back to the 982, Autocar suggest the base model 718 is the one to go for - to quote: 'The motor is a fine one - more likeable than the 2.5-litre variant'

i don't have an issue with 4 cylinder turbos per-se. I used to run an Impreza Turbo and a Legacy Turbo, many moons ago and they both sounded pretty good. I think the problem for Porsche is that their flat 6 n/a motors just sound incredible and have got better and better with each post 993 variant. And enthusiasts know this, so anything less is always going to be a disappointment. Now, if they'd squeezed their latest turbo flat 6 under the metal-work, then I'm sure it would have been a very different story.

Anyhow, Autocar says we will see flat-6 motors back in the Boxster with the next round of specials. I take it that means the Spyder, not the GTS. I'm rather tempted to put my name down for one, though knowing my luck it would come to nothing :dont know:

Yep.

981.2 GT4 and Spyder, like the 991.2 GT models, will be 6-pot NA
 
I completely agree Isyman the new engine sounds horrible to my ears.

I went to the presentation evening at my local OPC and thought they were joking when I first heard the S engine in the workshop. To me it sounds harsh with only two tones and none of the subtlety of the old engine, a bit uncouth and shouting.

I went with a friend who doesn't know much about Porsche but was seriously thinking of buying one. He loved how it looked, listen politely to the spiel, then listened to the engine, looked round the back noticed the 718 wasn't fitted properly saw the £70K price tag and walked outside and admired the used 981's asking me if these still had the old engine like in my old 987 .

It makes me laugh, VW and others rig the emissions on smelly diesels and we get 4 cyl engines in a Porsche for a tiny improvement in mpg . Its a complete farce and I think they will struggle to sell the Boxster at this money.
 
isysman said:
Anyone who hasn't heard one live, you need to do it. If only they sounded as good as a Subaru (and I don't like Subaru's sound). I could never live with that Beetle sound.

How can they say it's better? The turbo on the 2.0L doesn't have the VV Turbo so pick up isn't as smooth.

I'd expect the 6 to be in the new GT4 and new Spyder. If they put a 3.4 flat 6 in the GTS it would have less power than the S with turbo engine.
Indeed! I was a Bolton OPC collecting some parts when they were doing a pdi on the 718 that they were using for the launch evening.

It was hard to hide my disappointment. Apart from a couple of novelty pops and bangs it sounded totally pants and very unrefined. :what:
 
Sorry for the thread pollution, but can we legislate for V8 Hemis if we leave the EU?
 
tim993 said:
The Autocar review is interesting - they are far less critical of the engine than I'd expected and say the chassis is better than ever. It gets a 4.5 star rating.

No real surprises there with the chassis (Porsche's latest model always improves on the last), however the new vs old economy figures they recorded were fascinating. They are not quite like for like, as they compare a non-S 982 to a 981 S:

overall / cruise / track:
981: 25.2 / 32.8 / 10.8 mpg
982: 25.6 / 35.9 / 12.1 mpg

the 'overall' mpg is the operative one for me and it's barely any improvement!


I guess though the 10% improvement in 'cruising' consumption allows the car to spoof the official tests and get into a lower tax bracket...

So where does the 4 cylinder turbo come into its own in the economy stakes, I know that any car will do better on the motorway than around town but wpuld the 2.5 litre engine make much bigger savings around town compared to the 981. I do pretty mixed driving and my town mpg is only just over 20 but motorway including some spirited driving is usually over 30 mpg.

Also would the turbo engine be getting worked harder to produce the power and require more long term maintenance that the 981s
 

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