981 GT4 Vs. 718 GTS Verdict

Robertb · 25 Oct 2018

Interesting thread... clearly the 4cyl is nearly as polarising as when Porsche put water cooling in the 911 engine!

Jag are selling a good proportion of 4 cyls of total F types, interestingly, given that the price is not wildly different vs the 6 cyl.

Conversely, after enthusiasts clamoured for a manual F Type, Jag introduced it and apparently they've hardly sold any!

It would be interesting to see how many 6 cyl 981s Porsche would actually sell relative to 4 cyl, if they still made them.

My point... what we say as enthusiasts is very different to what the market seems to want.

jonttt · 25 Oct 2018

With the jag though you are comparing FI with FI (albeit turbo v supercharger) and not NA v FI.

Controversially my view is that many want the 'lazy" torque of a FI engine especially as more and more are used to the power delivery of a FI Diesel engine that has been pushed on the mass market over the past 10-15 years.

The NA to FI debate re the 981 to 718 is just exaggerated to me as the sound is so different (there are much better sounding 4 pot turbos out there) and the fact the sound of a Porsche / sports car is so important but only to those who actually experienced the former.

The 718, to me, will be / is simply a stop gap prior to hybrid tech whilst the last of the 6 pots will always be just that and hence retain a dedicated following...... yep much like the air to water cooled :thumb:

Robertb · 25 Oct 2018

Fair points... from a showroom standpoint, a FI car feels muscular... in daily driving conditions it feels fast without needing to rev it so its easy to see why they appeal.

Actually a flat 4 is an appealing power plant in itself, with a long heritage at Porsche- a missed opportunity they didn't get it to resonate with enthusiasts. From what I've read, the 718's gearing doesn't help either. The new Alpine shows it can be done.

The 991 seems to have managed the transition from NA to FI across the range better, perhaps helped because a 911 Turbo is a Good Thing, so the turbos with a small t enjoy some trickle-down glory.

jonttt · 25 Oct 2018

Yep there can be opinions for all angles but the fact is to me the 4 pot turbo in the 718 just sounds awefull compared to the 981 (I know it not an actual fact and is subjective but to me its a fact as no argument will convince me it sounds good lol) that's whether or not you like FI v NA.

By contrast I like the sound of the supercharged jag V6's (I've had a couple over the years) :wink: I have no experience of the jag FI 4 pots though but would expect them to sound better than the 718 :grin:

jonttt · 25 Oct 2018

Joff Gas said:
Just a thought , if you were to park a GT4 and a 718 GTS together and asked people to choose just based on looks which one ??

I think i know which one would win

I'm not sure its as clear cut as you might think, the 718 is a good looking car. Lots of people don;t do big spoilers etc.... and to be honest I prefer the look of a 981/718 GTS to the GT4. I think it would depend to some extent on the age of the audience as well ie I used to go for big spoilers in my yoof :grin:

911TEL · 25 Oct 2018

jonttt said:
Joff Gas said:

Just a thought , if you were to park a GT4 and a 718 GTS together and asked people to choose just based on looks which one ??

I think i know which one would win

Click to expand...

I'm not sure its as clear cut as you might think, the 718 is a good looking car. Lots of people don;t do big spoilers etc.... and to be honest I prefer the look of a 981/718 GTS to the GT4. I think it would depend to some extent on the age of the audience as well ie I used to go for big spoilers in my yoof :grin:

The 718 is a great iteration of the Cayman/ Boxster it's improved by degree on the 981 , the lines are great ......if it wasn't for the 4 pot engine clanger , which is really hard to fathom ...
The GT4 (6 pot) version should be an epic car ....( if & / or when it's realised ...)
I don't doubt for a minute that it's not a great car to drive , or that the GTS may be quicker than the GT4 , it's entirely possible ..... but a car like these has to have 'Soul' and I think that's sadly lacking in the 718 for those who have owned/ lived with / driven/ grown up with the flat six ....

The new buyers into the marque are probably blissfully unaware of the heritage of the Cayman & Boxster ....imho these are generally the people who don't mind the 4 pot and enjoy the 718 as it is , whereas we can see the downside & the loss .....

I'm in the same camp as Jonttt , I couldn't be persuaded to buy one/ live with one sounding as it does .....I'd rather have a 981.......
Anyday........
T

jonttt · 25 Oct 2018

I do appreciate the same debates would have been had back in 1996 if the internet had been around as it is now :grin:

T8 · 26 Oct 2018

Robertb said:
............... perhaps helped because a 911 Turbo is a Good Thing, so the turbos with a small t enjoy some trickle-down glory.

The proper 911 turbos had a small 't'

It's the italics the latest Carreras don't have.

981 GT4 Vs. 718 GTS Verdict

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Monaco

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