NEW PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER REVIEW | Why Its Wrong To Hate On The 4-Cylinder 

I don't give a squirt of p!ss what "motoring journalists" think, I bought a Boxster 718 and LOVE IT...

A base 718 in manual with no extras apart from cruise control. Would be my ideal real world sports car

I bought a 2022 718 Caymat T, I love it.

99.999% of the four cylinder turbo haters have never driven one. I got the 2.5t because I’d heard the gearing on all the 6 speed manuals is tall, so the greater torque should make the car’s power more usable on the road. 2nd speed is tall enough to hit over 80mph, so the 3.8l non turbo six wouldn’t hit peak torque and hp until illegal speeds are hit. Great for the track, but not so much the street. The ironic thing is that I don’t feel that the gearing is too tall, but that’s with the 2.5t turbo.

Great Review and great content in your channel!…thanks for sharing your 718 experience 👍🏻😎

Thanks for reviewing because I really enjoy my 718

Balanced review thanks. I drove an '08 987 for a few years before trading it in for a 718 which I've also been driving for a few years. For me these are two quite different cars. While I loved my 987 I found it sluggish and for a small light 2-seater had poor gas mileage. True, the flat 6 sounded great, but it needed to because the standard sound system was rubbish. Given all the negative reviews of the 718 I was somewhat nervous about moving over. To further heighten this feeling I was going from a 5 speed manual to the PDK. In comparison, for me, the only thing the 987 had going for it over the 718 was the engine sound and after a few months I'd completely forgotten about it. Both cars were/are my year round daily drive. Now its true my 987 was very basic with only upgraded wheels, whereas my 718 is loaded, so not really an apples to apples comparison. That said, the 718 blows the 987 away for performance while averaging over 30mpg compared to the 987 24mpg (on my daily commute). I'll say it again, the pickup in the 718 is properly quick. The PDK transmission is quite something especially when combined with the paddles. Need engine breaking? the downshift is right there with a flick of the finger and response is instant (I use it a lot to reduce brake dust on the wheels which are a pain to keep clean). The handling on both is flawless and for me is the best feature on any car. 2 seater convertibles are the only cars I drive and while I was a very happy camper in Miatas for a (very) long time, I can't imagine driving anything other than a Boxster now.

Just spotted you're driving in my area and through my village 😮. Saw another review and he compared the 6 and 4 cylinder back to back and gave some interesting observations, he said the 6 cylinder makes you drive faster with higher revs and sounds great over 4k revs vs the 4 cylinder, with its lower torque, is more user friendly for everyday driving yet still a lot of fun. Having drove the 6 cylinder on a track day it is awesome, I came away with a huge smile on my face wanting to buy one, I just need to find an excuse to drive a 4 cylinder and compare.

That steering vibration and noise are inherent in the Ackerman steering geometry. My 718 Base Boxster with the smaller standard Boxster wheels really startled me the first time I made a full lock turn in cooler weather (below around 68 F/20 C). It is normal for all vehicles with this geometry. For details search for Ackerman steering geometry in Wikipedia.

Great, honest review. I totally agree with all the points that you raise about the 718 as I have one myself with 15K of extras. This is my first Porsche so cannot really compare it to any other. Its my weekend toy but I would have no issue in using this as a daily drive. The engine does sound flat but in terms of noise from the exhaust its enough for me and my neighbours! Its quick enough for our British roads and has a great chassis as it has a 50:50 weight distribution and is refined enough for when I am on the motorway. I really don't understand the negativity towards this car at all?

I drove my friends Porsche 911 and I'm hooked.

I have a 2018 manual 718 caymen with sport chrono and sport exhaust. I drive it like a stole it and keep my Rpms high all the time and it’s a hoot. The flat 4 doesn’t sound bad it sounds different. People forget the Porshe heritage in the 356 which was a flat 4 and the car was a gem back then. Is it a flat 6 gt3 raving at 9000 hell no and it won’t ever be but it still handles, drives, and sounds awesome hitting 7500 rpm and shifting. Manual is a must imho. Flat 4 is a great engine and the 718 is great engineering. Toss an Apr tune on and a high quality cat back exhaust and boom perfection.

I don't hate the 4-cylinder. It's just that the old-school Porsche sound is a very important aspect for me. Could I see myself swapping for a 718 ? Probably. But I'd need time to adjust. I do love the 718 look. The slight weirdness of the steering, I've felt this on 986/996, so seems like a common thing. It's never really annoyed me.

981 is the perfect compromise.

Great review. I have the four cylinder GTS and LOVE it. I feel it’s been very unfairly treated by the mass media, I think a lot of it is just lazy journalism, jumping on bandwagons. My car sounds good, not amazing and, in truth, not as good as the flat six however, other than that it’s an amazing car and I would say other than sound it’s probably better than the six cylinder.

Thanks for your great review. I’m on my second 718 😏

Nice review! Like most cars the way you feel about a new one depends on what car you're coming from. I've owned a flat six Boxster S for many years & when I went to test drive the then new 718 Cayman S I was very excited until I started driving down the road. The drone inside the car was horrible, the sales rep kept asking me to put it into another gear to make it stop. And gone was the intoxicating induction noise of the 6 I so love in my 986 Boxster, which I continue to enjoy to this day.

Great review. Thanks! My 987.1 with 18” S wheels also does the same thing with the tire popping sounds. It’s pretty common for many Porsches. Not much you can really do about it, I just consider it an undocumented quirk. (Or an indication that my tires still have plenty of tread on them…!) I would take issue with your comment about how you have to work the car since it’s a base model. It’s got 300 hp (!!!) compared to my Boxster that has 245. 300 is more than enough, so is 245 - IMHO! It’s really a pleasure to work through the gears on the manual and make the car move. It might be a different feel with the PDK transmission though. Keep up the honest reviews, they are much appreciated.

Great review. We need to move with the times. Ive got a few videos to catch up on here. I last saw your Lotus Elan videos. Nice to see it make an appearance in this video and great to see how your channel has progressed.

Mine arrives in February….I’m soo excited 😊

Excellent and fair review. Covers all the key issues, acknowledging that some are bothered by the exhaust note and the change in feel, whereas overall the car is superior in just about every other way. Also warns about the huge and pricy accessories list.

You need to pay extra for Light Design Package to get Additional LED dimmable ambient lighting on the overhead console, for the door handles, in the door storage compartments, in the footwells, and illumination of the vanity mirror in the sun visors

Regarding the infotainment system - I am a huge fan of full screen cockpits and such things, driving a current 7s series as my daily but the thing is these systems all look quite outdated after a few years. So if you plan on keeping the car for a longer period of time this is the last chance to get an old school Porsche interior car. I have ordered a GTS 4.0 myself which should arrive in June not so much because of the old gages because of the engine but this is a plus for me, I plan to keep the car at least for the next 10 years.

I liked your review. However would have loved to hear more about the drive ride comfort quality, noise, wind noise when roof was up and when it was down. Please cover such basics as well. Thanks a lot for your effort, appreciate it

I owned a 981 S for 3 years and absolutely loved it. I owned a BMW m340i for a year then went back to Porsche. I bought a 718 Cayman GTS 2.5 and have had it for 6 months. It's a beautiful car and drives brilliantly but the sound is a real let down and stops me from loving the car. I'm planning on a 911 GTS (991 gen) as my car that I'll keep. For me that's peak Porsche.

Does not matter what wheels you have the 981 and 718 both do the jerking with the wheels when on full lock.

Great video thx. I still cant decide between this and the new RS3 (which I have on order) I have specked one the steering wheel amongst other options including the 2 zone climate, which brings me to ask how is do you find the heater during this time of year? I mean how long does it take to become effective from a cold start?

Tested the 4 cylinder. Hated it. Might as well get an Audi TT. Very happy with my 981 GTS.

Keep watching to see that great looking car

👍 video. At 12:15 the tyre “hopping” is due to the Ackerman effect, common on wide cold tyres with sports suspension. I bought a 718 Cayman T manual 9 months ago and have done 11,000 miles. Absolutely loving it and not missing the extra cylinders.

I love mine. Im not even listening to the noise im having too much fun and comfort. In an age of silent EVs and low noise cars I dont want a loud car getting peoples backs up. You cant use that cupholder, dripping condensation/drips go on the buttons below and ruin them. That hopping tyre noise goes when theyre warm in summer.

Awesome car, congrats

The only option that I would tick ✅ is the flat six, all these weight inducing heated steering and all that jazz is far too much driving aid. The flat four is intrinsically Porsche, it is powerful and efficient for those who don’t want an analog drive like the 987/2.

I like the Boxster's dash much more than the. 911's.

Thank you for the video, super concise and informative 👌🙏

Love my 718.

Do you have experience with the Z4 sDrive30i? How does it compare to the 718?

How does the PDK vs manual?

00:17 what is that car at the left side ?

Have a 718 Boxter T and absolutely love it. I do not understand the importance that is attributed to the sound difference between this and the flat 6. OK, a GT3 has an emotional sound, some Ferraris have it, but, take a Turbo S (or any turbo charged Porsche), and sorry, it sounds like a dog ... So let's have it about the timeless quality interior, the phenomenal handling, the superbe and unequalled PDK transmission, the razor sharp steering, the great performances, combined with excellent cost of ownership ... and forget about the sound hair splitting.

I find the criticism of 4 cylinder and sound a boring cliche argument mostly from professional car journalists regurgitating the same tired lnes.

Nice

The 4 cylinder 718 is closer to the original, authentic idea of a Porsche.

I had a 718 Boxster GTS and in 2-1/2 years drove it only 6,000km. Why? because it sounded like shit. I tried to get over the ugly industrial noise coming from behind my head and spent many hours online looking for an after market solution but no one can make this engine sound good. I ended up trading it for a 997.2 Carrera S and the driving experience is completely different. The sound of a flat 6 howling at 7,000 rpm makes the hair on your neck stand up, literally. There’s no question the 718 flat 4 is torquey and responsive but it just doesn’t deliver a positive emotional response that in my opinion is essential when driving a sports car.

And the 968

It is interesting how many people don’t think that the flat exhaust note is a negative for this engine over the previous one. Surely a convertible sports car is about emotion and anything that detracts from that detracts from the car overall. It does to me. That’s not to say the car is no good, it is brilliant, but the engine is a backward step on that purely emotional level and the car has been a sales disappointment for Porsche indicating that many agree. Rather than expanding the range of people buying Porsche it has cost sales. Had the previous car not had the delightful flat 6, people wouldn’t have missed it but it did and people miss it. As for the comment, just buy the upper model with the 6, that pre-supposes that everyone just has the extra cash to do so. There is a not inconsiderable price difference. Good review though.

Please do move on from the saving porsche theme, it was true back when the 996 and 986 shared components but it’s not been relevant for over 30 years Regarding the flat 4 it is certainly not synthetic, in fact it’s been criticised for too much mechanical noise! As said before, it is an experience and an engine that will be heard. It doesn’t play the same notes as the flat 6 but certainly has character which i think you’ve misrepresented

had one great car for money - daily reliable predictable sports performance

With every manufacturer releasing 2 liter turbo 4 bangers, it doesnt fit porsche.

👍👍👍👏👏👏

2 zone climate. Dumb in a small car. Heated steering wheel? Why in God's name does anyone need that?

that Subaru comparison has become quite the cliche.

Heritage is nice, but the thing sounds terrible and the lag is a bit annoying.

I cant justify buying a car at this price with a 4 banger.

Eh get a S bro maybe you won’t complain or a gts

I think I’d buy a Miata instead.

In my opinion, if you need a heated steering wheel where you live, you should not be buying a boxster:)

My 18's do not have the problem you have with your 19's.

Not fan of the 718 i don’t like the front bumper and the flat 4? No thanks I’ll keep my 981 S

sorry, the sound of my 981S Boxster is really better…. Hahahahah 😅

The hysteria about the loss of na 6 is laughable. The flat 4 boxer sound is unique in its own right, the fact that it doesn’t sound like a flat 6, no shit sherlock

We want electric boxster

This was not a petrol head review. This was miss Daisy's review.

No mention how overpriced this cars are?

4 cylinders are fine. Turbo lag experience from 1985 is not. Especially not for the ludicrous price arrogant Porsche asks.

As an owner of a 2015 981 S, the 718 is pure rubbish, 718 may be faster, sorry but we're not deaf!