I have had one for over two years (manual). It ticks so many boxes and is a keeper. For everyday use as much as the GT4 is fabulous this is the sweet spot. Good review.
Great video 🤓!!! Last year in February 2023, I acquired my new 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 which has the 4L NA flat six cylinder engine (same unit as a GT4) and a PDK gearbox. Power output (394 bhp) and torque (317 lb-ft) are a nice match to this car's sensible curb weight (~3200 lbs). The color is Gentian Blue metallic with a black/chalk all-leather interior and silver wheel rims. It's definitely an entertaining driver's car! So far, I've only done 452 miles but hopefully a lot more this coming Summer! The PDK is also a lot of fun (it's definitely quick) 🤓 All the best and thanks again from Colorado! "Porsche...There is No Substitute!!!"
With almost 400 hp the gearing wasn’t a issue for me. Short shifting feels just as good plus the roads where I live allows me to ring out each gear no problem.
It's not sacrilege. I had the option of buying a Spyder. I passed to buy the Boxster GTS 4.0. To me this has to be a car that I "can" daily drive during the summer even if it gets garaged in winters. I don't want to put the roof down and the roof up (3 minutes) just for my 20 minute commute to work (and then another 3 minutes putting it down and up again when I get home. I don't want to look at the weather report and try to figure out if it will still be sunny 8 hours later. The GTS also has the sport and the raised suspension option, I got the sport option and I don't think it is bad, but it's certainly not "pleasant" to drive on bad roads. Anyone that goes the other way and gets the raised 10mm suspension, that's not a bad option either. I've driven my car in traffic a few times, don't mind the manual, but if you're buying the pdk because you CONSTANTLY sit in traffic, then you've bought the wrong car, get a macan with ACC or something more traffic friendly.
I went manual GTS, would have loved a GT4 but I will drive it on the road almost 100% of the time plus it’s my only car and I daily it. I never have an issue with the gearing. Tbh I appreciate it, if you go for it and give it some revs then great and you can chase the redline but anything over 3k it sounds lovely and you can enjoy 3-5k all day long too. It is a different experience and all the better for it. Nice video, new subscriber
I agree, I have a GTS 4.0 manual boxster. I think the PDK knob in the car itself looks dated and I also had a macan turbo and had some issues with the PDK gearbox. Purpose of my boxster is for touring. The sound with the top down is brilliant.
Wonderful vid. My dream car and sweet spot is the 718 Cayman GTS 2.5 Turbo. Accessible power early enough in the RPMs and all rounder good enough for daily driving and weekend warriors. I'd still go with a manual.
I’ve got a Cayman S with an APR Stage 1 tune. Roughly 405 HP at the rear wheels so approximately 455 HP at the crank, all available starting at around 2,500 RPM. Super-nice kit for the street. The turbo fours are way underestimated and under-appreciated. Definitely not the sound of that sweet flat six, but massive tunibility for about $1,000 US.
I have the same car (but colour is aventurine green with aurum wheels) and chose it over a GT4 as do more miles around Europe than on track. And you drove through my village in your footage. 😅
Living in the states, we drive on the opposite side as you. When you pulled out of that driveway onto the road I nearly thought you turned the wrong way into oncoming traffic 😂😂 Great vid! Love my Cayman GTS!
😂😂😂 paused for quite a long while before announcing to everyone you’d have the manual 😂 Pdk is fantastic, but the 4L cayman works so well with a manual. Not driven a manual gt3, but I can bet it doesn’t work as well. Great vid mate, cracking spec on that car and like you said, such an overlooked car. Does 90% of a gt4 day to day
I went PDK after driving both back to back over 3 days, but neither is a bad choice. The shorter gear lever in the GT4 whilst only 20mm, makes a very noticeable difference. It'll cost you nearly a £1k to do the swap, but fundamentally improves the sense of engagement that Manual buyers are after.
I’m so torn. I have a 23 Macan GTS for my true daily driver. It kicks butt. I want to add a 718 GTS 4.0 as a second daily, weekend fun, and autocross/track. I live in Seattle in the USA which is a big city with a good amount of traffic. That’s where the PDK will be nice. But only 25 minutes away are twisty mountain roads with no traffic and the manual would be nice. First world problems, but a good one to have. Decisions, decisions.
@@chrisharris4223Yes, it’s the Porsche short shift kit, about $500 for the part. I got one for my 987S and it feels like a rifle bolt. One of the best mods ever!
Great review, 981 Cayman GTS or 718 Cayman GTS 4L are wonderful drivers cars and have very broad dynamic range. The basic design appears quite timeless. If you get a chance, have a drive in a properly specced 981 GTS 3.4L with PTV and PSE. With only 340HP and 380Nm torque, which seems underdone in this day an age, and yet on a lot of back roads it beautifully develops both urgency and balanced handling. Moreover, in this instance the PDK in sports plus with PTV just seems to work well together.
Always watch and like your vids. Down to earth, but also fun. Keep 'em coming! And it would be the GTS for me, as well. Although, really enjoy my M4 Competition. As fast as a Cayman GT4, faster than a manual GT3, and much more luxurious and tech heavy inside than either.
Lovely spec, that Jet Green and those wheels. 👌 as a sweet spot in the Cayman range it’s does seem to tick every box… I would also go manual, just for that extra engagement with that NA engine. 👍
I have a Boxster 4.0 GTS in order for delivery in October, thought more useable as a pure road car than the harder Spyder set up. Was goi g to keep my 992 GTS Targa but looks like such a great car may sell that and just have the Boxster
Awesome looking car, the sound while not bad is not really great either. Everyone raves about the flat 6 but the exhaust note just sounds flat, no howl at all.
I agree with you that the GTS in manual transmission is a better buy, in fact smart money is on the GTS, as Tudor is to a Rolex, whilst the latter might be better it is at the premium that is difficult to justify unless budget is not an option. I digressed slightly but those who know, know. In real driving terms there is not a lot in between the GTS v GT4, base v S Cayman in normal road conditions with average drivers (which is majority of drivers), the GT4RS will be different ball game. Please correct me if I am wrong.
8:55 Yep the power really is kind of anemic below 4000rpm. For spirited tight driving the GTS 4.0 PDK doesn't have 7 speeds, it only has one gear, that being 2nd gear. This is really gets to be quite annoying when trying to have fun with the car (although most people don't actually push the car that hard, which defeats the entire purpose of car). You drop out of first gear pretty much immediately and then ride second gear all the way to ~75mph. The power below 4000rpm is really not that much and it really only truly comes alive above 6000rpm. I know some people like that, but it is really not that usable. The chassis / handling on the GTS 4.0 is really unbelievable, it completely blows away something like a 2017 Corvette C7 Stingray (and that car is pretty good). A mod like the Demann 4.5L conversion would probably help this car and the GT4 quite a bit as stated by SmokingTire.
Anybody feels like the exhaust/engine sound is underwhelming? I understand it's because of the particle filters. Can those be legally removed or is there a good aftermarket exhaust?
I went for the GTS 4.0 (Boxster) over the Spyder, it just works so much better on British roads that the stiffer GT4/Spyder, I have no regrets whatsover. Oh and yes it had to be a manual 🤣!
Everything about the car seems perfect except that tall gearing. I love banging through the gears when driving a manual car. 2nd gear in this car hinders that enjoyment.
Thank you for the really great review. I would like to ask you a polite question. Do you think it is better to add (PASM) (Raised 10 mm) option to GTS car or not to add it?
Having test driven a car with the -20mm and subsequently “blind ordered” mine with the -10mm and not regretted it for a moment (even on track, where body rolls just not an issue even with the raised ride height) I’d say it comes down to your personal preference between comfort and aesthetics. 25yr old me wouldn’t have coped visually without the extra 10mm drop, 50yr old me now prefers the (very slightly) softer ride. It’s not like one rides hard and the other is soft, the difference is minimal.
@@CarMadDadreally - who told you that? The used market generally overwhelmingly prefers things as hardcore as possible eg bucket seats, biggest wheels, lowest suspension etc. Are you sure you’re not confusing the options around ie the default spec is the 20mm lower, firmer suspension and the option is to raise it 10mm and soften it off…
If I was intending to go across Europe, I’d be looking at a S Class Mercedes. I wouldn’t be buying a Cayman for comfort so it’d be a GT4 every day of the week
None I hope because as the economic crisis widens further out across the world I was just offered a 718 Spyder and I turned it down.. ❤ I don’t see the need for a road car and the Spyder will bottom out on my drive every time.
We all understood once Porsche didn't care about cannibalising 911 sales and finally put a great N/A engine in a 718 it would become the best sports car they make for UK roads - nimble, balanced, small, focused & N/A fast while not being precious. Today's 911's are bulbous, turbo'd, 'jack of all trades' that miss the original brief, while new motorsport 911's are 80/20 track focused. If you want the best road sports car that Porsche makes, bag one while you can.
gt4 is not anyfaster on the track with the same tire. only if you want the wing you go for gt4. they are just both down on power. RS is the way to go. you pay more for old engine. but finally the car is here. for the price it's just doesn't make sense in the US. you better go for mclaren
The gearing argument is stupid. The gears are fine. Whi drives thier car at the top of the rev range all day? Remember Clarkson with his precious SL55? He wouldn't rev it out. You would kill your engine and get 8 mpg. The car is a delight to drive and it makes fun sounds throughout the rev range. Only 'jornos' who drive these cars for 45 minutes complain about this. Real owners dont.
Sorry mate you're plain wrong on GT4 suspensions being harsher; the buckets are fine for touring. The gearing in the manuale is way too long, much worse than in the PDK. You should try one. Thank you for the video, keep up the good work and cheers from Italy!