Nick, although 3 years old, this is an amazing video. So informative and the most useful video I have come across, especially for someone who is looking to buy a Cayman.
As someone who has spent hours messing with the Porsche configurator, I'm almost shocked how much I like this ungodly long video. (Now, I need to make enough to buy one. Mega Millions tonight... 😉)
Never thought I'd spend over an hour watching a video about configuring cars I'll never buy, but here I am with a bunch of other folks in the same boat. Good job, Nick :D
Another difference between the 718 and the 718S is the turbo in the "S" uses variable turbine geometry (VTG) technology from the 911 Turbo. VTG helps combat turbo lag at lower engine speeds without sacrificing turbocharger size (and top-end power) also giving the "S" sharper throttle response.
I meant to be spending the day sending out overdue invoices, instead I watch 1 hour 3 mins and 59 seconds or Mr Murray! Great video buddy, I'm sure very useful for anyone looking to buy a new Porsche :-)
I am a subscriber of your channel because nobody does BMW reviews like you. After watching your M240i review I bought one and got a Dinan ECU BOX, very good bang for the buck.
Thank you for this video. While I know it’s 3 years old, it has given me a better idea of what options to think about for my upcoming 1st 718 build. Lots of still good information here. I appreciate the insights! Keep up the great work!
Despite the length of the video, every bit of it was necessary to truly learn what the differences are in the options. It was also very helpful to know which options are a complete waste of money and those that should definitely be considered. The options list in the configurator has changed some in the 5 years since this video was made but is close enough to still be very relevant.
I purchased a 2015 Cayman S, optioned it with PDK, sport steering wheel, sports seat plus, sports chrono and sport exhaust, park assist F/R,20 inch Carrera S wheels in satin black, tinted taillights. Rhodium silver with black leather interior. This is my 3rd Porsche and couldn’t be happier with it.
981 engine so much nicer than this 4 cylinder thing. What was Porsche thinking with the 781 ?? I have a 987 with Capristo exhaust, and the sound really defines this car. I also dont like the addition of a Turbo, as that car did not need one in 6 cylinder form anyways..
Excellent information and guidance Nick! As some one who has spent hours with the configurator and researching the merits of many of the numerous options, I really appreciate the time you put into recording and editing this video. With the 718 the standard headlight is 25W Bi-Xenon, and so to get the 35W bulbs PDLS is required: Base headlight fitment: D8S 25W Xenon dipped/high beam H9 65W Halogen additional high beam 2 LED Daytime running Next option on headlights, Bi Xenon AFS/PDLS: D3S 35W Xenon dipped/high beam 2 LED reflectors additional high beam 4 LED Daytime running I've read a lot about the dynamic cornering feature, and the consensus (at least with the 718) is that it really helps with winding country roads. Plus the leveling function helps to reduce bulb vibration and wear, which is good because replacing bulbs requires removing the front bumper!
Hey Nick, thanks for putting this together. I'm on the verge of making the leap from soccer dad car (VW Passat) to my first Porsche (718 Cayman). I've been researching for a couple of months on the forums and playing around with the configurator. Your video was absolute gold!!! There were a lot of options that were hard to figure out on the Porsche website, especially everything with the seats. You are spot on about several things; the price goes pretty crazy pretty quickly with the options, but I find I'm perfectly fine with the base configuration. Interestingly - as I'm looking slightly used - they practically give you the options for free on a used one. I completely agree - and laughed out loud - about your assessment of the "entry and drive" feature. I was washing my wife's Subaru Outback yesterday and kept locking and unlocking it due to that annoying feature. Again, this video was invaluable to somebody new to the brand. Thanks so much!
Thanks Nick. An hour well spent for me because now looking at a Boxster as a retirement present (75 soon) & Mrs B (72) while we can still get in & out of a sports car! Not our 1st Porsche so very familiar the configurator, cost and value of options. Agree with almost all your advice but surprised you feel PASM is not necessary for a good ride, we assumed it was essential so will test drive one before deciding. For ride comfort 19" wheels max. Also on the Sports + sas for comfort. Agree on PTV. Most difficult choice is colour, very personal, am favouring Agate/red roof/Crayon. Regards from the UK.
An hour? A whole fracking hour? Is this for real? The world gone mad and Nick is the president. Can I wake up now? Jesus. _PS We love you Nick, no matter what. We love Tui more for what it's worth._
how long do you think people spend in the Porsche configuration? for sure more than one hour, even when they do not end up or even have the money to purchase one ;-)
Porsche connect gives you apple car play which allows you to get Navigation on the radio screen via your phone and also allows you to create geo fencing, set speed alerts for valets who may be driving your car. You are also able to send/receive diagnostics on your car and are able to see if your car is locked or not and you can locate where your car is. This feature alone may be worthwhile over the navigation unit. Generally what is great about Porsche is the amount of customization it offers for their customers. Everything is a matter of personal taste.
Porsche Connect Plus is standard now in the UK - honestly I wouldn't pay extra for it - massive gimmick even Apple Car Play is not great and if you're using car play you cant use the normal phone function it's one or the other. I have it now but no way i'd pay for it
Ok, made it to the end. Where is my gorilla? Great run through of all the options! From the perspective from someone who drove a Gen 1 Cayman S for 5 years, almost daily- Re: the rear wiper, totally agree with you. I'm glad I ignored the people who said it looked ugly. It looks cool and more importantly makes the car much more safe and pleasant to drive in mist or rain. As for PASM- I think you may have been a bit confusing in the video (I know you fully understand what it offers, of course). PASM makes it more comfortable, not less in the "normal" mode. Yes, in sport it makes it much less comfortable. In normal mode, however, it's more comfortable and handles better. Love PASM and there is a reason it has come on 911 S models standard for quite a while now. So if I ever order another Cayman it gets a rear wiper and PASM at minimum.
Can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your videos. I'm currently looking at the purchasing of a new 911 and this would be my 2nd Porsche, my first being a 1972 914 2.0, back in 1977. It was my first car and the 911 is going to be my last. Your videos have been very informative and well done. I think you'll have your own TV show soon. Thanks again and best of luck to you and yours.
I came here after buying a 2017 718 boxster with very low mileage and a very clean history. You were spot on lol! In my head I thought "if I want sport exhaust I'll just get it done later" and proceeded to buy the vehicle. It is on its way to my home and I can't wait.
Great video. Your experience is invaluable Nick. Every prospective buyer will have to face what is the A team of car salesmen when they go in to the dealership. And it will btw help them manage their OCD for sure.
This video was of immeasurable help to me last year before l bought my first Porsche, a Cayman obviously. It brought the options to life in a way the configurator never could. Your views & opinions based upon your experience were of great benefit.
I showed a video of Tui to my significant other and I feel we finally might be getting a Tui of our own quite soon! 😁 The Porsche will follow Nick 🤞🏻 Saving religiously ! 😏
Hey Nick, Long time viewer and fan. Porsche guy in Columbus OH. You forgot the biggest issue with the PCCBs -- replacement cost. They may 'only' be $8000 to option, but the replacement rotors (e.g. on Suncoastparts) are $11,500 for the front pair and $10,275 for the rear pair. that is a $25,000 brake job, whenever (God Forbid), that may be needed. -W
I have no desire to purchase a Cayman/Boxster, but for some reason I watched this entire video. Love the effort you put into your videos! Keep up the great work.
I know this is old, I'm only bringing it up because you mentioned the lack of engineering for the price, but the S also gets variable turbine tech from the 991 turbo s as well as it's steering. I think that is worth mentioning
Nick, well done, your review really and clearly helped me pick the right options for my 718 Cayman to be delivered in the Netherlands in June 2019. Thank you much!
Made it to the end. It’s hangover Saturday, and on these hangover days I tend to spend the whole day on the sofa watching tv. No real comments. I actually have been meaning to comment on one of your old videos (but I have forgotten to). Specifically, the video on your M4 wherein you couldn’t put the car into park without the extra steps,etc. I discovered a short cut. If you switch the engine off while the car is in reverse, it goes straight to park, and skips neutral. You can pass on this advice to all the F80 M3/M4 owners if you wish.
Yes please to the video about leather options - I personaly think top of the doors, center tunnell and top dashboard is a must, really adds quality feel to the interior, especially if non black.
Hey it takes time to pick the car of your dreams, or something near to it, and this is why so many people drive off the lot Toyota's, Ford's, Chevy's, basically they don't care, they just want something with 4 wheels and some safety. Those that want more take the time to pick their options, kodoos to Nick for taking the time to make a video about it.
Nick, the part about PASM you got completely wrong. Hear me out. It is actually a ride comfort option. PASM has 2 modes: Normal and Sport. Normal mode is more comfortable than the standard suspension, especially with 20 inch wheels! Sport mode is actually completely redundant, because even though it makes the car stiffer, it makes the car generally slower on most tracks. Professional drivers, such as Walter Roehl, always leave PASM in normal mode, when really pushing the car. I am glad I have PASM because the ride comfort is noticably better! On smaller wheels, it might not make such a big difference, but for 20 inch its a must. Porsche also markets this option as a comfort option, if you check their website. I dont know why most peope think this is a performance option.
Hi Nick. The new 2021 Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0 was too much for me to pass up. I will be getting mine around May of this year. Your Cayman options video that I watched when it came out was helpful. Alan
Hi Nick. Love the video. Very informative. Just quick comment about the painted key. I too like you never thought of ever specifying this option. However after purchasing few Porsches as it is the case with me. I have 6 Porsches and it is very difficult to distinguish which key goes to what car, and for the first time I started seeing the value of ordering a colored key. Said that, paying +$500 for a colored key is a big rip off, so I opted to go to Amazon and buy the colored fob for about $10 per key and does not look too bad but works and now I can find the correct key very quickly.
I got painted shells from Ebay and it turned out to be a waste of money - the paint comes off around the edges pretty much instantly. So if you really want a coloured key, suck it up and get the Porsche original, or just stick with the basic one. Btw, you can get coloured leather/Porsche emblem key rings from Porsche to distinguish your keys and they are only 15 bucks :)
Saw the entire thing in one sitting...super comprehensive! Nick please find out on the Cayman S if you can opt out the grey center dial. I totally agree, needs to be black to be visible, or at least a consistent color with the other dials. Great video. Love the Cayman the most in the entire Porsche lineup so I totally appreciated this comprehensive configuration walk-through!
Thank you for making this video. It may not be right for everyone (too long) but as someone trying to learn/research before buying one or just general knowledge this video is invaluable. Thanks again.
Nick, The video was entirely great! These are expensive cars that for many of us are big life/ financial decisions. Many of us lack an experiential database and or do not have friends who own one of these cars to whom we can present all of our question. That being said, how to even research our questions becomes yet another question, especially as we approach the ordering and purchasing process. In my particular case, it can also come down to something as simple as a disinterested and disengaged Porsche dealership sales representative, which can be particularly frustrating. So please, never undervalue your videos in quality or contents. For many of us, this is exactly the type of video that we need and seek out. Down to earth, practical, listing in an organized way the benefits and the downfalls as well as the day to day utility of many options, especially when, in many instances, when those aspects are entirely unclear. You are great Nick :)! Your videos are great!Thank you!
I made it to the end. My wife is from a different temperature zone. While I'm driving, she would raise the temp, and I would fall asleep driving. Absolutely get the dual temp option. Love the balls reference. Cano you do this same video for a BMW 4 series. Thanks again for another awesome video.
Great job Nick! Yes...I made it through the WHOLE THING! Nicely done. FWIW...I was told by highly reliable sources that "Alcantara" is the German word for "Mouse Fur." I'm seriously considering ordering the leather fuze covers to be the first in Porsche history to have ever done so! People would be whispering behind my back, "So HE'S the one!"
I drove a base cayman with PDK a few months back and I will second that the sports exhaust is not necessary. The flat four sounds decent in my opinion, not great, but decent and without the sports exhaust you get more than enough engine noise. I will say though that if you live in Arizona like me (or in another hot climate) that the ventilated seats are a life saver (considering I drove the car on a few 110 plus degree June days), and are worth every penny. Its too bad that you need heated seats to get the ventilation, I would skip that if I could. Also, like you I think the S model is uneccsary, the base is more than fast enough.
Not to nitpick, perhaps in case you talk about these things again in the future: PTV isn't just software using the rear brakes, it does also add an actual locking diff. And nobody who wants to track their car a lot does not get the PCCB option because they just don't hold up under repeated track use and cost a fortune to replace. Only ever see them on track in press cars :D
I wouldn't mind an additional video on the leather options. I love Nick's attention to detail. Those options seem so confusing when you haven't lived with the car or had the opportunity to configure not one, but two of them in the span of just a few years.
I found a beautiful CPO 2016 981S with many great options. It does not have PASM or Sports Chrono. I’m not a track guy but I love to drive. Thanks so much
Was a long journey but a fun an informative way to spend an hour. For all your efforts my thanks. Suggestion. A comparison between a 911 and Cayman/boxter in the context from a road car perspective. I enjoy your channel greatly, however your passion for large stuffed toys has me concered. Again my thanks
Hi Nick, thanks for making this video. Because you give a clear and entertaining presentation it didn’t felt like an hour. I saw the complete presentation; twice. Very helpfull and gave me clear guidance regarding the options list. So if you still have ‘prizes’ to give away I’m your man.
Nice overview, thank you Nick. I was always scared of porsches because when I start configuring one I tick too many options and then the price becomes unacceptable.
Enjoyed every hour of this video. I would love to see your take on the 718 T models - many of the GTS-style options in a package that costs less than an S model - seems pretty compelling for the sporting enthusiast (on a "budget").
Loved every minute minute of this video! I’ve spent so much time on the configurator and for me it’s just paint, wheels, sport chrono and sound package plus.
Watched all in one sitting and appreciated your opinion! I also make sure that my browser supports the 3D config which can be a pain but I think it's worth it. I enjoyed it because you delinate between options that are purposeful vs personal choice. Most are the latter and that's why I have difficulty between choosing between Yellow and Miami Blue. If I was to Nickpick u forgot to mention the 10mm lower for PASM but 10 less than the 911,it's all millimeters after that. Leather options are also a function of whether you touch the surface with your hands that is how I would make the choice. I will hate the day that you could make this same video in 5mins, that would mean I would be buying a Hyundai.
Nick, it is smart of you to explain the downsides of large-diameter rims. The latest automotive trend has obviously seen a huge increase in diameters on all rims for all cars and it is definitely only looks that improve, everything else gets worse: first the car becomes slower in acceleration as a result because larger rims generally weigh more (this creates more unsprung weight) and also have a higher moment of inertia which causes them to rotate slower (Car's final drive ratios do not get changed with rim sizes!). Then as you said, the larger rims have a thinner tire sidewall making them much more likely to be damaged when hitting potholes or even just basic sidewalk curbs. And yes not to mention, the ride quality is worse over rougher pavement. But it really seems that for most wealthy drivers, image and being seen out-weighs any performance benefits.
Just to name the positives of larger wheels (aside from looks) they can improve grip due to larger contact patch and improve response due to stiffer sidewall. But from tests I have seen on other cars the increase in performance was largest when going from 16-17 in and slightly less so from 18-19. If the Porsche is anything like the test I have seen (on a Golf GTI Mk6) Going 19-20 wil not benefit performance and just have downsides, and either 18 or 19 will be suitable compromises between comfort and performance.
This helped a lot as I am going through the configuration process based on your negotiation video. It explained a lot of things that are in the options that I was not sure about. Thank you for going over the process from start to finish.
Great customer advice. One hour well spent. I just have one 'grape', and that is: The one millionth Porsche 911 was built in the green you wanted and with the Mahogany wood interior package plus the gear lever in Mahogany as well. This makes it look real classy! :D
Thanks Nick for a very helpful vid. I know it’s a year old but it has still given me some ideas of what I do and don’t want before I go into the dealer. Currently looking at speccing up a 718 Spyder, I do love the classic interior, black and red, leather and alcantara. Yes yes alcantara, I’m not a massive fan either but to my eyes that interior looks so good!
Thank you so much. Excellent video! I watched to the end in one sitting. I have been racking my brain trying to understand how the options work together, what I need for what and what certain things do.
i didnt watch the entire video (props to nick for the dedication) but i think if youre buying something, dont forget theres always the after market. eg if you get the standard cayman but want the exahust, get an aftermarket one. or if you want red calipers... you can get them wrapped/ painted and so on
Nick- I owned the 718 Cayman S. While it is a beautiful car and handles like a dream, it left me wanting more. The engine whines at fast speeds which would be less of an issue if it had the notes of the previous flat 6. Also, the interior trim and tech really need a refresh. I opted for the 2018 M2 and it is just a better over driving experience. Quick, nimble, sexy and has great tech. It's all about personal taste and I get that, but for the money you would expect more.