He says that he’s glad he got comfort seats instead of buckets because it’s easier to get in and out regularly to take photos for Instagram. At this point I had the glaring realisation that this gentleman is not going to reach the pinnacle of motoring journalism.
Love my GT4 tooo! Re drifts: You'll love it when you do it. It's very controllable and natural. I totally agree on the gearing. I love it as is! Great review of a great car. I've got almost 12,000 on mine in 18 months, I can't stay out of it and love it more every time I drive it!
I love the Porsche 6 cylinder boxer mid engine setup. From personal experience I can say you can't go wrong with any of them, including 986, 987 or 981. They are all a blast to drive & that induction note (hum) is indeed intoxicating & addictive.
Have seen many GT4 reviews. But really enjoyed this one. I like how you talked about the whole experience - even before getting in. Couple of things… Absolutely agree with you about the ‘long’ second gear. Was back and forth between PDK and Manual. The moment I drove the Manual at the Silverstone Experience, 100% Manual all day. I would also only very rarely ring my own car out to 8,000 RPM in 2nd gear - why would you?! Short-shifting on a normal road is also fun. It would be an occasional / weekend B road blast for me so Manual makes sense. Have owned many Manual and PDK before (the latest on a Ferrari) and honestly, it just gets a bit boring. It’s like a PlayStation. You also mentioned the back end might be hard to catch being mid-engined. I’m no drift expert but at the Experience day I really got a feel for this on normal tarmac, slippery tarmac and the ultra slippery / wet surface. In all cases it was very predictable and easy to control. Perfectly balanced. Great choice and enjoy it while you can. There’s not too much else you can buy for the driving experience.
When driving the GT4 in the city I personally always have the impression that the long gearing is what it makes the car a better daily coz I guess that's where the smoothness comes from that I experience when driving it slow. E.g. my M2C manual just isn't that easy to drive smooth even if it's a smoother car by heard. I also experienced that the GT4 is very predictable and good to control... it's different to the M2C, but I wouldn't say it's more difficult. A mid engine car that was much more difficult to control was my MR2 MK2 that I owned in 1996/1997 and still miss from time to time 🙂
I will be buying a GT4 in 2023. Just can’t decide to go for manual or PDK. Love to watch reviews where the reviewer owns the car and gives a real world review. I have subscribed to help your channel grow.
Ah thank you for the support!! 👊🏼 I still honestly can’t answer that question. They’re both brilliant! I think it comes down to how you’ll use the car. But even then, the manual was fantastic on track! PDK is definitely a better daily tho. I hate driving the car in traffic
Had a 718 Gt4 for mainly street. Sold it and now in a 991 Gt3. Both amazing experiences. Why did I sell? Starting point is that I had a 997.2 gt3 and 996 gt3 previously so my reference points and expectations are based on these cars. The bar is set high. The Gt4 engine does not feel special enough in comparison to a gt3 for me (don’t get me wrong, in isolation, without any gt3 experience, gt4 engine is lovely). It’s just not close to how a gt3 character and ‘specialness’ feels. Lack of low down torque also. The gt4 engine feels ‘rougher’ and not as free revving/motorsport feeling. Also sounds ‘coarse’ in comparison with less of a multi-staged howl/build up in sound and pitch at the top. You can still enjoy the GT4 on street despite the long gearing, so yes, can short shift … BUT …you feel frustrated/left out that you can’t fully exploit the thing due to 1. long 2nd, 2. The flaps open at around 4K rpm, so you can’t really hear the sound all the time, 3. bIt of a flat feeling low down, below 3-4K rpm, which links to above points i.e. you have to rev it out to get rewarded ~> but long gears -> hence problem. I adjusted the exhaust valve and kept flaps open all the time - that helped for a while as the sound comes in from the get go however although the engine sounds good but not as sweet/character-ful as a gt3. I would recommend a gt3 all the time, every time (if you can get into one). It is just a far superior experience. Gt4 does give the similar feeling… if you can’t get a gt3 , you will be happy either way.
Nice video. I too went from a DCT M2C to a manual GT4. In isolation, I loved the M2C an thought it was a car that provided a great experience, on road and on track. Felt aggressive and low. When I got the GT4 (and I had both for about 8 months before I sold the BMW), the M2C started to feel like an SUV. You sit so much lower in the Porsche, the gearbox is fantastic and you can feel the weight difference. I absolutely love this car, track it once every couple of months and take long road trips too (I have the carbon bucket seats) and it’s just great. I could see you were a bit apprehensive about curbing the wheels and the front splitter. It’s narrower than the M2C (I curbed the BMW wheels 2 times on road narrows but never curbed the Porsche ones) but it’s so much lower that you can’t avoid the front splitter. It’s a ‘cheap’ plastic part so you can replace it when you change tyres, for example. Enjoy it!
hahaha yes! I found the M2 sits more like you're at a dining table vs a traditional sports car with your bum lower to the ground. Nonetheless, the M2 was great value for money. Thanks & hope you keep enjoying your gt4 too 👊
Great vid mate! Think you’ve hit the nail on the head with the experience. I get goosebumps just looking at mine, let alone jumping in and driving (to the Co-op) lol. Wait until you get it on track mate, the body control and grip will blow your mind! P.s. try a flat white, fits perfect in the cup holders, none of this monster bs 😂
We met at Llandow back in November when you had your M2C. Please take this the right way, but to get the best out of a car like that, especially a manual, do what I did and get enhanced driver training on the road and also at Millbrook. That would also make for a great video! I used Ivan at Total Car Control. You will experience and learn things to make a drive in any car much more rewarding for the rest of your life.
ah, which car were you in? And no no, feedback received and I agree! Don't think there can be any harm in ever learning to drive better, especially in such high performance cars like these
@@MrHCars I have a secret car! But, we briefly sat together during dinner. Give Ivan a call. Nothing to loose and a brilliant bloke. You’ll enjoy it - two bright guys having a chat.
Good content mate, really enjoying the depth of detail. Would love a closer look of your GT4 next to your mate's Guards Red one. I'm currently stuck between which of the two colours to Spec my GTS with.
Lovely car. Surprised by your mpg. I've found my 981 CS PDK to be fantastic on fuel for what it is. I've just done a road trip over the easter weekend, driving gently on M roads it managed 42mpg over 300 miles, fully loaded! Not what the car is for obviously, but it's a bonus
Impressed by that! Still a new car to me... my right foot is a tad heavier right now 😎 But hopefully I get similar mpg too in the future, particularly on the longer motorway miles
The motor will feel better with mileage. It will open up as its has on my 718 spyder and will feel more engaging with aging! I don’t think a GT3 can offer a better daily experience considering the price point.
Stunning car. But you really are missing a trick with not doing heel’n’toe. Its like riding a bike, once you’ve learnt, it stays with you for life. Its half the fun of driving a manual, and the reward with an engine as responsive as the GT4’s is the biggest reason to choose a manual one. Enjoy it mate. 👍🏻
Really enjoyed the review to hear your ownership experience. I've driven the PDK and the manual 718 GT4 on track at Porsche Silverstone and loved them both but I get the impression the 718 does work really well on the road. I loved driving the 981 GT4 previously but felt on the road it's a bit unforgiving! Anyways,great review and if you would ever like to collab I run an automotive RU-vid channel also and would love to share your 718 GT4 if you would be happy for me to do so? Drop me a message if you are interested and all the best with your channel 👍
The cup holders suck, but they actually hold an iPhone nicely. I bought the wireless CarPlay adapter and simply drop my phone in the cup holder just right and go. The thing no one told me, that I’m most upset about, was that the brake pads are HORRIBLE. I specifically skipped the PCCB’s to not have any squeak around town…and it’s sooooooooo much worse, and they provide zero benefit to justify any squeak whatsoever. It doesn’t go away at temp either. I thought it would when they were squeaking on my test drives and I just figured I never got them hot enough, but no, they suck. Funny how the Spyder people swap for the GT4 lip and the GT4 owners opt for the Spyder lip. I imagine that’s because of the typical road conditions in locations where you’d buy a Spyder over a GT4. Another thing they don’t tell you is that the sport exhaust button is a program that has its own agenda, it’s not an open/closed situation. So even with the button on (open) the valves still close themselves so you have to disconnect them fully or otherwise tune the car or at least get a valve controller to keep them open through the rev range. They also don’t tell you that the Spyder’s roof can be released and clamped all via the fob so there’s no getting in and out. Once you fix the sport exhaust, the gears magically shorten because you won’t have to be going 80mph to get rewarded with that GT sound and feeling.
Cup holders.... I spilt McMilk tea onto the buttons once and that phone holder that clamps onto the air vents just fell off one day after all the vibrations... -_-
Congratulations. This is a very special and exclusive car. I'm on my 2nd 987 3.4L BS which i absolutely enjoy with 200cell exhausts and glorious flat six sound, but i want a bit more power and reliability that newer car offers. Do you think a switch to 718 2.5 BS would be the right choice although it has no flat six howl?
Thanks! Personally I found the 2.5L to be a bit flat sounding. How about the 4.0? It is a stretch in budget of course. Otherwise I'd keep the 3.4L for that howl - just my 2 cents 👊
Pretty mental for a cayman, but I think it justifies it given that it’s the same engine as the GT3 with a mid engined layout. All reviews point to it being the best car they’ve ever driven. Plus it’s going to be super rare and special. But ye, thanks Francis! 👊🏼
Loved the video! My GT4 is currently in production and I also ordered comfort seats because it is my only car. How is the noise insulation in the car on the highways? My buddy had an M2 that I used to drive all the time so I'm curious to hear how it compares to that
Thanks GM!! And congrats on the new car🥳 Pretty bad from a noise insulation perspective. Loud tyres and a deep hum from the engine. But not enough to put me off driving it long journeys. Will defo do an m2 vs gt4 soon too 👊🏼
@@MrHCars hmm.. would be worth checking that out - I definitely know how annoying that sound is! Mine has been working perfectly (once I discovered too). Keep up the great content!
Aha. So it starts. That palpable Porsche ownership experience and admiration for the machinery is kicking in. It’s a vibe which only Porsche owners get and non Porsche owners don’t understand. It’s the drive that draws you in. The cup holders and the satnav are crap tho.
