The return of Marty Wild said:
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One point though, whilst organismic theory is interesting, it's is hard to see the context when talking about cars! :lol:
Ah, but you have not driven a GTS :hand:
As a final update......the 718 was returned today after about as mixed a day driving as you could get (short of getting it on track)...... 50 mile motorway commute, 50 A/B road in the wet, followed by 25 mile motorway with roof down.
I would imagine (cough) that the car is only in its comfort zone going in a straight line on the motorway, the faster the more it comes into its own as you go up and down the gears. It is faster, more responsive than the 981 without a shadow of a doubt. There is no "event" to this other than the raw shove in the back from the turbo. Do the same in the 981 and its slower but that only gives you more time to appreciate the experience it gives you. The shove in the back is not as great but the feeling of wanting to do it again and again is much greater.
Here is the rub, get off the motorway and the 718 is truly an awful drive. All that I hate in FI cars as their worst and it really does sound terrible. Now I'm a bit weird, I enjoy driving in the wet. The 718 is typical turbo power delivery in the wet, slightly scary, unpredictable and therefore unpleasant, you have to drive well within your ability as you feel it may bite you at any time. That all or nothing digital power delivery of a turbo I moved away from a long time ago when I realized driving pleaseure is not about straight line speed. If I'd done the same B roads in the wet in the 981 I know I would have enjoyed the drive so much more. The power delivery is just so much more analogue, linear and therefore predicatable. I will happily get the rear end to squirm in the 981 with full confidence it will fall into line with slight adjustments of throttle, engine braking into deep pends to carry the revs through with a balance and smoothness that is rewarding and enjoyable i.e. Fun. It is simply not possible to get the same experience in the 718. The car feels unsettled, the auto box gets confused, the power delivery is uncertain. It was clear I would never have a 718 in PDK. A manual box would make it more controllable but I fear at the expense of exaggerating the turbo lag the PDK tries to hide. The arguments that the 718 is a better handling car are totally irrelevent, any difference being ruined, masked by the engine.
There is turbo lag and don't let anyone tell you there is not. The PDK box is definately compromised in trying to mask it, but by example I did an overtake today, dropping the gears in preparation when I had to hesitate before committing, that slight hesitation took the turbo off boost and when committed there was that classic turbo "nothing" before all hell broke lose and the shove in the back. No doubt there are those who love that classic turbo experience, fine when in a straight line and in the dry but I would much much rather have the smooth predicatable, controllable power delivery of a great NA engine. Yes I may be a tenth slower but boy does it feel safer and more enjoyable getting there.
So finally it was time to hand the car back. To be fair I was asked did I like it. We had an honest chat about why I did not. The only real response was "the GTS is a great car". It is and I appreciate it even more now. The drive home in heavy rain was sublime, fun, rewarding everything the 718 was not.
Ps I did like the color though ;-)