Yesterday, I took my 991 C4S in for some warranty work on the heater and was rewarded with a nice new 718 Boxter S in Miami Blue as a loan car. I drove it for about 120 miles (~ 3 hours) over a mixture of dual carriageways and twisty B roads and I think I got a good feel for it. Now I know that 718s and 991s are very different beasts, but a 718S is pretty much as fast as a 991, so, some personal observations:
1) The 718 cabin is a quieter than the 991. At first I thought it was just the 4 cylinder over the 991's 6 cylinder, but when I got back in my 991 I realized it was mainly the rear tyre noise. I think I've just got used to it in the 991 and it's only when you get in another sports car that you realize it's really quite significant. Might be due to a combination of the 718's cabin layout -no rear seat space - and narrower tyres.
2) I thought the Bose audio was better than in the 991.1. I don't have Bose in mine and I've never been able to tell the slightest difference between Bose and standard. This might have changed in the 991.2 as I notice that the Bose has been upgraded while it looks like the standard has been downgraded somewhat. However, on reflection when I got back into my 991, I think that my perception that the Bose was better might have been due to the cabin layout and lack of tyre noise.
3) The PCM was better but not by much really. The 718 had the multi-function steering wheel - which I hated! I particularly disliked the rotating button. Far too small. I've got one on by BMW F11 and it's a heck of a lot easier to use, though no doubt I'd have got used to it time.
4) Manettino. Loved it! Wish it could be retrofitted on my 991.
5) Engine sound. This was weird - it just didn't sound like a Porsche. It just sounded boomy to me and with the PSE switched on, it sounded even boomier. Not a fan of the engine sound at all.
6) Cornering. Different feel entirely due to the engine position. I don't know it its better or worse. It's just different.
7) Torque. Very smooth and very linear. Always there when I needed it and much more accessible at low revs than the 991.1. Initially, I was really pleased with this and enjoyed just pushing forward and getting instant acceleration. No noticeable turbo lag and no noticeable turbo hiss either. It was only after hurtling past a long low loader with a wide excavator on board that I realized what the problem was. The 718 shot past effortlessly (the PSE making a suitably impressive booming sound) and I got past with no trouble. No trouble - that was it. My 991.1 is a bit of a pussycat below 3500 rpm (though a friend once said 'if you really think that, you ain't driving it right'). But above 3500 and approaching 5000-6000 it's something else. Totally something else. The rising banshee howl from the back is truly spine tingling and the feeling of 's**t! This is it' as I approach the next bend/car/tractor/cow with my arms locked on the wheel like my life depended on it (which it probably does). The strange thing it that I never feel the acceleration, though my passenger usually makes some comment about depositing their breakfast/lunch on the floor. God only knows what the guy being overtaken thinks ("Bloody Porsche drivers!" probably). And that's what was missing in the 718. Fast, tick. Smooth, tick. Fun, tick. Exciting, no. The 991.1 isn't linear and that's what makes it exciting to drive. Purely a personal view.
So after I returned the 718 to the OPC I was walking towards my 991 with the SA and we were discussing the 718 and I mentioned some of the above to him. I said '718 - nice car, but I wouldn't swap it for my 991'. The SA just nodded and as we got to my Sapphire Blue 991, he said "That's just a beautiful car". Exactly.
1) The 718 cabin is a quieter than the 991. At first I thought it was just the 4 cylinder over the 991's 6 cylinder, but when I got back in my 991 I realized it was mainly the rear tyre noise. I think I've just got used to it in the 991 and it's only when you get in another sports car that you realize it's really quite significant. Might be due to a combination of the 718's cabin layout -no rear seat space - and narrower tyres.
2) I thought the Bose audio was better than in the 991.1. I don't have Bose in mine and I've never been able to tell the slightest difference between Bose and standard. This might have changed in the 991.2 as I notice that the Bose has been upgraded while it looks like the standard has been downgraded somewhat. However, on reflection when I got back into my 991, I think that my perception that the Bose was better might have been due to the cabin layout and lack of tyre noise.
3) The PCM was better but not by much really. The 718 had the multi-function steering wheel - which I hated! I particularly disliked the rotating button. Far too small. I've got one on by BMW F11 and it's a heck of a lot easier to use, though no doubt I'd have got used to it time.
4) Manettino. Loved it! Wish it could be retrofitted on my 991.
5) Engine sound. This was weird - it just didn't sound like a Porsche. It just sounded boomy to me and with the PSE switched on, it sounded even boomier. Not a fan of the engine sound at all.
6) Cornering. Different feel entirely due to the engine position. I don't know it its better or worse. It's just different.
7) Torque. Very smooth and very linear. Always there when I needed it and much more accessible at low revs than the 991.1. Initially, I was really pleased with this and enjoyed just pushing forward and getting instant acceleration. No noticeable turbo lag and no noticeable turbo hiss either. It was only after hurtling past a long low loader with a wide excavator on board that I realized what the problem was. The 718 shot past effortlessly (the PSE making a suitably impressive booming sound) and I got past with no trouble. No trouble - that was it. My 991.1 is a bit of a pussycat below 3500 rpm (though a friend once said 'if you really think that, you ain't driving it right'). But above 3500 and approaching 5000-6000 it's something else. Totally something else. The rising banshee howl from the back is truly spine tingling and the feeling of 's**t! This is it' as I approach the next bend/car/tractor/cow with my arms locked on the wheel like my life depended on it (which it probably does). The strange thing it that I never feel the acceleration, though my passenger usually makes some comment about depositing their breakfast/lunch on the floor. God only knows what the guy being overtaken thinks ("Bloody Porsche drivers!" probably). And that's what was missing in the 718. Fast, tick. Smooth, tick. Fun, tick. Exciting, no. The 991.1 isn't linear and that's what makes it exciting to drive. Purely a personal view.
So after I returned the 718 to the OPC I was walking towards my 991 with the SA and we were discussing the 718 and I mentioned some of the above to him. I said '718 - nice car, but I wouldn't swap it for my 991'. The SA just nodded and as we got to my Sapphire Blue 991, he said "That's just a beautiful car". Exactly.