I test drove the new 718S today......

[RBD914 v2]

So I test drove the new Boxster 718S for several hours today and these are my thoughts and opinions. I fully appreciate that others may find and feel differently, however these are my own findings.

Let me declare right from the start that as a 981 GTS owner, I was very sceptical about the move to a 4 cylinder turbocharged engine. However I was determined to keep an open mind until I could drive it. After all, the power and performance has been improved right? And you can't stand in the way of progress can you?

Anyway, here are my thoughts, based on several hours behind the wheel on all types of road, top up and down, in town and the countryside.

I get in and start the car, it starts and settles into a thrummy sounding tick over, there is a vibration through the steering wheel and seats, this thing is really lumpy at idle. You can hear and feel a steady thud, thud, thud - almost like a V-Twin motorbike engine.

I pull out of the OPC car park and give it some beans, the cabin fills with engine noise at high volume and the car takes off. This car has a standard exhaust fitted and the noise is far louder than my GTS with the sports exhaust switched on. You will not need a sports exhaust for your 718 trust me!

Unfortunately this 718 noise is of the droning type and pretty unpleasant to the ear, you cannot hear the radio or even hear yourself speak under acceleration, and this is with the roof up!

The car is seriously quick, but the way the performance is delivered is not very pleasant because as well as the racket, the car is flat below 2500 revs. The car is only doing 2000 revs at 80mph in 7th gear. Therefore any acceleration causes a momentary hiccup, the car then changes down a couple of gears (PDK) to achieve over 3000 revs and all hell breaks loose as the turbo comes on boost - not linear power delivery at all. Without changing down gears the car suffers from serious off boost lag.

The little boost button next to the steering wheel that you can press to get 20 seconds of maximum power for overtaking is very plasticky and straight out of Fisher Price. The first time that you press it you immediately think "I am never pressing that again!" Why? Well whatever gear you are in, the car immediately downshifts at least 3 gears and bangs the revs up to 5000rpm, at which point the noise in the cabin is deafening and not pleasant at all. The car shoots forward and you feel a right idiot, subtle it is not, trust me you will never use it again as it is so crude, think "launch control" and you get the idea.

So as you can probably tell, I am not liking the car so far, it sounds like a Subaru with a drainpipe slung underneath and the thrum is giving me a headache, even my wife is complaining about the noise.

It handles fine, the steering is lighter, the rear track is wider and the car feels flatter in corners. Ride and comfort is the same as the 981 (apart from the noise factor), and it rolls along just like a 981. The sat nav and music interface is vastly improved.

One or two other things strike me though, this car had full leather, but the dashboard looked and felt like plastic. The sport multi function steering wheel looks great and the diameter was smaller than my Sport Design, but the spokes were very flimsy and plasticky. Also the rear boot is smaller in capacity by 5 litres, which was noticeable when I tried to get a box in! Oh and it only managed 26mpg which is no better then my 3.4.

So my overall summary - I am very underwhelmed and not impressed at all by the 4 cylinder 718S. I was very unhappy with the engine noise, and it is a noise not a howl or a scream, but a nasty droning noise. Nor am I happy with how the power is delivered, neither are sophisticated in any way and feel crude, like someone has transplanted a cheap Subaru engine into it. Combine this engine with the cheaper feeling interior plastics and leather compared to those in the 981, and this makes the whole car feel cheap to me. Even the ticking noise that the indicators make - they "click clack" like a cheap Ford - you may laugh but all these things create the tactile feeling of a distinct lack of quality, you expect better for your £75,000, well I do anyway. I mean what's  the unremoveable fake key in the ignition all about - very crude!

I fed all this back to the sales team and they nodding knowingly and said to me "You are not the first to give us this feedback!"

Certainly upon getting back into my GTS it felt like getting into a much more upmarket car, and upon starting the engine, that smooth flat six raised it's tuneful voice as I revved it, which brought a smile to my face! I enjoyed the drive home a hundred times more than I did in the 718, then a classic comment from my wife "That 718 was a heap of cr*p, this is a far better car!"

So thats my verdict, I am so sorry to pee on the parade of anyone who has ordered one!

Not for me the 718, if I were the change cars it would be to a 911 Targa, now that is a gorgeous piece of kit!
 

[temporarychicken]

Oh dear.

[Toeside]

Honest feedback...... especially as you have been able to directly compare it to the 981.

[RBD914 v2]

2 minutes ago, Toeside said:

Honest feedback...... especially as you have been able to directly compare it to the 981.

I've also had a 987 Toeside and I can tell you that it too is a much nicer car than the 718 will ever be !

[Toeside]

Thanks I feel better for that.

 I am still trying to stop 'man logic' convincing me I need a 981 !!.

[Guvs]

Thanks for the report, I think that has set the bench mark it will be interesting what others think over the next few weeks.

Guvs.

 

[RBD914 v2]

2 minutes ago, Guvs said:

Thanks for the report, I think that has set the bench mark it will be interesting what others think over the next few weeks.

Guvs.

 

I fully expect some will love it Guvs, just my opinion, we are all different!

[Stuart21UK]

I have a test drive next Wednesday too...retrospectively I wish I had asked for  manual (easier to compare to mine) and bet money I get a PDK  

[tcornet]

Thanks for the write up really interesting and honest. I've got my drive next Friday at Silverstone, it shall be interesting to see how it compares on their track. Will let you know.

For those who will also be there for the Friday afternoon session, don't forget to say hello,

Tony

[Duffy3074]

Chris Harris reviews it in the latest Top Gear magazine and says much the same. Sounds bloody awful but lots of grunt on boost. 

I think late 981's are going to be much sought after 

[guest1]

8 hours ago, Toeside said:

Thanks I feel better for that.

 I am still trying to stop 'man logic' convincing me I need a 981 !!.

Me too

It is a daily battle, I feel like starting a support group, my OH just gives me a "look" if you know what I mean.

That's v disappointing that 718 experience is not good -- engine is one thing but a tacky interior is just an epic fail. Mind you they're probably loving the fact that you'd trade up and spend more money than give up on the brand.

[Ringer250]

Thanks for the write up, confirmation of what I have read and heard. I am expecting  a 718 loaner when mine goes for a service next week.

[Kevin G]

Thanks for your write up, like others I have a test drive booked and will be very interested in comparing the 718 with my 981. If the drone and "Big Bang" turbo effect are as you describe then I'm afraid it would be the end of the line for me buying Boxsters.

[Simo_UK]

Same here, I have one booked for Friday.

 

Mmmmmmm. ?

 

[Patt]

NO no NO !!

You must love them and but them....so us mere mortals have a better choice of 981's

Great honest write up RBD.  I always wonder if car manufactures to pre launch group testing etc as it seems the same comments are being made, as if Porsche got it wrong to start with.

[mike597]

I doubt porsche will give a shyate about your feedback tbh.  It's the baby of the range and they need to balance emissions across the range so they sacrifice the boxster for the cash cows which are the 911,  cayenne and macan.  It will still appeal to a wide section of customers,  maybe not the dedicated petrol heads any more but tbh that's a minority of their customers anyway so imagine they have calculated this response,  done the numbers and accept the risk. 

[Southy]

Great write up really appreciate it.

Will be good to get some more reviews from the others once they get a chance to use the fast and the furious button of doom!

 

[topradio]

12 hours ago, RBD914 v2 said:

Not for me the 718, if I were the change cars it would be to a 911 Targa, now that is a gorgeous piece of kit!
 

Perhaps that's what they are hoping for. Maybe the 981 was just too good - getting more and more chuffed by my decision now (and that's starting from a high level of chuffedness)

I haven't seen the 718 in the metal but, as I said in an earlier post, the external pictures make it look cheap (relative to the 981) and it sounds like the internal detail is similar.

[topradio]

36 minutes ago, mike597 said:

I doubt porsche will give a shyate about your feedback tbh.  It's the baby of the range and they need to balance emissions across the range so they sacrifice the boxster for the cash cows which are the 911,  cayenne and macan.  It will still appeal to a wide section of customers,  maybe not the dedicated petrol heads any more but tbh that's a minority of their customers anyway so imagine they have calculated this response,  done the numbers and accept the risk. 

No, of coarse Porsche will take no notice, the car is designed and built so pretty much set in stone. However they may take on board customer response to improve the quality of future models.

[Ashley James]

I suspect that given time to adjust to the new and different 718 the OP will find that it was just lack of familiarity. For example loud intake roar and lack of power under 2,500 rpm, suggests large throttle openings at low speed. Gentle application and practice would sort it and the seven speed autos take time to adjust to. I have one in my Merc.

[Jon61]

2 hours ago, mike597 said:

It's the baby of the range and they need to balance emissions across the range so they sacrifice the boxster for the cash cows which are the 911,  cayenne and macan.

As far as the engines go, my understanding is that this is spot on - it's all dictated by the US market (not UK tastes), and Porsche suffers compared to other manufacturers from not having lots of supermini sales to offset the consumption/emissions of their cars, so sadly the Boxster had to be sacrificed to bring the average back down.

The standard of the interior trim is a different matter though; it's harder to understand why they should have cut corners there (I didn't notice it at the launch event but only very briefly sat in the car there). It will be a great shame if that's been pared back. 

 

[Seagull Fan]

1 hour ago, Jon61 said:

As far as the engines go, my understanding is that this is spot on - it's all dictated by the US market (not UK tastes), and Porsche suffers compared to other manufacturers from not having lots of supermini sales to offset the consumption/emissions of their cars, so sadly the Boxster had to be sacrificed to bring the average back down.

The standard of the interior trim is a different matter though; it's harder to understand why they should have cut corners there (I didn't notice it at the launch event but only very briefly sat in the car there). It will be a great shame if that's been pared back. 

 

I think you are dead right, US will call the shots.

i have not driven one yet, nor even heard one fired up so can't make a comment, but have to say when I went into mid Sussex Porsche to look at one whilst they are good to look at I think I still prefer styling of the 987's.. surely the quality of the build finish will manefest, or not, over the coming months and years

[Kevin G]

2 minutes ago, Seagull Fan said:

I think you are dead right, US will call the shots.

i have not driven one yet, nor even heard one fired up so can't make a comment, but have to say when I went into mid Sussex Porsche to look at one whilst they are good to look at I think I still prefer styling of the 987's.. surely the quality of the build finish will meanest, or not, over the coming months and years

Sorry I have to disagree on the styling. I've had a 986, a 987and a 981 and IMO the 981 is without doubt the nicest place to sit. The 718 I briefly sat in at the OPC launch looked OK to me and I was not aware of any reduction in interior build quality standards. i'll be in a better position to judge after I've driven one later this month.

[Seagull Fan]

5 minutes ago, Kevin G said:

Sorry I have to disagree on the styling. I've had a 986, a 987and a 981 and IMO the 981 is without doubt the nicest place to sit. The 718 I briefly sat in at the OPC launch looked OK to me and I was not aware of any reduction in interior build quality standards. i'll be in a better position to judge after I've driven one later this month.

I'm not saying the 981 is not nice, just I like the 987 for my weekend car.

 

[RBD914 v2]

6 hours ago, Ashley James said:

I suspect that given time to adjust to the new and different 718 the OP will find that it was just lack of familiarity. For example loud intake roar and lack of power under 2,500 rpm, suggests large throttle openings at low speed. Gentle application and practice would sort it and the seven speed autos take time to adjust to. I have one in my Merc.

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Well having worked in the motor industry for many years I think I know induction intake roar when I hear it, and this was not that! This was engine/exhaust drone, pure and simple! 

There was a distinct lack of power at low revs, typical in all petrol turbo engines in my 40 years experience of driving, as for practice, I have owned and driven E320 and E350 Mercs with 7 speed autos and a BMW 640 with an 8 speed auto, so I think it's safe to assume I know how to drive an automatic car!

Until you have actually driven the car, perhaps you should reserve judgement?

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