718 Cayman / Boxster 2.5 Essential Extras
Discussion
Hi all,
Looking at getting either a 718 Cayman or Boxster S as a second / weekend car and obviously the infamous Porsche options list means there's a wide range of choice when buying second hand but very few that have everything (and they tend to be overpriced!).
For those who have owned one, are there any essential options (or ones you pay a fair bit extra for that can be lived without)?
The obvious ones that I'm not sure if they're essential are things like:
- Sport Chrono (it'll be an auto as unfortunately the other half can't drive manual and occasionally might need to drive it)
- Sports Exhaust
- the fancier 14 way / 18 way seats Vs standard
- ceramics (not likely to track it regularly so assuming these aren't worth it)
Also any strong pros and cons of Boxster Vs Cayman welcome, do love a convertible but equally the Cayman is the better drive?
Looking at getting either a 718 Cayman or Boxster S as a second / weekend car and obviously the infamous Porsche options list means there's a wide range of choice when buying second hand but very few that have everything (and they tend to be overpriced!).
For those who have owned one, are there any essential options (or ones you pay a fair bit extra for that can be lived without)?
The obvious ones that I'm not sure if they're essential are things like:
- Sport Chrono (it'll be an auto as unfortunately the other half can't drive manual and occasionally might need to drive it)
- Sports Exhaust
- the fancier 14 way / 18 way seats Vs standard
- ceramics (not likely to track it regularly so assuming these aren't worth it)
Also any strong pros and cons of Boxster Vs Cayman welcome, do love a convertible but equally the Cayman is the better drive?
PDK is an excellent choice for everyday driving.
Options I would want on :
Heated seats and heated wheel - particularly on Boxster.
The sports exhaust on cars with a gpf is pretty muted and not worth paying extra for. Pre gpf cars with sports exhaust are better sounding.
sports plus seats nice.
Reversing camera
Electric Folding mirrors
Avoid PADM as the mounts frequently break.
Led lights are good
Options I would want on :
Heated seats and heated wheel - particularly on Boxster.
The sports exhaust on cars with a gpf is pretty muted and not worth paying extra for. Pre gpf cars with sports exhaust are better sounding.
sports plus seats nice.
Reversing camera
Electric Folding mirrors
Avoid PADM as the mounts frequently break.
Led lights are good
PASM is softer than the standard passive suspension in comfort mode and firms up nicely in sport if you want to track. For UK roads I’d say this is essential for 20” wheels as the standard suspension is fairly firm and you will feel the potholes. PASM does ride better in my view. If you do a lot of touring in Europe where the roads have smoother tarmac is probably less of an issue.
Cayman has more luggage space but is boomier. Boxster is slightly quieter but has a smaller rear boot.
PDLS also a nice addition over the basic lights imo.
Cayman has more luggage space but is boomier. Boxster is slightly quieter but has a smaller rear boot.
PDLS also a nice addition over the basic lights imo.
Had both, can’t say there were any must have’s or options I wish I’d had but didn’t. To me, options are a personal thing. One man’s essential is another man’s pointless.
I’m a clearly a (50 year old) boy racer at heart as a noisy exhaust and nice speaker system are the first (and often only) options I’d choose.
Can’t see the point in ceramic’s as the standard brakes are great. Can’t see the point in multi way seats as I’ve always been comfy in the standard seats. Can’t see the point in fancy matrix lights as the standard ones are great. Sport Chrono was standard kit in several Porsche’s I’ve had, can’t say as I’ve ever used the lap time function. You see where I’m going with this…
But that’s just me. Many of this Parish look down their nose at any Porsche that isn’t kitted out with Clubsport, buckets, ceramics, fire extinguisher as they believe these things instantly make them ‘Proper Porsche Drivers’. Of course, it’s utter tosh.
Pick what you think you’d like. Any OPC will let you have a look at the options to help you make up your mind, even if you aren’t buying from them.
Not a lot difference in terms of practicality between B and C. Both are surprisingly practical. Both have similar sized front and rear boots. C has additional area above engine over B but not much use for anything more than squishy bags. Not a lot of difference in terms of driving either. If it’s a weekend toy, maybe a B for the added fun factor of roofless motoring?
To contradict myself slightly I have just thought of a personal must have. Leather dash. My first 4 Porsche’s I didn’t spec it. Never really considered it. 5th had it, lovely, really lifts the interior ‘posh factor’. I wouldn’t consider a new car without it now.
Enjoy the journey. Let us know how you get on.
I’m a clearly a (50 year old) boy racer at heart as a noisy exhaust and nice speaker system are the first (and often only) options I’d choose.
Can’t see the point in ceramic’s as the standard brakes are great. Can’t see the point in multi way seats as I’ve always been comfy in the standard seats. Can’t see the point in fancy matrix lights as the standard ones are great. Sport Chrono was standard kit in several Porsche’s I’ve had, can’t say as I’ve ever used the lap time function. You see where I’m going with this…
But that’s just me. Many of this Parish look down their nose at any Porsche that isn’t kitted out with Clubsport, buckets, ceramics, fire extinguisher as they believe these things instantly make them ‘Proper Porsche Drivers’. Of course, it’s utter tosh.
Pick what you think you’d like. Any OPC will let you have a look at the options to help you make up your mind, even if you aren’t buying from them.
Not a lot difference in terms of practicality between B and C. Both are surprisingly practical. Both have similar sized front and rear boots. C has additional area above engine over B but not much use for anything more than squishy bags. Not a lot of difference in terms of driving either. If it’s a weekend toy, maybe a B for the added fun factor of roofless motoring?
To contradict myself slightly I have just thought of a personal must have. Leather dash. My first 4 Porsche’s I didn’t spec it. Never really considered it. 5th had it, lovely, really lifts the interior ‘posh factor’. I wouldn’t consider a new car without it now.
Enjoy the journey. Let us know how you get on.
Edited by neilf on Sunday 26th November 17:23
I have a GTS 4.0 Cayman, so it has a lot of stuff already kitted out. Although I wasnt keen on the GTS pack for seats and trim, I kinda liked the plastic/rubber dash but felt it would be harder to clean and keep nice than the leather trimmed on, so I found a combination that leathered the dash. Just feels a little more expensive in there.
its got the fancy LED lights that look better, but are expensive of course, super bright and look good.
Since owning it this last year, only option I think I may have checked if I did it again would be the carbon brakes.. Not because I track it or steel are inadequate in any way, just that the steel look really manky when they get wet.. car lives outdoors and isnt driven every day. Withing a week of rain or after a was, it kinda look abandoned. 5K is a lot of cash for cosmetics alone, but I think I may have found a way to justify the cost.
Crappy standard hifi in mine, but I just listen to the engine and exhaust on full open always...
its got the fancy LED lights that look better, but are expensive of course, super bright and look good.
Since owning it this last year, only option I think I may have checked if I did it again would be the carbon brakes.. Not because I track it or steel are inadequate in any way, just that the steel look really manky when they get wet.. car lives outdoors and isnt driven every day. Withing a week of rain or after a was, it kinda look abandoned. 5K is a lot of cash for cosmetics alone, but I think I may have found a way to justify the cost.
Crappy standard hifi in mine, but I just listen to the engine and exhaust on full open always...
As it will be a second/weekend car for you rather than a daily or your only car, perhaps look for options that will complement how you intend to use the car. For instance, is it for getting up early and driving fast, or for touring about, going away somewhere nice for the weekend - etc?
If both of you will drive the car, then having adaptive seats with the memory function for stored settings *may* be useful. I think the sports seats with 2-way manual adjustment are fine, but the adaptive sports seats do give a wider range of adjustment and are probably 'better', although heavier.
I personally would choose PASM for the reasons already given. The ride is softer in the normal setting than a car without PASM, and I prefer that on the road. The sport setting is good to have if you might want to take the car on circuit. All three Caymans I've owned have been equipped with PASM and that's been a definite choice each time.
I haven't tried the 2.5 litre engine so don't know whether Sport Chrono makes a discernible difference to the throttle response. That's the main reason to have it, in my opinion. Sport Chrono was definitely worth having on the 987 Caymans and it also relaxed the stability control threshold.
I probably wouldn't choose the sports exhaust, definitely wouldn't choose ceramics, and would probably look for cars with the Bose system rather than the basic system or sound pack plus or whatever it's called these days.
Things like climate control, folding mirrors, cruise etc - you probably know where you stand on those already. All nice to have but may not be dealbreakers for you. Enjoy the hunt!
If both of you will drive the car, then having adaptive seats with the memory function for stored settings *may* be useful. I think the sports seats with 2-way manual adjustment are fine, but the adaptive sports seats do give a wider range of adjustment and are probably 'better', although heavier.
I personally would choose PASM for the reasons already given. The ride is softer in the normal setting than a car without PASM, and I prefer that on the road. The sport setting is good to have if you might want to take the car on circuit. All three Caymans I've owned have been equipped with PASM and that's been a definite choice each time.
I haven't tried the 2.5 litre engine so don't know whether Sport Chrono makes a discernible difference to the throttle response. That's the main reason to have it, in my opinion. Sport Chrono was definitely worth having on the 987 Caymans and it also relaxed the stability control threshold.
I probably wouldn't choose the sports exhaust, definitely wouldn't choose ceramics, and would probably look for cars with the Bose system rather than the basic system or sound pack plus or whatever it's called these days.
Things like climate control, folding mirrors, cruise etc - you probably know where you stand on those already. All nice to have but may not be dealbreakers for you. Enjoy the hunt!
Get the top level headlamps, the standard ones are crap. If you go Boxster, heated steering wheel and heated seats. We went for the 14-way as being more comfortable than the standard ones. Power steering plus. We stayed with standard wheels and tyres because the car is used as an actual mode of transport, but there’s no denying the bigger options look better if it’s going to be a toy. Reversing camera. Anything else is down to personal taste I guess.
RJH777 said:
Hi all,
Looking at getting either a 718 Cayman or Boxster S as a second / weekend car and obviously the infamous Porsche options list means there's a wide range of choice when buying second hand but very few that have everything (and they tend to be overpriced!).
For those who have owned one, are there any essential options (or ones you pay a fair bit extra for that can be lived without)?
The obvious ones that I'm not sure if they're essential are things like:
- Sport Chrono (it'll be an auto as unfortunately the other half can't drive manual and occasionally might need to drive it)
- Sports Exhaust
- the fancier 14 way / 18 way seats Vs standard
- ceramics (not likely to track it regularly so assuming these aren't worth it)
Also any strong pros and cons of Boxster Vs Cayman welcome, do love a convertible but equally the Cayman is the better drive?
For what it's worthLooking at getting either a 718 Cayman or Boxster S as a second / weekend car and obviously the infamous Porsche options list means there's a wide range of choice when buying second hand but very few that have everything (and they tend to be overpriced!).
For those who have owned one, are there any essential options (or ones you pay a fair bit extra for that can be lived without)?
The obvious ones that I'm not sure if they're essential are things like:
- Sport Chrono (it'll be an auto as unfortunately the other half can't drive manual and occasionally might need to drive it)
- Sports Exhaust
- the fancier 14 way / 18 way seats Vs standard
- ceramics (not likely to track it regularly so assuming these aren't worth it)
Also any strong pros and cons of Boxster Vs Cayman welcome, do love a convertible but equally the Cayman is the better drive?
- PDLS Plus is great, better than the standard lights, the mid range PDLS is the sweet spot.
- Sports Exhaust is a must, though was standard fit on cars from 2019 on?
- Bose, not worth it if your car is going to be on low profile tyres, the road noise will drown out the extra sound quality
- 2 zone Climate control would be a must have
- Extended fuel tank is a nice to have
- Sport Chrono on a PDK is also a must have, it changes the whole dynamic of how it drives
- PASM Sports suspension is a good option too, it makes the car far more comfortable over bumps
- With seats it depends on what you want, the standard ones are great for longer journeys, the sports seats offer good lateral support and the 18 ways are great comfort access if you are not going to be the only driver of the car
- Reversing camera would be something I'd look for as well, the 718 is quite a large car and it's hard to judge the rear corners when parking
- GT Steering wheel is nice too, especially if you add the controls
- Power Steering plus would be a must have, cruise control a nice to have
- Folding mirrors, take it or leave it, unless you need to get through narrow gaps?
To be fair a PDK T ticks most of those boxes and only needs the lights, reversing camera, dual zone climate and then it's down to personal preferences on the interior trim, obviously a T is down on power compared to an S, but probably not that much noticeable in performance on the move.
Not sure what year you are looking at but I’ve drove a few and the 2018 with sports exhaust on sounded the same to me as my 2017 without sports exhaust option when I put it in sports mode. Salesman told me as mine was older the exhaust didn’t have the filter. I have heated steering wheel but feel it gets too hot and the PDK paddles are freezing still. I have a bad back so needed the heated 18way seats and find them really good. BOSE was important to me as the standard system is shocking (BOSE isn’t brilliant for the cost but an imorovement)
kalexan273 said:
For what it's worth
- PDLS Plus is great, better than the standard lights, the mid range PDLS is the sweet spot.
- Sports Exhaust is a must, though was standard fit on cars from 2019 on?
- Bose, not worth it if your car is going to be on low profile tyres, the road noise will drown out the extra sound quality
- 2 zone Climate control would be a must have
- Extended fuel tank is a nice to have
- Sport Chrono on a PDK is also a must have, it changes the whole dynamic of how it drives
- PASM Sports suspension is a good option too, it makes the car far more comfortable over bumps
- With seats it depends on what you want, the standard ones are great for longer journeys, the sports seats offer good lateral support and the 18 ways are great comfort access if you are not going to be the only driver of the car
- Reversing camera would be something I'd look for as well, the 718 is quite a large car and it's hard to judge the rear corners when parking
- GT Steering wheel is nice too, especially if you add the controls
- Power Steering plus would be a must have, cruise control a nice to have
- Folding mirrors, take it or leave it, unless you need to get through narrow gaps?
To be fair a PDK T ticks most of those boxes and only needs the lights, reversing camera, dual zone climate and then it's down to personal preferences on the interior trim, obviously a T is down on power compared to an S, but probably not that much noticeable in performance on the move.
I'd agree, but differ on these...- PDLS Plus is great, better than the standard lights, the mid range PDLS is the sweet spot.
- Sports Exhaust is a must, though was standard fit on cars from 2019 on?
- Bose, not worth it if your car is going to be on low profile tyres, the road noise will drown out the extra sound quality
- 2 zone Climate control would be a must have
- Extended fuel tank is a nice to have
- Sport Chrono on a PDK is also a must have, it changes the whole dynamic of how it drives
- PASM Sports suspension is a good option too, it makes the car far more comfortable over bumps
- With seats it depends on what you want, the standard ones are great for longer journeys, the sports seats offer good lateral support and the 18 ways are great comfort access if you are not going to be the only driver of the car
- Reversing camera would be something I'd look for as well, the 718 is quite a large car and it's hard to judge the rear corners when parking
- GT Steering wheel is nice too, especially if you add the controls
- Power Steering plus would be a must have, cruise control a nice to have
- Folding mirrors, take it or leave it, unless you need to get through narrow gaps?
To be fair a PDK T ticks most of those boxes and only needs the lights, reversing camera, dual zone climate and then it's down to personal preferences on the interior trim, obviously a T is down on power compared to an S, but probably not that much noticeable in performance on the move.
Many do not like PSE, many do.
Sports Chrono is again marmite. I've tried it in a test car but wouldn't find a use for it unless tracking perhaps.
Seats - 14-ways are the Comfort (but very supportive) seats. 18-ways the Sport seats. The latter have a high side/back bolster which can make you feel wedged in, even on the widest setting, unless you're skinny. Also, most women complain they have to climb over the sides. Try 14 and 18, forget standard seats unless you've tried all three on a long journey and prefer them.
My top choices:
PASM
Heated wheel - turn off when too hot, as with heated seats.
Heated seats
Cruise
Unless you’re going for the GTS or 4.0 then my view is less is more.
Climate control. I would t buy a car without it as I want to set a temperature and let the car do the work not me adjusting temp/fan speed. Might be less of an issue in Boxster but I still want it
PDK. You’re fixed on that given the other driver. It’s good but with a turbo engine I’d prefer a manual but thought I’d give it a go.
Heated seats. Yes in Boxster mode
Lights. I’ve got the poverty spec and they’re good enough for me as my night driving won’t be much. Yes I’d have liked PDLS+ but when they go wrong going through their alignment process every time you use them fixing them ain’t cheap and fix/recalibration is a main dealer visit to relieve you of nearly £1k.
Sports Chrono. I’ve got this and will probably lose interest playing with it so going forward I could live without it. That said with PDK it does sharpen things up and changes the engine note (without PSE). Having this you will of course get PADM included.
PSE. Mines a pre GPF and to me it not a prerequisite. Had I paid for it from new especially with a GPF fitted car I’d feel ripped off. I wouldn’t pay a premium secondhand for a car with PSE.
Sports seats. I’ve got the 2-way electric and for me the less adjustment the better otherwise you’re forever trying to find the perfect seat position. I came from carbon buckets with no options - perfect positioning. Standard seats I found rather narrow in the backrest but it’s a personal choice.
PASM. Not for me. I had it in a previous car and used it once which with our UK roads was more than enough. If it (when it’s off) is softer than standard suspension that’s a new one on me but the standard suspension is good enough.
Extended leather. That would be nice to get rid of the plastic dash and door capping but that’s visual.
PCCB. Try finding one! Anyone who specs ceramic brakes on a base 718 clearly has money to burn. I only found one Boxster for sale with ceramics (yellow with race tex at OPC Chester) and after dropping the price it eventually sold after 6 months! It was over my price, as good as they are, I don’t values a 718 base Boxster at over £40k secondhand.
Buying secondhand it’s all about compromise as you could wait many months to find one with all the extras you want at the price you want to pay. It’s all about what YOU want and not what you think the next buyer wants when you come to sell. There are a couple of Boxster on AT that are very highly spec’d but they’ve been there for months and are clearly being valued on the extras they have that nobody wants to pay for.
Climate control. I would t buy a car without it as I want to set a temperature and let the car do the work not me adjusting temp/fan speed. Might be less of an issue in Boxster but I still want it
PDK. You’re fixed on that given the other driver. It’s good but with a turbo engine I’d prefer a manual but thought I’d give it a go.
Heated seats. Yes in Boxster mode
Lights. I’ve got the poverty spec and they’re good enough for me as my night driving won’t be much. Yes I’d have liked PDLS+ but when they go wrong going through their alignment process every time you use them fixing them ain’t cheap and fix/recalibration is a main dealer visit to relieve you of nearly £1k.
Sports Chrono. I’ve got this and will probably lose interest playing with it so going forward I could live without it. That said with PDK it does sharpen things up and changes the engine note (without PSE). Having this you will of course get PADM included.
PSE. Mines a pre GPF and to me it not a prerequisite. Had I paid for it from new especially with a GPF fitted car I’d feel ripped off. I wouldn’t pay a premium secondhand for a car with PSE.
Sports seats. I’ve got the 2-way electric and for me the less adjustment the better otherwise you’re forever trying to find the perfect seat position. I came from carbon buckets with no options - perfect positioning. Standard seats I found rather narrow in the backrest but it’s a personal choice.
PASM. Not for me. I had it in a previous car and used it once which with our UK roads was more than enough. If it (when it’s off) is softer than standard suspension that’s a new one on me but the standard suspension is good enough.
Extended leather. That would be nice to get rid of the plastic dash and door capping but that’s visual.
PCCB. Try finding one! Anyone who specs ceramic brakes on a base 718 clearly has money to burn. I only found one Boxster for sale with ceramics (yellow with race tex at OPC Chester) and after dropping the price it eventually sold after 6 months! It was over my price, as good as they are, I don’t values a 718 base Boxster at over £40k secondhand.
Buying secondhand it’s all about compromise as you could wait many months to find one with all the extras you want at the price you want to pay. It’s all about what YOU want and not what you think the next buyer wants when you come to sell. There are a couple of Boxster on AT that are very highly spec’d but they’ve been there for months and are clearly being valued on the extras they have that nobody wants to pay for.
Thanks for the responses guys, super super helpful!
Leaning Boxster so sounds like heated bits and pieces essential.
It'll be used for weekend blasts mostly with the odd weekend trip away (when we can find a babysitter!) so sounds like PASM for the extra dynamic benefit worth it.
Budget is around £40k so likely a pre-GPF one. Sounds like in terms of PSE best thing to do is test drive one with and one without and see whether the difference is noticeable.
Leaning Boxster so sounds like heated bits and pieces essential.
It'll be used for weekend blasts mostly with the odd weekend trip away (when we can find a babysitter!) so sounds like PASM for the extra dynamic benefit worth it.
Budget is around £40k so likely a pre-GPF one. Sounds like in terms of PSE best thing to do is test drive one with and one without and see whether the difference is noticeable.
2 way sports plus seats would be my preference over standard or 14 way as they provide more side support and are extremely comfortable. Did several euro tours in ours with no issues at all.
18 ways are the 2 way seats but with much more (unnecessary for me) adjustment. They also, it's claimed, sit a bit higher due to the additional motors over the 2 ways.
18 ways are the 2 way seats but with much more (unnecessary for me) adjustment. They also, it's claimed, sit a bit higher due to the additional motors over the 2 ways.
For me it would be....
Sport Seat Plus. Don't care if 2 or 18 way. Edit: Actually, 14 way comfort.
I just want tilt on the base, I think I prefer the comfort seats but didn't consider the 14 way would gave tilt as always had the base comfort or sport plus with adjustable tilt on base.
PASM - But only because if there is a DSC controller it would give you more comfort when needed and a sport setting that is useful on the road.
Bose. Standard stereo is not great at all and I like my tunes.
PSE - Nice but not essential.
The full leather is also really nice, makes such a difference.
Although I do like the Alcantara with wheel and gear shift in it too.
Do all cars after 2017 get Carplay? Regardless of PCM?
Sport Seat Plus. Don't care if 2 or 18 way. Edit: Actually, 14 way comfort.
I just want tilt on the base, I think I prefer the comfort seats but didn't consider the 14 way would gave tilt as always had the base comfort or sport plus with adjustable tilt on base.
PASM - But only because if there is a DSC controller it would give you more comfort when needed and a sport setting that is useful on the road.
Bose. Standard stereo is not great at all and I like my tunes.
PSE - Nice but not essential.
The full leather is also really nice, makes such a difference.
Although I do like the Alcantara with wheel and gear shift in it too.
Do all cars after 2017 get Carplay? Regardless of PCM?
Edited by Ed.Neumann on Tuesday 28th November 14:02
My 5 cents:
Base headlights are fine as they are Xenons, I do a lot of commuting part of it on unlit country roads, which is all done in the dark this time of year. The LEDs must be amazing as the basic Xenons are excellent in my view.
PASM softens the ride slightly when I've had a loaner. Not sure it is a deal breaker unless you want the sport setting for the track, the standard passive suspension is fine, I've done 65k in mine on potholed UK roads. I have 18"s though if that is a consideration.
I do wish I'd ordered a rear wiper. Some hate it as prefer clean lines, but reversing out of a space in heavy rain can be challenging even with Rain X.
Basic seats are fine, very comfortable and hold you in place well, although memory seats would be handy for more than one main driver. I've done many hours on long road trips without issue.
PSE - mine is pre GPF as is one of the earlier cars so exhaust in sport mode will overrun without PSE. On loaners with PSE I find the overrun a bit fake post GPF but it is nice having the switch to toggle the exhaust mode independently of sport mode.
Won't weight in on the PDK vs manual other than to say the PDK is excellent for commuting but as a weekend car a manual would be my preference.
I would personally avoid sports chrono - the addition of sport plus is only really a track mode in my view, and the big downside are the dynamic engine mounts which are a noted design fault. They are covered under the warranty but who wants to be back to the dealership every few months for repairs.
I would also avoid torque vectoring which comes with the LSD. Not sure many cars have it but it will certainly chew through your rear brakes far more quickly.
Cruise I find essential if you are driving anywhere with stupid limits. Not as critical on a weekend car and possible to dealer fit later I believe.
ETA- the standard sound system on the 718 is the 'sound package plus' I believe was previously a paid optional upgrade on the 981. It's not great and there is a lot of road noise but in my view the Bose on the loaners I've had really isn't worth the extra, the sub just adds more bass and distortion. If you can find a car with a Burmeister system it may be worth it but was a very expensive option.
Base headlights are fine as they are Xenons, I do a lot of commuting part of it on unlit country roads, which is all done in the dark this time of year. The LEDs must be amazing as the basic Xenons are excellent in my view.
PASM softens the ride slightly when I've had a loaner. Not sure it is a deal breaker unless you want the sport setting for the track, the standard passive suspension is fine, I've done 65k in mine on potholed UK roads. I have 18"s though if that is a consideration.
I do wish I'd ordered a rear wiper. Some hate it as prefer clean lines, but reversing out of a space in heavy rain can be challenging even with Rain X.
Basic seats are fine, very comfortable and hold you in place well, although memory seats would be handy for more than one main driver. I've done many hours on long road trips without issue.
PSE - mine is pre GPF as is one of the earlier cars so exhaust in sport mode will overrun without PSE. On loaners with PSE I find the overrun a bit fake post GPF but it is nice having the switch to toggle the exhaust mode independently of sport mode.
Won't weight in on the PDK vs manual other than to say the PDK is excellent for commuting but as a weekend car a manual would be my preference.
I would personally avoid sports chrono - the addition of sport plus is only really a track mode in my view, and the big downside are the dynamic engine mounts which are a noted design fault. They are covered under the warranty but who wants to be back to the dealership every few months for repairs.
I would also avoid torque vectoring which comes with the LSD. Not sure many cars have it but it will certainly chew through your rear brakes far more quickly.
Cruise I find essential if you are driving anywhere with stupid limits. Not as critical on a weekend car and possible to dealer fit later I believe.
ETA- the standard sound system on the 718 is the 'sound package plus' I believe was previously a paid optional upgrade on the 981. It's not great and there is a lot of road noise but in my view the Bose on the loaners I've had really isn't worth the extra, the sub just adds more bass and distortion. If you can find a car with a Burmeister system it may be worth it but was a very expensive option.
Edited by jimbo761 on Tuesday 28th November 16:20
I’ve had a base 718 Cayman for six years now from new. A lot of options I’ve added are now standard, so I guess several will be default ones dependent on what year car you’re buying. From the ones I have I can offer the following feedback.
Sports seats plus - essential for me. Very much dependent on your height and build, but I found the basic standard seats to be the most uncomfortable car seats I’ve ever experienced. After an hour in those, I was in a lot of discomfort. They’re far too narrow for me. I do have 18 ways, which offer a lot of flexibility. More than the 4 ways. Annoyingly a lot of the flexibility the 18 ways offer aren’t available on the 4 ways. Point for me is that there’s no point having a car that’s painful to sit it so try and test them. Useful to have the electrics for two drivers, you can save the settings to keys. What’s more annoying though is that you can only get a dipping mirror with the memory seats, should be included with the folding option imo.
Wheels - get 20”, looks much better. The ride is certainly acceptable for me on them without PASM.
PASM, I do have that. Does drop the car 10mm on the base so looks better and you are essentially using it all the time. I’ve found it fine on smooth roads in sports mode. The 20mm drop you get on an S and above is the sweet spot for me, sports mode on those is a bit too harsh. I did drive a carrera t the other day and found sports mode on that suspension much better though.
Crono - essential for me. Find I use it a lot, sports response mode is fun and I like the clock.
PSE - standard on post filter cars and they need it. I’d want to get the dual flute tips on a base car post filters but I guess that’s easy to add aftermarket. The pre filter cars are a lot louder and bangy from what I’ve experienced.
Lights - I have the middle ones, so get the four point running lights, look a lot better than standard and the directional change is useful if you’re on unlit roads in the dark.
CarPlay, sat nav and all the connectivity stuff. I use the inbuilt nav, I like having it in the binnacle. I think if it doesn’t have car play it can be added. However all that stuff should be standard my18 onwards.
Leather interior is a must for me, elevates the cabin especially in two tone.
Dual climate, probably liveable without. I still fiddle with it constantly.
Rain sensors aren’t great, probably standard now. Dimming mirrors, I guess the same, useful not being blinded though.
Stereo, have the standard one. Couldn’t tell much difference with Bose. Not much of an audiophile though.
Cruise control don’t care. It’s a sports car.
Smoking package. Does remove the annoying hole on the centre console. Big enough to keep a few coins in and has a what is useless now 12 volt charger.
Think that’s all other than cosmetic stuff which is subjective anyway.
Sports seats plus - essential for me. Very much dependent on your height and build, but I found the basic standard seats to be the most uncomfortable car seats I’ve ever experienced. After an hour in those, I was in a lot of discomfort. They’re far too narrow for me. I do have 18 ways, which offer a lot of flexibility. More than the 4 ways. Annoyingly a lot of the flexibility the 18 ways offer aren’t available on the 4 ways. Point for me is that there’s no point having a car that’s painful to sit it so try and test them. Useful to have the electrics for two drivers, you can save the settings to keys. What’s more annoying though is that you can only get a dipping mirror with the memory seats, should be included with the folding option imo.
Wheels - get 20”, looks much better. The ride is certainly acceptable for me on them without PASM.
PASM, I do have that. Does drop the car 10mm on the base so looks better and you are essentially using it all the time. I’ve found it fine on smooth roads in sports mode. The 20mm drop you get on an S and above is the sweet spot for me, sports mode on those is a bit too harsh. I did drive a carrera t the other day and found sports mode on that suspension much better though.
Crono - essential for me. Find I use it a lot, sports response mode is fun and I like the clock.
PSE - standard on post filter cars and they need it. I’d want to get the dual flute tips on a base car post filters but I guess that’s easy to add aftermarket. The pre filter cars are a lot louder and bangy from what I’ve experienced.
Lights - I have the middle ones, so get the four point running lights, look a lot better than standard and the directional change is useful if you’re on unlit roads in the dark.
CarPlay, sat nav and all the connectivity stuff. I use the inbuilt nav, I like having it in the binnacle. I think if it doesn’t have car play it can be added. However all that stuff should be standard my18 onwards.
Leather interior is a must for me, elevates the cabin especially in two tone.
Dual climate, probably liveable without. I still fiddle with it constantly.
Rain sensors aren’t great, probably standard now. Dimming mirrors, I guess the same, useful not being blinded though.
Stereo, have the standard one. Couldn’t tell much difference with Bose. Not much of an audiophile though.
Cruise control don’t care. It’s a sports car.
Smoking package. Does remove the annoying hole on the centre console. Big enough to keep a few coins in and has a what is useless now 12 volt charger.
Think that’s all other than cosmetic stuff which is subjective anyway.
Seems like everything is adequately covered above.
However, if you're going boxster it will be worth seeking out lane change assist (blind spot monitoring) as the offside rear three quarters visibility is not the best when the good is up. It's a £453 option when new and it might just save you one day!
This system does not adjust your steering automatically to stay in lane but puts a warning light on (3 led's) when car approaches your blind spot. The system works well and is reliable.
Happy hunting
However, if you're going boxster it will be worth seeking out lane change assist (blind spot monitoring) as the offside rear three quarters visibility is not the best when the good is up. It's a £453 option when new and it might just save you one day!
This system does not adjust your steering automatically to stay in lane but puts a warning light on (3 led's) when car approaches your blind spot. The system works well and is reliable.
Happy hunting
Down on the Farm said:
Seems like everything is adequately covered above.
However, if you're going boxster it will be worth seeking out lane change assist (blind spot monitoring) as the offside rear three quarters visibility is not the best when the good is up. It's a £453 option when new and it might just save you one day!
This system does not adjust your steering automatically to stay in lane but puts a warning light on (3 led's) when car approaches your blind spot. The system works well and is reliable.
Happy hunting
My current 718 is a base model with PDK (first non-manual & first non S Boxster) bought at 6 months old.However, if you're going boxster it will be worth seeking out lane change assist (blind spot monitoring) as the offside rear three quarters visibility is not the best when the good is up. It's a £453 option when new and it might just save you one day!
This system does not adjust your steering automatically to stay in lane but puts a warning light on (3 led's) when car approaches your blind spot. The system works well and is reliable.
Happy hunting
Yes that’s something I wouldn’t have specced but it is really useful - as you say it’s not like lane keeping which on other brands is downright annoying.
Something again I’ve never had before was a heated steering wheel but wouldn’t be without it on a Boxster now (I’ve had 4 now)
Always had heated seats as that is essential if you’re using it year round.
The PSE is definitely a must-have too - without it,the car sounds pretty rubbish but it comes alive along with sport mode.
I wouldn’t discount the 2.0 model as it is a brilliant car and definitely felt faster than my 987.2 S manual.
Food for thought.
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