Cayman 981 GTS - what’s not to like!
Discussion
Hi all
I posted on a 981 Boxster GTS related post a week or two ago albeit was more expressing my interest in getting into a Cayman variant.
After a bout of covid struck us down I finally managed to get out in a pdk car this morning for an unaccompanied test drive.
As background we’ve previously had a manual Cayman R, 981S PDK and 718 GT4 PDK so do have a bit of experience with the the platform.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say this was the the best blend of the lot. That’s not to say the best at everything, but it felt like a fantastic package for what would daily. Probably the most stark difference for me was how much better it was than a 981S - anyone saying there isn’t much in it can simply not have driven both imho.
Rest assured the search has commenced for what I think will be a fantastic daily for my purposes. Really after something pretty low mileage with a warranty, approved opc not much available and not sure if I can face a white one.
I posted on a 981 Boxster GTS related post a week or two ago albeit was more expressing my interest in getting into a Cayman variant.
After a bout of covid struck us down I finally managed to get out in a pdk car this morning for an unaccompanied test drive.
As background we’ve previously had a manual Cayman R, 981S PDK and 718 GT4 PDK so do have a bit of experience with the the platform.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say this was the the best blend of the lot. That’s not to say the best at everything, but it felt like a fantastic package for what would daily. Probably the most stark difference for me was how much better it was than a 981S - anyone saying there isn’t much in it can simply not have driven both imho.
Rest assured the search has commenced for what I think will be a fantastic daily for my purposes. Really after something pretty low mileage with a warranty, approved opc not much available and not sure if I can face a white one.
RichDS said:
Hi all
I posted on a 981 Boxster GTS related post a week or two ago albeit was more expressing my interest in getting into a Cayman variant.
After a bout of covid struck us down I finally managed to get out in a pdk car this morning for an unaccompanied test drive.
As background we’ve previously had a manual Cayman R, 981S PDK and 718 GT4 PDK so do have a bit of experience with the the platform.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say this was the the best blend of the lot. That’s not to say the best at everything, but it felt like a fantastic package for what would daily. Probably the most stark difference for me was how much better it was than a 981S - anyone saying there isn’t much in it can simply not have driven both imho.
Rest assured the search has commenced for what I think will be a fantastic daily for my purposes. Really after something pretty low mileage with a warranty, approved opc not much available and not sure if I can face a white one.
Having owned MANY P cars over the years including GT models i'm massively smitten with my 981 BGTS.I posted on a 981 Boxster GTS related post a week or two ago albeit was more expressing my interest in getting into a Cayman variant.
After a bout of covid struck us down I finally managed to get out in a pdk car this morning for an unaccompanied test drive.
As background we’ve previously had a manual Cayman R, 981S PDK and 718 GT4 PDK so do have a bit of experience with the the platform.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say this was the the best blend of the lot. That’s not to say the best at everything, but it felt like a fantastic package for what would daily. Probably the most stark difference for me was how much better it was than a 981S - anyone saying there isn’t much in it can simply not have driven both imho.
Rest assured the search has commenced for what I think will be a fantastic daily for my purposes. Really after something pretty low mileage with a warranty, approved opc not much available and not sure if I can face a white one.
I did once own a 981 GT4 so im a fan of the 981 platform so the GTS i was sure was the best model for me and i;m certainly not disappointed.
Oddly enough i drove a white manual car from OPC Portsmouth with PCCB but it never had the alcantara that i prefer.
I ended up buying an absolute peach of a 981GTS in Carmine with satin wheels and PDK and i'm not yeaning for a 718 GTS.
I wouldnt be put off by white TBH but that said i love my carmine car.
Good luck in your search and i didnt know there was such a bigger difference between the S and the GTS cars
RichDS said:
Hi all
Probably the most stark difference for me was how much better it was than a 981S - anyone saying there isn’t much in it can simply not have driven both imho.
Apart from the GTS trim differences, in what way is it better than a 981S? Genuinely curious, as a long time 981S owner but I've never driven a 981GTS. Probably the most stark difference for me was how much better it was than a 981S - anyone saying there isn’t much in it can simply not have driven both imho.
DRH986 said:
Apart from the GTS trim differences, in what way is it better than a 981S? Genuinely curious, as a long time 981S owner but I've never driven a 981GTS.
Yeh, it’s not better except a few years ago (and perhaps again in the future) residual value. GTS on a 981 is a trim level. I tested both and the options on the S I chose made it better for me than the couple of GTS cars I saw. At the time, the price difference was probably 17-19k (low 30s vs 50k for low milers in summer 2020). Difficult one to justify on a keeper..In my manual S I have all the GTS options - SC, PASM, PTV, PSE, plus 18-ways, plus Burmester, extended leather (I dislike alcantara) and every interior bell and whistle… haven’t found a GTS I’d swap it for.
Sublime cars, though - as long as you’ve got a good’n.
Edited by Royal Jelly on Sunday 17th November 09:36
I'm looking at Caymans (Caymen?), and the 981 GTS is, I find, something of a conundrum for me, for one reason only: I don't like alcantara. I know you sometimes see a GTS without it, which I assume means the first owner didn't spec the GTS Interior option. But such cars are quite rare, and some people are a bit sniffy: "Oh, it doesn't have the GTS interior? Shame....."
Alcantara apart, I do think the GTS package is very appealing. A used GTS appears to be around £7k more expensive than an S with similar mileage, which IIRC was around the premium when brand new. I imagine that that premium will continue, opinions?
Alcantara apart, I do think the GTS package is very appealing. A used GTS appears to be around £7k more expensive than an S with similar mileage, which IIRC was around the premium when brand new. I imagine that that premium will continue, opinions?
Used to own a 981 Cayman GTS, Sapphire Blue, PDK, PCCB., after that a 718 GT4 Gentian, PDK, PCCB, LWB , and now owning a GT4RS Oak Green, PCCB etc
For the 981 GTS I loved the sound, the most free revving engine ever (no OPF/GPF), the fantastic interacting PDK, the car was sublime on those territories.
But;
But the steering, I disliked it verry much, TBH; It was awful indeed.
It was te 1st generation EPS, and it was far from good.
The steering GT4/ RS is on a whole other level.
For the 981 GTS I loved the sound, the most free revving engine ever (no OPF/GPF), the fantastic interacting PDK, the car was sublime on those territories.
But;
But the steering, I disliked it verry much, TBH; It was awful indeed.
It was te 1st generation EPS, and it was far from good.
The steering GT4/ RS is on a whole other level.
Romo said:
Used to own a 981 Cayman GTS, Sapphire Blue, PDK, PCCB., after that a 718 GT4 Gentian, PDK, PCCB, LWB , and now owning a GT4RS Oak Green, PCCB etc
For the 981 GTS I loved the sound, the most free revving engine ever (no OPF/GPF), the fantastic interacting PDK, the car was sublime on those territories.
But;
But the steering, I disliked it verry much, TBH; It was awful indeed.
It was te 1st generation EPS, and it was far from good.
The steering GT4/ RS is on a whole other level.
The RS totally different gravy for sure and well done you. For the 981 GTS I loved the sound, the most free revving engine ever (no OPF/GPF), the fantastic interacting PDK, the car was sublime on those territories.
But;
But the steering, I disliked it verry much, TBH; It was awful indeed.
It was te 1st generation EPS, and it was far from good.
The steering GT4/ RS is on a whole other level.
For me (old now) the BGTS 981 i find a cracking car to drive especially with the roof down for those lovely early summer drives.
How do you find the RS copes with our crappy roads?
Edited by Esquire on Sunday 17th November 16:54
Esquire said:
The RS totally different gravy for sure and well done you.
For me (old now) the BGTS 981 i find a cracking car to drive especially with the roof down for those lovely early summer drives.
How do you find the RS copes with our crappy roads?
I live in the Netherlands, we don`t have crappy roads as in the UK, so the RS copes magnificent !For me (old now) the BGTS 981 i find a cracking car to drive especially with the roof down for those lovely early summer drives.
How do you find the RS copes with our crappy roads?
Edited by Esquire on Sunday 17th November 16:54
When I bought my Boxster S I was looking for either an S or a GTS, I wanted a low mileage OPC/warranty car and both were in budget.
I drove both and what decided it for me was effectively the spec, I cannot stand alcantara and at the time all the GTS cars I saw had it.
I tried to convince myself it would grow on me but then I thought why not just buy what I liked in the first place, a leather interior.
Having driven both I also didn’t see any difference between the badges, just the spec and I have been and still am delighted with what I have.
They are all used cars and apart from a few retro fit options the cars are what they are, you either like what you see or not, you pays your money you takes your choice.
I drove both and what decided it for me was effectively the spec, I cannot stand alcantara and at the time all the GTS cars I saw had it.
I tried to convince myself it would grow on me but then I thought why not just buy what I liked in the first place, a leather interior.
Having driven both I also didn’t see any difference between the badges, just the spec and I have been and still am delighted with what I have.
They are all used cars and apart from a few retro fit options the cars are what they are, you either like what you see or not, you pays your money you takes your choice.
The 981 GTS is a peach. Having had both Boxster and Cayman, I'd always go Boxster again. The 3.4 is a peach of an engine, really need to rev it out. The car is just fun on the road. Steering and long gearing was the only let down in my opinion, although I did keep the BGTS for 3 years which is a long time for me. I drove a 718 GT4 the other day and was left disappointed, no where near as much fun as the 981 GTS on the road, obviously its more capable on track. A lot of modern cars are just too good for the road, once could say a Cayman R is probably the one for all out driver fun or the 987 Spyder as it retains the hydraulic steering.
responding directly to the thread title, like some others, my answer would be
"pretty dead steering feel on the road"
but bear in mind i came from around 8 years of air-cooled pork & this was my first experience of electric steering in a sports car.
it just never seemed to weight up at all in the corners. and barely any info coming through it. although on track it wasn't an issue for me - perhaps as the forces are that much more than road-driving, that the steering wheel came alive a bit more.
"pretty dead steering feel on the road"
but bear in mind i came from around 8 years of air-cooled pork & this was my first experience of electric steering in a sports car.
it just never seemed to weight up at all in the corners. and barely any info coming through it. although on track it wasn't an issue for me - perhaps as the forces are that much more than road-driving, that the steering wheel came alive a bit more.
n12maser said:
responding directly to the thread title, like some others, my answer would be
"pretty dead steering feel on the road"
but bear in mind i came from around 8 years of air-cooled pork & this was my first experience of electric steering in a sports car.
it just never seemed to weight up at all in the corners. and barely any info coming through it. although on track it wasn't an issue for me - perhaps as the forces are that much more than road-driving, that the steering wheel came alive a bit more.
Your right, the steering has no feel. Honestly I worked around it, it was still a pleasure to drive and didn't ruin the drive. Although back in a Hydraulic steering car now and not sure I could go back."pretty dead steering feel on the road"
but bear in mind i came from around 8 years of air-cooled pork & this was my first experience of electric steering in a sports car.
it just never seemed to weight up at all in the corners. and barely any info coming through it. although on track it wasn't an issue for me - perhaps as the forces are that much more than road-driving, that the steering wheel came alive a bit more.
I had a 981GTS Cayman 64 plate/white and put around 40k miles on it across 6 years, had a 987.2 Boxster before that and it's a night and day difference, but the steering was the big let down on the newer 981.
The GTS was a great car, such a good all rounder.
I had a car or two after the 981 but in a 718GT4 now and it's moved on again, the front end is so much more confidence inspiring over the 981, I know I am not comparing apples with apples also.
The GTS was a great car, such a good all rounder.
I had a car or two after the 981 but in a 718GT4 now and it's moved on again, the front end is so much more confidence inspiring over the 981, I know I am not comparing apples with apples also.
Freakuk said:
I had a car or two after the 981 but in a 718GT4 now and it's moved on again, the front end is so much more confidence inspiring over the 981, I know I am not comparing apples with apples also.
switching to Michelins from the awful Pirellis transformed the car for me and it finally felt/handled the way i always imagined it shouldcan't believe it's coming up to 8 years that i got mine, and i still get a buzz whenever i get in and start the engine
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
JasonSteel said:
switching to Michelins from the awful Pirellis transformed the car for me and it finally felt/handled the way i always imagined it should
can't believe it's coming up to 8 years that i got mine, and i still get a buzz whenever i get in and start the engine
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Lovely spec can't believe it's coming up to 8 years that i got mine, and i still get a buzz whenever i get in and start the engine
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
JayK12 said:
. A lot of modern cars are just too good for the road, once could say a Cayman R is probably the one for all out driver fun or the 987 Spyder as it retains the hydraulic steering.
Had both of those and a GT3, definitely agree. For road use, Cayman R is the one you can get the most out of and have huge amounts of fun without doing stupid speeds. Followed by the 987 Spyder.
The 981 GTS however is probably the best all rounder Porsche I’ve had. Superb chassis, great engine, great soundtrack, lovely interior, fast, balanced and good looking.
Great sports car.
MrVert said:
Had both of those and a GT3, definitely agree.
For road use, Cayman R is the one you can get the most out of and have huge amounts of fun without doing stupid speeds. Followed by the 987 Spyder.
The 981 GTS however is probably the best all rounder Porsche I’ve had. Superb chassis, great engine, great soundtrack, lovely interior, fast, balanced and good looking.
Great sports car.
I concur and i also come from a few GT cars and a 987 Spyder
I concur and i also come from a few GT cars and a 987 Spyder For road use, Cayman R is the one you can get the most out of and have huge amounts of fun without doing stupid speeds. Followed by the 987 Spyder.
The 981 GTS however is probably the best all rounder Porsche I’ve had. Superb chassis, great engine, great soundtrack, lovely interior, fast, balanced and good looking.
Great sports car.
I concur and i also come from a few GT cars and a 987 Spyder
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