987 to 981, who’s made the change? - Page 3 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

987 to 981, who’s made the change? Anything you miss about the 987?

What it looks like but nothing else.. Both fantastic cars but the 987 is ageing well

Steering and gearing, smaller size. Everything else is better on the 981. Chassis rigidity much better on the 981 as is the ride compliance and the decider for me.

kilarney said: Steering and gearing, smaller size. Everything else is better on the 981. Chassis rigidity much better on the 981 as is the ride compliance and the decider for me. Killarney, is there a difference in manual gearing between 987s and 981s? Cheers, Dunc

I changed from Boxster 987 to Boxster 981s Very different cars. 987 is more pure, louder at low revs, more mechanical, more agile. 981s is more powerful, louder at high revs, more modern looking and more comfortable overall. PCM is crap on both.

PCM is what?

Crap on both

I would advise you to drive both - the biggest change I noticed was the steering, imho even on the 718 the steering is still nowhere near as feelsome as the 987…..

I changed from a 987 gen 1 Cayman S to a 981 Cayman S. The negatives for me are loss of steering feel, too much brake servo assistance and loss of overall rawness. I don't like the PDK box and wish I'd bought a manual but appreciate I'm in a small minority on that. Positives for the 981 are better PASM damping and looks and a little bit more cabin space. I've had the 981 four years after six years with the 987 and really haven't bonded with it to the same extent as the 987. But it's still a great car and there's nothing tempting me to change it for, other than maybe a manual or my old 987 (now owned by a friend) with a view to some mods.

I went to test drive a Cayamn 981S, considering a swap from my mint 30,000 mint Cayman 987.2 The 981 is just a quantum jump from the 987. The chassis stiffness seems to allow a recalibration of the PASM making it more comliant and supple. Brakes are excellent, no need for the GT3 master cylinder swap as required on the 987. Front calipers are also different which nobody seems to pick up on. Cabin on the 981 looks as though it much more cohesive and up to date. As far as performance goes, my son and I entered a sprint at Curborough, having owned it for 10 days. The car broke the track record for the standard car class with my son driving, I wasn't far behind. 981 S is a fab machine although I have to say I'm thinking of a GTS as a keeper due to residuals..

I had a 987.2 manual for a few months, quite happy with it so decided to chop my C Class Coupe in with it for a 981 PDK. I wish I'd kept the 987. I didn't like the heavy insensitive steering and although I know it was only slightly bigger than the 987 it always seemed much bigger and bulkier, particularly on narrow roads. I can only blame myself regarding the steering, due to an urgent business call I only gave it a two minute test drive up and down the street instead of a proper run. It was a good long distance tourer, we had a great trip to Angouleme with some car mates pre-covid but I just didn't enjoy it on short runs. I got a very good resale price and bought an Elan Sprint and a Fiesta ST Line. Very happy, I might go back to a 987 at some time in the future.

Where are people getting test drives to tell the difference in handling? I’m planning to upgrade from a 987.2 Cayman to a 981 GTS. When I was buying my Cayman most dealers wouldn’t allow a test drive.

DRH986 said: I changed from a 987 gen 1 Cayman S to a 981 Cayman S. The negatives for me are loss of steering feel, too much brake servo assistance and loss of overall rawness. I don't like the PDK box and wish I'd bought a manual but appreciate I'm in a small minority on that. Positives for the 981 are better PASM damping and looks and a little bit more cabin space. I've had the 981 four years after six years with the 987 and really haven't bonded with it to the same extent as the 987. But it's still a great car and there's nothing tempting me to change it for, other than maybe a manual or my old 987 (now owned by a friend) with a view to some mods. I could have probably written that word for word. The 987 is a much better performance car than the 981, but the 981 does have some perks. Nothing tempting me to change it either, as modern cars with NA engines and manual gearboxes are few and far between.

Just picked up a 987.2 after studying the market .Factored in IMS , RMS , bore scoring and arrived at the conclusion the 987.2 is the sweet spot .Largely due to the new full deck engine design . Took Porsche 12 yrs to figure out how to cast a block . Any how it feels driving like a sharper better handling 3.2 Carrara from the 80 s . Fantastic turn in . The 2,9 is safe enough power v s chassis for my reactions. Raw old school 911 feel without the sweaty palms .

Fiammetta said: Just picked up a 987.2 after studying the market .Factored in IMS , RMS , bore scoring and arrived at the conclusion the 987.2 is the sweet spot .Largely due to the new full deck engine design . Took Porsche 12 yrs to figure out how to cast a block . Any how it feels driving like a sharper better handling 3.2 Carrara from the 80 s . Fantastic turn in . The 2,9 is safe enough power v s chassis for my reactions. Raw old school 911 feel without the sweaty palms . You’ve got the 2.9? Did you try the S

I think this is why the CR and original Spyder are so special. 1. As light as they could sensibly make them 2. Hydraulic Power Steering ... so great feel 3. More lively in the engine department and Gen 2 reliability 4. Cosmetically lovely ... carbon seats, flow forged alloys ... the feel of lightness and tactility also in their design ... 5. No need for PASM, both are the sweetest handling cars ... 6. Few gadgets to go wrong ... 7. Fast enough ? 8. For those that like PDK ... MUCH better than Tiptronic 9. On track the CR (maybe with small mods) ... for fine days and fundays ... the Spyder, just so beautifully made and the car can be driven in modest rain with just the outer roof which takes seconds to mount (but you do have to stop !) ... and the windscreen rail assembly in carbon fibre is just another work of art. By comparison to which the later Spyders have become heavier and much less in the ethos of Spyder and for me, are stepping on the toes of Speedster ?? Questions. How fast do you really want a road car to be ? Where do you want the feel-good ? At legal or illegal speeds ? How long might you plan to keep the right car ? The older cars will ultimately last longer than the newer ones if only because of the complex gadgets which are already causing owners problems ... and are they really better ? Electric handbrake ... PCM beyond 10 years ? ... PASM ... RWS ... active engine mounts ... even the latest apps and alarms seem to be a source of frustration ... A bit of a rant, sorry, but food for thought ?

ChrisW. said: I think this is why the CR and original Spyder are so special. 1. As light as they could sensibly make them 2. Hydraulic Power Steering ... so great feel 3. More lively in the engine department and Gen 2 reliability 4. Cosmetically lovely ... carbon seats, flow forged alloys ... the feel of lightness and tactility also in their design ... 5. No need for PASM, both are the sweetest handling cars ... 6. Few gadgets to go wrong ... 7. Fast enough ? 8. For those that like PDK ... MUCH better than Tiptronic 9. On track the CR (maybe with small mods) ... for fine days and fundays ... the Spyder, just so beautifully made and the car can be driven in modest rain with just the outer roof which takes seconds to mount (but you do have to stop !) ... and the windscreen rail assembly in carbon fibre is just another work of art. By comparison to which the later Spyders have become heavier and much less in the ethos of Spyder and for me, are stepping on the toes of Speedster ?? Questions. How fast do you really want a road car to be ? Where do you want the feel-good ? At legal or illegal speeds ? How long might you plan to keep the right car ? The older cars will ultimately last longer than the newer ones if only because of the complex gadgets which are already causing owners problems ... and are they really better ? Electric handbrake ... PCM beyond 10 years ? ... PASM ... RWS ... active engine mounts ... even the latest apps and alarms seem to be a source of frustration ... A bit of a rant, sorry, but food for thought ? The 987.2 Spyder can be argued as the best modern road fun car Porsche have made in the last 25 years, they are just incredible. I've driven the 986. 987, 981 and 718 generations: 986: Too dated, poor interiors and a bit under powered and engine issues, RMS, bore scoring. Cost a lot of money to bring a 986 upto new standard. 987: Over engineered on 987.2 series, Porsche had to fix their reputation, fantastic reliability, last of hydraulic steering which is still superior to even EPAS 718 steering. Also the perfect size for hustling down a b-road, gearing is lower due to smaller wheel/tyre size and lower rev limit. The 987.2 is just the best overall package if you want a true sports car for the road and odd track days. 981: Best sounding, great looking but the car grew in size and got heavier, lost a lot of the magic of the 987.2 cars. 718: Best handling, best for lap times, but sounds not great, still cannot match the hydraulic steering and expensive. For me the 987.2 Spyder is the most fun you can get in the last 25 years from Porsche in a road car, I'd say the next best are the Cayman R and the GT3 RS 997.2 generation cars, they are just incredible and so much fun to drive on the road, even at legal speeds. The newer stuff, I found the GT4 somewhat boring as a road car, the gearing is just stupid, the steering was nowhere near as good as my Spyder and the car was quite large in size, however the GT4 is a gorgeous looking car and the quality of finish is superb, also amazing on track, but as a car to enjoy on the road, the 987.2 Spyder and Cayman R they just do the road thrills side of stuff so much better and you can have fun within the speed limits.

I was given one for a week by my OPC, hated the steering compared to my 987 and the non-s seem gutless compared to my s. looked great though!

celica88 said: You’ve got the 2.9? Did you try the S As said did my home work. No because the 3.4 has DFI with inherent carbonisation potential issues .Also the spectre of bore scoring re emerges .BS is a complex topic but the primary factor is heat distribution around cylinder 6 .The 2.9 ,3.4 , 3.6 ,and indeed 3.8 share the same block same stroke just bored out .So the distance between cylinders reduces with inherent cooling , heat transfer risk = another bore scoring aetiology……from a long list sure . The 2.9 thus far 13 y seems immune . You want the max thickness between the bores not the minimum. It ain’t rocket science . Also totally subjective I hate the white dash on the S s = looks tacky from a demon tweaks catalogue some thing found on a Citroen Saxo boy racer mobile . Edited by Fiammetta on Tuesday 19th April 16:59

The best 987.2 vs 981 spider comparison is here imho . Echos the base modals too . Mentions steering and gearing in favour of the 987.2 . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlrrM_n_nHk Also not wanting to sound big headed but I actually like blipping in down shifts ( man ) and matching rev to road speed as you brake heavy charging up to a bend / roundabout etc . I think the reviewer calls It “ involvement “ I had a F 360;M with the F1 box ….too much electrotwackery and just felt uninspired, just a passenger in a technologically tour d force. Yes it’s easy to get carried on a wave of sales hype with PDK / flappy paddles etc stood in the showroom.We have been there . Edited by Fiammetta on Tuesday 19th April 17:13 Edited by Fiammetta on Tuesday 19th April 17:14

dunc_sx said: kilarney said: Steering and gearing, smaller size. Everything else is better on the 981. Chassis rigidity much better on the 981 as is the ride compliance and the decider for me. Killarney, is there a difference in manual gearing between 987s and 981s? Cheers, Dunc A small difference, but it's the same 'box with a slightly different final drive and no 20" wheel option on the 987. To all intents and purposes it's the same. Smaller wheels than 20" on a 981 would make them almost identical. In gear max speeds would differ due to the higher rev limits of the 981 series.

Fiammetta said: The best 987.2 vs 981 spider comparison is here imho . Echos the base modals too . Mentions steering and gearing in favour of the 987.2 . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlrrM_n_nHk Also not wanting to sound big headed but I actually like blipping in down shifts ( man ) and matching rev to road speed as you brake heavy charging up to a bend / roundabout etc . I think the reviewer calls It “ involvement “ I had a F 360;M with the F1 box ….too much electrotwackery and just felt uninspired, just a passenger in a technologically tour d force. Yes it’s easy to get carried on a wave of sales hype with PDK / flappy paddles etc stood in the showroom.We have been there . Edited by Fiammetta on Tuesday 19th April 17:13 Edited by Fiammetta on Tuesday 19th April 17:14 Interesting video. For me I think you'd have to go classic purist 987 OR just jump to the next step 718 really. The 981 is a bit of a compromise car since everything is subsequently improved in the later gen 718, but it retains some of the same draw backs like gearing. The 987 just retains it's purist USP (and the hydraulic steering).

Fiammetta said: Just picked up a 987.2 after studying the market .Factored in IMS , RMS , bore scoring and arrived at the conclusion the 987.2 is the sweet spot .Largely due to the new full deck engine design . Took Porsche 12 yrs to figure out how to cast a block . Any how it feels driving like a sharper better handling 3.2 Carrara from the 80 s . Fantastic turn in . The 2,9 is safe enough power v s chassis for my reactions. Raw old school 911 feel without the sweaty palms . This is lovely to read for any 987 owners who missed the boat on aircooled 911s (but still spend far too much time watching youtube vids about them). Just coming up to my first year of ownership (Gen 1 2.7) and struggling to see what to replace it with without spending at least double or triple (Cayman R, 981 GTS, 718 S or T or even base). I've not actually driven a 981 though, just a 718 2.0 and 2.5. Anyway, will be keeping hold of mine for a while. OK, maybe one of these after seeing that one on Harry's Garage but they are getting silly now: https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1988-porsche-9...

Fiammetta said: Just picked up a 987.2 after studying the market .Factored in IMS , RMS , bore scoring and arrived at the conclusion the 987.2 is the sweet spot .Largely due to the new full deck engine design . Took Porsche 12 yrs to figure out how to cast a block . Any how it feels driving like a sharper better handling 3.2 Carrara from the 80 s . Fantastic turn in . The 2,9 is safe enough power v s chassis for my reactions. Raw old school 911 feel without the sweaty palms . Haven't driven a 2.9 but suspect it's not a million miles apart from the 987.1 2.7 , which (in the Cayman /beyond the year 2005 in boxster) isn't impacted by IMS; meanwhile scoring hasn't been known to be an issue on the smaller engine. RMS weep isn't really a big issue if it does arise. Don't doubt the 2.9 probably is the sweetest of spots but also wouldn't dismiss the merits of the post 05 2.7

Twinfan said: A small difference, but it's the same 'box with a slightly different final drive and no 20" wheel option on the 987. To all intents and purposes it's the same. Smaller wheels than 20" on a 981 would make them almost identical. In gear max speeds would differ due to the higher rev limits of the 981 series. I think the standard profile tyres for a 981 with 19" wheels are 40 series and 35 series for 20" wheels. I fitted 35 series tyres to my 981 CS, making the gearing that tiny bit shorter.

I have (gifted to the missus) a 987.2 S manual, it felt a bit woolly compared to my (then, now sold) mint b7 RS4, I decided to check it over, as I believed it should be better. I found the front coffin arms and tuning forks were worn, badly. I replaced them, the tyres and then had the geometry sorted. My word, it’s now fantastic, I’ve had a 996 C4S in the past so have a Porsche product to compare it to. I can’t recommend them enough.

What milage was it on when needing this work?

It was on 42k miles.

JustGREENI said: It was on 42k miles. I have a 2.9 manual box 987.2 and all 4 of my control arms needed doing at 45k miles. Made a big difference to the feel of the car, it’s so much more tight and responsive now. To echo the other posts, I went for the 987.2 as I mainly wanted a more analogue, smaller feeling car than the 981. It helped that it was a bit cheaper too! I agree that the rear of the 987 can sometimes look a little awkward, but on the whole I like the shape and think it’s ageing well. I’m happy with mine and have no strong desire to swap into a 981.

Twinfan said: dunc_sx said: kilarney said: Steering and gearing, smaller size. Everything else is better on the 981. Chassis rigidity much better on the 981 as is the ride compliance and the decider for me. Killarney, is there a difference in manual gearing between 987s and 981s? Cheers, Dunc A small difference, but it's the same 'box with a slightly different final drive and no 20" wheel option on the 987. To all intents and purposes it's the same. Smaller wheels than 20" on a 981 would make them almost identical. In gear max speeds would differ due to the higher rev limits of the 981 series. That's not correct. In this context, gearing has nothing to do with wheel size. In all cases, factory spec tyres for a given model have the same rolling radius, which is what dictates the gearing in wheel / tyre terms. With a bigger wheel, there's just less sidewall. The diameter of the tyre on a 981 is the same on all wheel options 18-20". Gearing not impacted by wheel choice unless you run out of spec tyres on the smaller wheel options. Look at the sidewalls of a 981 on 18s and they're far bigger than a 981 on 20s. Rolling radius in each case is the same. Gearing on 987.2 and 981 is the same (987.1 is different), but the rolling radius is larger on the 981 (all 981s, regardless of wheel spec). So, taller effective gearing. You can use one of those tyre size calculator things to find out exactly how much bigger the rolling radius is on the 981.

dunc_sx said: kilarney said: Steering and gearing, smaller size. Everything else is better on the 981. Chassis rigidity much better on the 981 as is the ride compliance and the decider for me. Killarney, is there a difference in manual gearing between 987s and 981s? Cheers, Dunc Yes due to the smaller wheel size. So about 75 in 2nd rather than 85 in the 981. Makes a quite tangible difference.

And the PDK is lower geared ...

The base 2.7 987 Cayman is often overlooked for being gutless, I’ve had mine from new, 07 manual car with 79k miles. I couldn’t agree more but what I like about it is you really have to work hard for the performance, and I love that about it, you have to keep revs above 4k. Plus even wringing it’s neck your not doing crazy speeds and it sounds awesome even with standard exhaust, induction noise at low revs also great. From a handling prospective my summer wheels are 19’’ and grip levels are simply the best I’ve ever experienced, predictable and exploitable, you will feel at one with the car in no time, steering as others say is sublime. It’s a practical car, loads of boot space, down side is the ride quality, it’s shocking especially now I’m maturing! I ran a 991.1 for 6 years along side the 987 & the 911 has gone and the 987 is a lifetime keeper, says it all really.

Montcoffer said: The base 2.7 987 Cayman is often overlooked for being gutless, I’ve had mine from new, 07 manual car with 79k miles. I couldn’t agree more but what I like about it is you really have to work hard for the performance, and I love that about it, you have to keep revs above 4k. Plus even wringing it’s neck your not doing crazy speeds and it sounds awesome even with standard exhaust, induction noise at low revs also great. From a handling prospective my summer wheels are 19’’ and grip levels are simply the best I’ve ever experienced, predictable and exploitable, you will feel at one with the car in no time, steering as others say is sublime. It’s a practical car, loads of boot space, down side is the ride quality, it’s shocking especially now I’m maturing! I ran a 991.1 for 6 years along side the 987 & the 911 has gone and the 987 is a lifetime keeper, says it all really. As a (fairly) recent owner of a 987.1 2.7 Cayman - and my first ever Porsche - this is a delight to read. As is the whole thread, really! I absolutely love the car and while I don’t need any outside approval, I’m sure we can all agree it’s nice to read positive stuff about the car you own. Usually I get itchy feet around a year into ownership but I have no such feelings with this. Unlike the usual, more emotionally-led reasons to change, my only gripe is a rational one; I’d LOVE 2 rear seats to make life a bit easier with a small dog. But that’s it. I use the car on a daily basis and have enjoyed around 6k miles in as many months with it - a cracking thing and totally addictive when you get into the power band.

JustGREENI said: I have (gifted to the missus) a 987.2 S manual, it felt a bit woolly compared to my (then, now sold) mint b7 RS4, I decided to check it over, as I believed it should be better. I found the front coffin arms and tuning forks were worn, badly. I replaced them, the tyres and then had the geometry sorted. My word, it’s now fantastic, I’ve had a 996 C4S in the past so have a Porsche product to compare it to. I can’t recommend them enough. Hi, just wondered if you’d mind sharing what you paid to have the front coffin arms and tuning forks replaced? As mentioned above, I have a 2.7 987 cayman and I love it to bits. Keen to know what I can do to bring out its “best side”… I’m on 42k miles but very aware that it’s a 15 odd year old car! After hearing a few lights knocks from the front, I took it to a specialist and they couldn’t find anything after multiple times around the car with a pry bar. Hmm! Keen to know if it’s something worth throwing a bit of £ at. Thanks

asbi said: I would advise you to drive both - the biggest change I noticed was the steering, imho even on the 718 the steering is still nowhere near as feelsome as the 987….. comparison on steering across the 3 models (among other differences)

FieldAtlanta said: JustGREENI said: I have (gifted to the missus) a 987.2 S manual, it felt a bit woolly compared to my (then, now sold) mint b7 RS4, I decided to check it over, as I believed it should be better. I found the front coffin arms and tuning forks were worn, badly. I replaced them, the tyres and then had the geometry sorted. My word, it’s now fantastic, I’ve had a 996 C4S in the past so have a Porsche product to compare it to. I can’t recommend them enough. Hi, just wondered if you’d mind sharing what you paid to have the front coffin arms and tuning forks replaced? As mentioned above, I have a 2.7 987 cayman and I love it to bits. Keen to know what I can do to bring out its “best side”… I’m on 42k miles but very aware that it’s a 15 odd year old car! After hearing a few lights knocks from the front, I took it to a specialist and they couldn’t find anything after multiple times around the car with a pry bar. Hmm! Keen to know if it’s something worth throwing a bit of £ at. Thanks I also am interested to know where the worn part shows up I.e. how to check? I had a snapped front spring so I am doing the front springs, top mounts and drop links right now. I plan to refresh whatever needs doing.

julian987R said: asbi said: I would advise you to drive both - the biggest change I noticed was the steering, imho even on the 718 the steering is still nowhere near as feelsome as the 987….. comparison on steering across the 3 models (among other differences) Wow, I didn’t realise the 981 steering was so bad, thankfully they fixed the EPAS on the 718s.

anonymous said: [redacted] If you’re only driving 981s every day maybe you lose some perspective on what proper steering should feel like? Either way an interesting topic. I notice Lotus have chosen to go hydraulic, i.e. 987.2 tech in their incoming new Emira for better feel.

JustGREENI said: I have (gifted to the missus) a 987.2 S manual, it felt a bit woolly compared to my (then, now sold) mint b7 RS4, I decided to check it over, as I believed it should be better. I found the front coffin arms and tuning forks were worn, badly. I replaced them, the tyres and then had the geometry sorted. My word, it’s now fantastic, I’ve had a 996 C4S in the past so have a Porsche product to compare it to. I can’t recommend them enough. Hi, just wondered if you’d mind sharing what you paid to have the front coffin arms and tuning forks replaced? As mentioned above, I have a 2.7 987 cayman and I love it to bits. Keen to know what I can do to bring out its “best side”… I’m on 42k miles but very aware that it’s a 15 odd year old car! After hearing a few lights knocks from the front, I took it to a specialist and they couldn’t find anything after multiple times around the car with a pry bar. Hmm! Keen to know if it’s something worth throwing a bit of £ at. Thanks

Montcoffer said: The base 2.7 987 Cayman is often overlooked for being gutless, I’ve had mine from new, 07 manual car with 79k miles. I couldn’t agree more but what I like about it is you really have to work hard for the performance, and I love that about it, you have to keep revs above 4k. Plus even wringing it’s neck your not doing crazy speeds and it sounds awesome even with standard exhaust, induction noise at low revs also great. From a handling prospective my summer wheels are 19’’ and grip levels are simply the best I’ve ever experienced, predictable and exploitable, you will feel at one with the car in no time, steering as others say is sublime. It’s a practical car, loads of boot space, down side is the ride quality, it’s shocking especially now I’m maturing! I ran a 991.1 for 6 years along side the 987 & the 911 has gone and the 987 is a lifetime keeper, says it all really. As a (fairly) recent owner of a 987.1 2.7 Cayman - and my first ever Porsche - this is a delight to read. As is the whole thread, really! I absolutely love the car and while I don’t need any outside approval, I’m sure we can all agree it’s nice to read positive stuff about the car you own. Usually I get itchy feet around a year into ownership but I have no such feelings with this. Unlike the usual, more emotionally-led reasons to change, my only gripe is a rational one; I’d LOVE 2 rear seats to make life a bit easier with a small dog. But that’s it. I use the car on a daily basis and have enjoyed around 6k miles in as many months with it - a cracking thing and totally addictive when you get into the power band.

julian987R said: comparison on steering across the 3 models (among other differences) Of the three they preferred the 987 R

anonymous said: [redacted] What an odd and fairly obviously nonsensical position. Not liking the steering on a car has nothing to do with ability. Hamilton and Verstappen's lovechild couldn't make a Lexus LS helm feelsome. Steering is ultimately the reason why I don't own a 981. Lovely cars, but in the long run, the steering is a deal breaker. Can't really afford a six-pot 718, so 987.2 is ultimately came down to for me. Nothing is perfect. 981 has much nicer interior, nicer shift etc sounds better. But irrespective of my ability, the steering is just too important for me personally in terms of the character and feel of the car. So I just couldn't go with a 981. Edited by esotericar on Friday 19th August 23:12

Vincent-Vega said: julian987R said: comparison on steering across the 3 models (among other differences) Of the three they preferred the 987 R I'm not going to say a word about it

anonymous said: [redacted] You see, your problem is that you lacked the ability to compensate for the 987s looks.

julian987R said: comparison on steering across the 3 models (among other differences) I've still not driven a 987, embarrassingly, but I share the view of one of the presenters in thinking the 718 steering feels a lot more lively and direct than the 981. So when he says the 718 sits somewhere between the other 2, and is like a more refined 987, I'm guessing I'd really, really like driving a 987. For me, both 981 and 987 are classically beautiful designs in their own different ways that the 718 cannot match. 987 probably wins that one. The 981 is a ludicrously competent car, but the 718 addresses at least two areas where it fell short. Numb brakes, and disconnected steering feel. I have a 981 GT4, I have no interest in swapping it for anything, but I'd be lying if I said I thought it perfect. To be honest, I liked Porsche steering best before they introduced power steering at all. The 964 felt a bit numb compared to the Carreras, Turbos and SCs that I had driven from the earlier air-cooled era. Some things don't get better, but hopefully, and eventually, creep back towards the good from earlier eras. Liam

LiamH66 said: For me, both 981 and 987 are classically beautiful designs in their own different ways that the 718 cannot match. 987 probably wins that one. That surely doesn't compute. The 981 is the outlier. Which isn't to say it's bad, but it's the more geometric and modernist design. They softened the lines, took out some of the edges and added back in some curves with the 718, taking the car back towards the 987. To take one example, the front light units in the 718 are much more similar in shape to a 987.1 than a 981. Which isn't to say which car is better looking. But the 987 and 718 have more in common with each other in the context you're talking about - if you want a classic curvy Porsche, the 718 has a bit more of that than the 981. I own a 987.2 and, in all honesty, both of the newer cars are better looking, and the 718 in GTS spec is the best looker of the three, though i don't think any of them are really fantastic looking cars.

I haven’t driven my 987 for 2 months due to a snapped front spring. I changed it today along with top mounts and drop link and then went for a drive, it reminded me what a great car it is.

anonymous said: [redacted] Really no idea what you're on about with the first bit. But if you hadn't noticed the lights had changed, well, it's all a bit academic. And yes, they softened the lines in the sheet metal and put some of the curves back in. You missed the lights, you probably missed that too. Probably something to do with driving skills!

esotericar said: Really no idea what you're on about with the first bit. But if you hadn't noticed the lights had changed, well, it's all a bit academic. And yes, they softened the lines in the sheet metal and put some of the curves back in. You missed the lights, you probably missed that too. Probably something to do with driving skills! To me the 718 is the most chiseled of the range, nothing curvy about it whatsoever. It is impressive looking yet equally forgettable at the same time....certainly not good looking in my opinion.

julian987R said: To me the 718 is the most chiseled of the range, nothing curvy about it whatsoever. It is impressive looking yet equally forgettable at the same time....certainly not good looking in my opinion. My 718 Cayman is sitting next to my 981 GT4 in the workshop right now. The 981 is a lot curvier than the chiselled slab look of the 718. The 718 is the outlier as others have said, and nothing like as good looking as the 981, even though the front ends are all but identical. Never even drove a 987, but they are the best looking Caymans and Boxsters to me. Just that bit more delicate and nimble, but still really purposeful in appearance. Fortunately I like driving the 718 and the 981, and don't have to look at either while I am doing so. Liam

You guys are off your rockers. The 981 has trapezoidal front light clusters an intakes clearly visible in the images above! Plus very unPorsche geometric rear clusters and a fairly sharp Asian market look overall. The 718 softens that back towards more conventional Porsche cues, curved clusters etc. The simple straight lines across the front are much more Porsche than the sharply defined intakes on the 981. Just look at 911s down the years, especially aircooled. Most have simple straight shutlines right across the front of the car. Which you think looks better is subjective. I own a 987.2 and I'd say it would come third overall for looks. Lovely hips, the lots of Porsche curves, but the proportions of the 987 don't quite work from some angles. But equally the 981 is the least 'Porsche' design of the three, comfortably. And a bit like the 997 reversed the direction back towards a more conventional Porsche look, the 718 reversed the trapezoidal and geometric clusters and went back to simpler curves and lines. Front end of the non-GTS 718 is quite bland as a result of losing the 981's geometric detailing.

esotericar said: You guys are off your rockers. The 981 has trapezoidal front light clusters an intakes clearly visible in the images above! Plus very unPorsche geometric rear clusters and a fairly sharp Asian market look overall. The 718 softens that back towards more conventional Porsche cues, curved clusters etc. The simple straight lines across the front are much more Porsche than the sharply defined intakes on the 981. Just look at 911s down the years, especially aircooled. Most have simple straight shutlines right across the front of the car. Which you think looks better is subjective. I own a 987.2 and I'd say it would come third overall for looks. Lovely hips, the lots of Porsche curves, but the proportions of the 987 don't quite work from some angles. But equally the 981 is the least 'Porsche' design of the three, comfortably. And a bit like the 997 reversed the direction back towards a more conventional Porsche look, the 718 reversed the trapezoidal and geometric clusters and went back to simpler curves and lines. Front end of the non-GTS 718 is quite bland as a result of losing the 981's geometric detailing. While you’re busy backtracking in a particularly boring way, let’s just agree that your statement “ They softened the lines, took out some of the edges and added back in some curves with the 718, taking the car back towards the 987” is nonsense to anyone with eyes. Not to say which is better looking, but to pretend that the 718 is curvier with softened edges suggests your eyesight is failing.