Boxster GTS air intakes... - Page 3 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

I've been playing with specs for a Boxster GTS. Is it just me or are the revised front air intakes just plain ugly....? They are larger than those on the Boxster and S, and appear to be made of black plastic with no option to colour code. Ditto the rest of the black plastic around the front... It's putting me off!

You can have them painted high gloss black by selecting the "GTS Black exterior package" option but I don't think there's any other choice.

they are less pretty than a regular S but no biggie Less obtrusive with the Carmine Red

It is not just you. Completely subjective of course, but I don't like any of the so called exterior "improvements". Not a fan of the front splitter and air intakes. Not a fan of the rear splitter and blacked exhaust. Even the Carmine Red - or whatever it is called - I would pass on. Much prefer guards red. GTS stickers on the side? Pass. The original 981 design was just right in my opinion, and with the Cayman 981 I really like the round spot driving lights. About the only thing I like about the GTS - as a specific improvement - is the extra top end engine power that was deliberately neutered from the car in the first place. By the time my S is out of warranty... we'll see. Overall the parts bin special (most of which you pay big bucks for) does nothing for me. It certainly isn't the kind of honing that a 987 R took over a 987 S. Although admittedly if you were going to specify most of the GTS options on an S model anyways then the GTS would probably retain more of the value of these options when you come to sell the car.

Originally having planned to go with Racing Yellow, I ended up switching to White once all the blacked-out details (headlamps, tail lamps, washer nozzles, lower front fascia, badging, exhaust finisher) were revealed. I've found that the Carrera S wheels in Platinum Satin is probably your best bet if you're going White -- it's what I've done. http://imgur.com/a/Re3ge I felt Racing Yellow looked best with the normally painted wheels and other normal details, and made for a happy looking car in S trim. When things were revealed to be more aggressive for the GTS, I embraced it instead of trying to fight it. If they're partially aping the 911 GT3's look, you might as well roll with it.

That looks very sharp! Was looking for white for my last one but a well spec'ed Guards came up instead. I do like the Carmine though, seems to work very well with all the black bits.

NicD said: That looks very sharp! Was looking for white for my last one but a well spec'ed Guards came up instead. I do like the Carmine though, seems to work very well with all the black bits. Agreed - that would certainly be my choice!

Thank you! It's not just me then... Am going to spec-up an S (with everything painted white) and a GTS "embracing the spirit of GTS" and see which I prefer. If I have time, I'll post some pics for comparison later. In the meantime - as there are obviously some knowledgeable enthusiasts here - I'm going to subtly divert this thread into a "help me with my spec/build" discussion... Three questions if I may: 1. I quite like the look of the sports bucket seats. Will they be a liability when it's time to trade in the car? 2. I quite like driving manual cars. Will a manual gearbox be a liability when it's time to trade in the car? 3. My current "weekend" car (a 997.2 Turbo S) has PTV. I don't do track days but do sometimes drive enthusiastically. If I spec/buy a car without PTV will I notice its absence? Thoughts opinions welcomed! Thank you in advance.

iantr said: Thank you! It's not just me then... Three questions if I may: 1. I quite like the look of the sports bucket seats. Will they be a liability when it's time to trade in the car? 2. I quite like driving manual cars. Will a manual gearbox be a liability when it's time to trade in the car? 3. My current "weekend" car (a 997.2 Turbo S) has PTV. I don't do track days but do sometimes drive enthusiastically. If I spec/buy a car without PTV will I notice its absence? Thoughts opinions welcomed! Thank you in advance. My views: 1. No. A premium. Maybe some people put off, but plenty of people will like and hardly any 981 cars have them. So supply will be more restricted than demand. My 981 S has 2 way sports seats and it would be c.GBP8k to retrofit sport buckets. So much cheaper as a new build option. (Some things - like cruise control - can be retrofitted relatively inexpensively but the cost of seat retrofits is insane... it would be better value for me to just order a new car). 2. No. Neither a premium or liability in my view. I think you should just get want you want in this regard. Only caveat, if you go PDK make sure you get the sport steering wheel with the paddles not the buttons. On the manual this does not matter. 3. Hard to say. If you have PTV already on the 997, then maybe yes. My S has PTV and I do notice the difference to 981s without it. Best of luck. Let us know what you decide.

I was put off by the black plastic air vents behind the doors when ordering my first 981 in 2012, the dealer offered to paint them white or wrap them, in the end i didnt bother but you could consider wrapping around the front. My new silver one has black wheels and now the black bits all work well together...to my surprise!

I love white, but the GTS is white does not really work imo.

The proportions are all wrong on that front end. The intakes are bigger than the headlamp units! Is overheating a massive issue or something? Just looks ungainly. Like a space pod or something....

And how big are those wheels? It looks like a little 4x4!

iantr said:

Slightly off topic, but WTF is going on with the manual gearing the the Cayman/Boxster S/GTS? Second gear runs to 80mph, and 3rd to 115mph! This utterly curtails acceleration when compared to say 20mph a gear lower. In effect you have a 5 speed box + overdrive. Oh well may as well buy a PDK.

Buy one. PDK is awesome both as a daily and hooning around the B roads. Sure, it's not as "involving" as a manual but that is a virtue somewhat overrated for most of us driving daily in the real world.

Where is this real world? I have 3 manual cars and they are fine.

I have a new CS in White with Satin wheels and black interior so I fully endorse your colour choice and wheels! I have PDK (my first ever auto car) but skipped the PTV option... PDK is very good, it creeps forward like a traditional auto, teamed up with ACC its a doddle to drive in central London traffic and on congested motorways. Spec the sports steering wheel and paddles allow you override the transmission instantly. I didn't bother with PTV as the car i drove at the silverstone Porsche experience didn't have it and I was happy with that. If i was going for track days I may have considered it. I also chose to skip sport chrono option for the same reason.

mollytherocker said: Where is this real world? I have 3 manual cars and they are fine. Didn't suggest they wouldn't be, MTR, just that PDK is equally fine and probably easier on the M62 at 5 o'clock on a Friday which is one of the places you can find the real world, along with the M6 on a Bank Holiday and the Lake District on any sunny day. Manuals are great, as are unsynchronised gear boxes, drum brakes, pull chokes, steam trains, No 6 cigarettes, Ford Capri 3.0S and hand pulled Boddingtons bitter at the Grapes, Wrea Green circa 1974 but some things just suit modern life more......but are not necessarily "better".

mollytherocker said: Where is this real world? I have 3 manual cars and they are fine. Didn't suggest they wouldn't be, MTR, just that PDK is equally fine and probably easier on the M62 at 5 o'clock on a Friday which is one of the places you can find the real world, along with the M6 on a Bank Holiday and the Lake District on any sunny day. Manuals are great, as are unsynchronised gear boxes, drum brakes, pull chokes, steam trains, No 6 cigarettes, Ford Capri 3.0S and hand pulled Boddingtons bitter at the Grapes, Wrea Green circa 1974 but some things just suit modern life more......but are not necessarily "better".

mollytherocker said: Where is this real world? I have 3 manual cars and they are fine. Didn't suggest they wouldn't be, MTR, just that PDK is equally fine and probably easier on the M62 at 5 o'clock on a Friday which is one of the places you can find the real world, along with the M6 on a Bank Holiday and the Lake District on any sunny day. Manuals are great, as are unsynchronised gear boxes, drum brakes, pull chokes, steam trains, No 6 cigarettes, Ford Capri 3.0S and hand pulled Boddingtons bitter at the Grapes, Wrea Green circa 1974 but some things just suit modern life more......but are not necessarily "better".

2.8i was better than the 3.0S :-) imo

I would buy a Manual and do own 3 manuals, BUT and it's a big but, I would have to buy the 981 in PDK as doing over 80mph in 2nd gear is stupid. If the PDK-S box goes in the GT4 then it will be the only choice to buy.

mrdemon said: 2.8i was better than the 3.0S :-) imo I have had both and whilst the 2.8 is better, i have a huge fondness for my mk2 3.0S. I was 18, I was wild, it was wild, and we should have had many huge crashes. But we didnt. I can honestly say that car was my apprentiship. I was an idiot, but it taught me how to control a car. I would LOVE another....even though i know its best left in the past.

mrdemon said: I would buy a Manual and do own 3 manuals, BUT and it's a big but, I would have to buy the 981 in PDK as doing over 80mph in 2nd gear is stupid. If the PDK-S box goes in the GT4 then it will be the only choice to buy. +1. As much as I like manuals, the 981 Boxster/Cayman ratios are utter garbage, so unfortunately I'd have to take PDK as well.

anonymous said: [redacted] You will reach a true 80mph every time the Boxster/Cayman is rung out to the red line at 7400rpm. A bit over-geared to me is 5-10mph too long, the best part of 20mph over-geared is just silly. End result is effectively a 4 speed box with 2 overdrive gears! The gearing is obviously deliberately chosen by Porsche, either to fiddle the c02 figures as close to the PDK as possible, or so it doesn't step on the toes of 911 performance.

anonymous said: [redacted] What do you think are the negative impacts of PDK ? Thanks

anonymous said: [redacted]

anonymous said: [redacted] I must have loaned about 5 or 6 cars now, owning 2 Porsches they are always in at OPC for service, MOT work etc. I cannot stand Long ratios it ruins the car and hence why I sold my GT3 and now look very close at ratios, 80 or 87 top in 2nd put you in no mans land in 3rd gear for B road blasts just like the GT3 did and then you could never reach the sweet spot in 3rd in a GT3 as it was too fast for a B road, like wise tight bends leave you in no mans land in 2nd gear. SO as much as I think driving a PDK car is dull dull dull, I would have to still buy PDK over a manual with ratios so daft the cars unusable and frustrating.

f king gear ratios again! Isn't this all just a myth fabricated by 981 haters? The ratios are basically the same as in a 987. No one moaned about them in that car.

anonymous said: [redacted] It's hilarious isn't it? It's a shame, because this forum is very useful but there are just one or two people who talk so authoritatively but whose opinions I would offer zero weight. Empty can rattles loudest etc.

I have seen any where between 80 to 83,84, to 87 mph being stated as the 981 top speed in 2nd, it's hard to find the final drive ratio on any of these cars and be 100% correct as even Porsche press sheets have different figures . but its seems 3.89 is one of the main figures. what is correct is the PDK max speed in 2 and 3rd is much lower than the manual cars by about 15 mph give or take. (3rd in PDK maybe even be below a ton) Again 987.1 to 987.2 Porsche changed the ratio's on 2nd and 3rd to bring the speed down a bit. the rpm limit has been increased on the 981 and also the tyres size are larger in total Circumference. also most loan cars are PDK so again hard to drive manual 981 cars. 981 reviews and the most famous ones by the big mags seem to state 87mph in 2nd gear, which must be wrong then !!!! so when all said and done if the ratio's are in fact the same, the top speed in gear is down to the increased rpm and larger Circumference wheels. It's a real issue any way like it or not, every one who drives any of these cars is stating too long a gear ratio even all the owners, but finding a manual on the 981 is far and few between. It's the biggest single reason I sold the GT3 having 88mph in 2nd gear and 125+ in 3rd. I never said the R was perfect, but it's far more accessable than the car I sold to buy it. So laugh all you like, it is what it is ;-) http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Had basic 981 Cayman manual non S for a couple of days and absolutely loved. You could thrash it around up to the red line on the country roads without having to do ridiculous speeds. Hated PDK for much same reason as other automatics, but then I don't have to drive in town, have a bicycle for that.

You are splitting hairs. In my 987.1, second was good for 80mph before the limiter. Does the extra few mph make all the difference?

anonymous said: [redacted] This. I was very much hoping that a 981 Cayman R, GT4, whatever was going to be launched, but given the liklihood of it being PDK only, I for one shall not be rushing to purchase one.

Some figures from the German magazine test showing the manual S accelerating faster than the PDK.... Would the weight difference alone account for that? The manual is 65kg lighter than the PDK. My own car has PCCB (-18kg) and buckets (-27kg) so should be more than 100kg below the PDK version tested. That would be noticeable I'd have thought. Edited by iantr on Wednesday 14th May 19:14

This is the official weight figure: http://www.porsche.com/uk/models/cayman/cayman-s/f... Unladen weight (DIN) 1,340 kg 1,370 kg 30kg difference not 65kg

NicD said: This is the official weight figure: http://www.porsche.com/uk/models/cayman/cayman-s/f... Unladen weight (DIN) 1,340 kg 1,370 kg 30kg difference not 65kg Yep. And according to the "official" figures, the PDK car is faster from 0-160km/h than the manual: 10.5s vs 10.8s... My understanding is that Auto Motor Und Sport both weigh the cars and do their own performance testing . Their manual S was (surprisingly) faster than the PDK to 160km/h, perhaps explained by the 65kg weight difference. Some of that 65kg could of course be accounted for by options on the tested cars. But I would always (having owned both) have assumed that a PDK car would be quicker through the gears than a similarly engined manual. The test is interesting precisely because it shows that this wasn't the case with these two cars. Perhaps even more interesting because it offers a potential explanation (weight) also. If I were Porsche I doubt I'd welcome a test that shows the cheaper manual car to be both more accelerative and lighter than the PDK version... Edited by iantr on Wednesday 14th May 20:34

It is interesting, the US mags show 0-60mph around 4.2 (vs the 0-100kmh) here of 4.8. I don't worry too much about flat out acceleration, and certainly not the PDK Sport Plus mode. The in gear figures matter more to me, and the lighter the better. This thread is all about gearing and the PDK has slightly shorter ratios. Anyway, both boxes are good and will have their supporters.

NicD said: This thread is all about gearing... And air intakes. When I started it I'm sure it was about air intakes....!

I was thinking that when I wrote the post, thats PH for you. Circular threads.

I love the air intakes and think the GTS looks so much better than the S. It's all subjective at the end of the day as they are both stunning looking vehicles at are the previous models. 4. This or that?? Does it really matter? Me? I'll be enjoying my car as all you guys will be enjoying yours....

iantr said: Yep. And according to the "official" figures, the PDK car is faster from 0-160km/h than the manual: 10.5s vs 10.8s... My understanding is that Auto Motor Und Sport both weigh the cars and do their own performance testing . Their manual S was (surprisingly) faster than the PDK to 160km/h, perhaps explained by the 65kg weight difference. Some of that 65kg could of course be accounted for by options on the tested cars. But I would always (having owned both) have assumed that a PDK car would be quicker through the gears than a similarly engined manual. The test is interesting precisely because it shows that this wasn't the case with these two cars. Perhaps even more interesting because it offers a potential explanation (weight) also. If I were Porsche I doubt I'd welcome a test that shows the cheaper manual car to be both more accelerative and lighter than the PDK version... On fifth gear they tested Cayman non s pdk against cayman non s manual and the pdk clearly won In a straight line but lost around the track Edited by iantr on Wednesday 14th May 20:34

Looking at this clip, the pdk seems to be just about hitting 75mph in 2nd and over 100mph in 3rd (albeit taken from the speedo reading, not true figures). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYvr38OOAOE (go to about 2:50 in) Wonder how much different that really is to the manual? Can't be that much in it, surely?