Got to Ride the 718 Boxster GTS!?

One Saturday in February, my husband’s acquaintance took delivery of a 718 Boxster GTS, so my husband arranged to meet at the Higashi Rokko Observatory on the Royu Driveway and promised to get a ride. “Since it’s a special occasion, Mina, why don’t you come along too?” he said, so I asked my mother-in-law to watch the kids well in advance and eagerly looked forward to the day.

Also, expecting February on the Royu to still be quite cold, I bought a down jacket on sale at Uniqlo and was all set for the day, but…

The night before, on Friday, our youngest daughter caught a stomach bug and vomited (*_*)

Even though my mother-in-law was coming over, there was no way I could leave our vomiting daughter and go out for a drive the next morning. (Even if I went, I’d probably be too worried about her to focus.) So, reluctantly, I took her to the doctor, and my husband headed to the Royu alone that day.

Kids really do pick the worst possible timing to get sick, don’t they? (laughs)

Saturday on the Royu

My husband often goes to the Royu Driveway on Saturdays. He prefers Saturdays because the Royu and Higashi Rokko Observatory are usually less crowded than Sundays, making it a more relaxing day out.

On that day, the 718 Boxster GTS that the acquaintance drove up in was an elegant Jet Black body with red leather interior.

It looked amazing. I used to not be a big fan of red leather interiors, but lately, every time I see red leather in different cars, I think it looks really cool,

my husband said.

The owner mentioned, “I thought the red leather would reflect a lot of light while driving, but it’s not a problem at all.”

The transmission was a rare manual with right-hand drive. Since “the break-in period isn’t fully over yet,” my husband was allowed to ride shotgun for the test drive this time.

Differences Between the 718 Boxster GTS and 981 Boxster GTS

When my husband got home, I asked, “How was the 718 Boxster GTS!?”

It was great. The engine sound when you first start it is bold. The 981 goes “Vrooom!” but the 718 growls lower with a “Garrl!” kind of rumble.

Here are my husband’s impressions of the differences between the 718 Boxster GTS and the 981 Boxster GTS.

Ride Comfort / Driving Feel

He said the initial driving feel is quite similar to the 981.

My 981 is left-hand drive, and this 718 was right-hand drive with me in the passenger seat, so I thought it would be easier to notice differences since I was in the same position as usual, but I didn’t feel much difference. However, since my 981 has about 30,000 km on it now, I remember it feeling firmer when it was brand new, so compared to new, the 718 feels more comfortable.

He also noted that “the tires might make a difference.” His 981 originally came with Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tires, but now has the same Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires as the 718, which might explain the similar feel.

Sense of Rigidity

Since he didn’t drive the 718 himself, he prefaced that he can’t say for sure, but from the passenger seat, it felt a bit softer than the 718 Cayman he test drove before.

718 ケイマンを試乗 − 981とどこが変わった？

Whether this is due to the “GTS grade difference” or the “lack of a roof,” he wasn’t sure, but in any case, it didn’t have the rock-hard stiffness of the 718 Cayman. (Not referring to stiff suspension, but the strength of the body rigidity.)

Engine Sound

Regarding the engine sound, the 718’s is definitely a “deep, bass-heavy V8-like tone,” and compared to the base 718 Cayman he drove before, this GTS seemed to have a stronger, more fragmented beat.

As for torque, being turbocharged, it feels stronger than the 981. It accelerates with a strong push. It delivers torque similar to what you get at high revs in the 981, but from much lower RPMs.

He also let the 718 Boxster GTS owner drive his 981 Boxster GTS, and that owner said,

“The 981 sounds better! Naturally aspirated engines really do sound completely different!!”

(Personally, I also prefer the 981’s sound.) My husband thought, “The 718’s exhaust note matches the engine’s torque delivery well, so it works in its own way.”

Other Differences

Other differences include the navigation system switching from Clarion to Porsche’s own PCM, and the 718 adopting the recent Porsche design language with rear taillights connected horizontally.

Also, the side air intakes on the 981 are just open holes, but on the 718, they have covers like the GT4, which help channel air more efficiently from the front.

Overall Impression

Finally, here is my husband’s overall impression:

The GTS grade is Porsche’s recommended specification released mid-to-late in each model’s lifecycle. It comes with many options as standard, features exclusive GTS interior touches, and has a more aggressive exhaust tune than other models. Production numbers are lower than standard models, so depreciation is less, making it popular. Also, it’s common that adding options to an S model ends up costing more than a GTS, so if you’re ever unsure about options or grades, choosing GTS is a safe bet. Think of the GTS as Porsche’s “recommended course menu” at a restaurant.

Listening to his impressions made me curious about the Panamera GTS too (laughs).

That’s the report comparing my husband’s 718 Boxster GTS (MT) and 981 Boxster GTS (MT).