Test Drive of the 718 Boxster GTS

In yesterday’s article, I wrote about how frustrated I was not to be able to test drive the 718 Boxster GTS. If you read today’s article, you’ll understand exactly why I felt that way. Back in February, my husband rode shotgun in a friend’s 718 Boxster GTS, but

718 ボクスター GTSと、981 ボクスター GTSの乗り比べ。

this time, thanks to the owner’s kindness, I was able to take it for a roughly 10-minute test drive. And, as usual, my husband put together a detailed report, which I’d like to share with you below.

First Impressions of the 718 Boxster GTS

After adjusting the seat position, I pressed the clutch. It felt slightly lighter than the 981. I had heard that “due to turbocharging, the low-end torque is lacking, making it harder to start off in a manual,” but in reality, it wasn’t that bad, and engaging the clutch didn’t feel particularly sensitive.

However, like the 981, the 718’s clutch doesn’t seem to have just one distinct bite point. (It’s hard to describe well.) I’m not sure if this is a uniquely Porsche sensation or just my limited experience with manuals, but when I first drove the 981, I felt the half-clutch zone was quite broad, and at first, when I thought the clutch had engaged and released it, the car would suddenly jerk.

With the 718, there was a similar sensation of “thinking the clutch engaged, then it suddenly fully engages,” so like the 981, it’s a clutch that takes a bit of getting used to.

Differences Between the 981 and 718

After getting used to the clutch and setting off, the impression was completely different from when I rode shotgun last time. Everything felt different.

Handling

The first difference I noticed was the handling. It was incredibly smooth yet had a strong sense of grip. It’s clearly an evolution over the 981. At the initial turn-in, the difference isn’t that noticeable, but the grounding feeling mid-corner and the precision of line tracing felt about 10-20% better than the 981.

It was as if the car was wearing tires with noticeably stronger grip.

It even gave me the illusion that my driving had improved, allowing me to take corners with more confidence. This is exactly what you expect from a normal evolutionary model change. I think the 718’s handling is simply more refined.

While the 981 doesn’t feel understeery during normal driving, after driving the 718, the 981 feels somewhat understeery by comparison. That’s how much the 718’s handling turns in precisely as much as you steer.

The handling character hasn’t changed much from the 981. The initial turn-in is a bit gentle, without the quick, sharp feel of an Italian car, but once you start turning, the steering input and the car’s response feel perfectly proportional and natural to the brain — very Porsche-like.

Ride Comfort

The ride comfort is definitely better. While the 981 isn’t bad, the 718 is even more refined. It’s not just good for a sports car — it’s good for a car in general. Speaking frankly about smoothness, I think it’s far better than many family cars or minivans.

By the way, I previously wrote a review of the base Cayman without PASM, and I felt the 718 Boxster GTS had better ride comfort. Of course, since I didn’t drive on the same roads, this is just an impression, but at least at low speeds, the GTS felt smoother. The fact that the 718 Boxster GTS has larger tires yet feels smoother is probably thanks to PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management system).

718 ケイマンを試乗 − 981とどこが変わった？

Engine

The engine revs well. I expected it to feel a bit sluggish because it’s turbocharged, but it actually revs better than I imagined. With the 981’s naturally aspirated engine, the volume rises and the tone shifts from low to high, so you can roughly tell the revs without looking at the tachometer.

On the other hand, the 718’s sound quality changes less, so it’s harder to tell by sound alone, and when I glanced at the tachometer, I was often surprised thinking, “Oh, it’s revving that high!” That’s probably why it gave me the impression of revving well. Above 2000 rpm, there’s always a generous amount of torque.

Looking at the numbers, the 981 Boxster GTS has 330 PS, while the 718 Boxster GTS has 365 PS. That’s a difference of 35 PS.

However, during a pleasant winding road drive like this test, while you can feel the torque difference in the low-speed 2nd gear pull, otherwise, the power feel isn’t that different from the 981.

That said, with the difference between NA and turbo plus this horsepower gap, if you really floor the accelerator, you’d probably notice a big difference.

Sport and Sport Plus Modes

I switched between Normal, Sport, and Sport Plus modes. Like with the 981, I felt that Porsche is really a car that shines when driven in Sport mode or higher. As you change modes, the car’s body feels more muscular, like a weight has been lifted.

Moreover, PASM suspension and engine mounts stiffen up, increasing directness, and on the tight corners of the Royu Driveway, the 718 feels like a fish in water.

Before entering a corner, I pressed the clutch and downshifted. I tried to blip the throttle to match revs, and it matched surprisingly well. With the 981, you have to be more precise with revs or there’s a bit of a jolt, but with the 718, it’s like you’ve suddenly become better at rev-matching — it just clicks perfectly on the first try.

I later learned, and a reader also commented on this blog, that from the 718 onwards, the car automatically blips the throttle even in Sport mode (auto-blip). With the 981, you had to be in Sport Plus for that, so this is another big difference between the 981 and 718.

Sport Exhaust

Regarding the sport exhaust, turning it on doesn’t change the sound quality or volume as much as on the 981. It just adds a bit more deep bass and beat, and the volume gets louder. Put another way, even with the sport exhaust off, it already produces a fairly good deep exhaust note.

Sound quality is subjective, so it’s hard to say which is better, but if you like deep bass, the 718 might suit you better; if you prefer higher tones, the 981 might be more your style.

Chassis

Comparing the 981 and 718, I felt the chassis improvements were the most remarkable. The 718 has a newly added rear member that reinforces the rear subframe, and I heard the rear wheels are 0.5 inches wider.

There are probably other suspension and PASM tuning changes as well, but as mentioned earlier, the improvements in chassis performance are most evident in the handling and ride comfort.

Overall Impression

From the perspective of a 981 owner, my impression of the 718 Boxster GTS is that it’s a very capable, well-rounded Boxster. It embodies the worn-out phrase “the latest Porsche is the best Porsche” perfectly.

I doubt many people would complain about the 718 Boxster’s performance. If there are complaints, it’s probably just a matter of personal taste or different expectations.

Speaking hypothetically, if you were blindfolded and test drove the 718 Boxster GTS alongside a more expensive open-top car, many might find the 718 superior.

That’s how cost-effective and impressive this car is. After finishing the test drive, the words that slipped out of my mouth were:

“After all, it’s gotta be a Porsche… (sigh)”