The sound of Porsche's flat-6 DOES NOT MATTER ONE LITTLE BIT !!!

Remember what Walter Röhrl said?

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/2016 07:46PM by Guenter in Ontario. (view changes)

So...he liked the power and handling, but not the exhaust note.
I think Walter had it about right--you can tinker with the sound a bit there isn't much to work with.
I 'd suggest to Porsche engineers that they listen to aftermarket Subie exhaust systems--they aren't the traditional Porsche wail, but they sound way better than what's coming out of the 718.

Yeah, Porsches are typically pleasing to all the senses, with the exception of taste (full disclosure, I've never attempted a taste test with any of my Porsches). I remember my first Boxster ('98). The break in was unbearable, but once I got that baby up past 4K RPMs, wow, that roar made me smile immediately and would have intimidated King Kong.

Listening to that idle, I'd be planning routes that don't have stop signs or red lights.

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One commentor - "Aircooled to watercooled was feasible. But moving from a flat 6 to a flat 4 is unbearable".

The reviewer is not fond of (ok, he essentially abhors) the sound of the phlat 4.

As for his impression, overall, of the engine:

"It's effective, rather than involving".

"Do I enjoy the motor? I'd be enjoying it more if it had two more cylinders and one less turbo". That pretty much sums it up.

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Roger987
One commentor - "Aircooled to watercooled was feasible. But moving from a flat 6 to a flat 4 is unbearable".

The reviewer is not fond of (ok, he essentially abhors) the sound of the phlat 4.

As for his impression, overall, of the engine:

"It's effective, rather than involving".

"Do I enjoy the motor? I'd be enjoying it more if it had two more cylinders and one less turbo". That pretty much sums it up.

I'm sure that's just going to increase the appreciation and size of your permagrin when you get your Boxster out for its first (and subsequent) drives.

The contrast between the sound of the 981S, with PSE engaged, while winding out the engine through twisty mountain passes, and the noise that 781S made is, well, remarkable, to say the least.

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Guenter in Ontario

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Roger987
One commentor - "Aircooled to watercooled was feasible. But moving from a flat 6 to a flat 4 is unbearable".

The reviewer is not fond of (ok, he essentially abhors) the sound of the phlat 4.

As for his impression, overall, of the engine:

"It's effective, rather than involving".

"Do I enjoy the motor? I'd be enjoying it more if it had two more cylinders and one less turbo". That pretty much sums it up.

I'm sure that's just going to increase the appreciation and size of your permagrin when you get your Boxster out for its first (and subsequent) drives.

Wow--that was the Sport Exhaust? My, my......nothing sporting about that let alone you're spending $3K (?) for it.

On the mechanical side, he talked about the various changes from last year including steering from the 911 turbo and GT4 suspension components; anyone have the details on those changes?

Flatulence turned up a notch is rarely a good thing. In the case of the 718, the PSE serves only to make bad, worse.

I've read about the 10% quicker steering and revised PASM, but hadn't heard about the GT4 rear components.

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MikenOH
Wow--that was the Sport Exhaust? My, my......nothing sporting about that let alone you're spending $3K (?) for it.

On the mechanical side, he talked about the various changes from last year including steering from the 911 turbo and GT4 suspension components; anyone have the details on those changes?

I wasn't aware of any suspension components of the GT4 in the 718 Boxster. The only thing that's been mentioned by Porsche is a new 10 mm lower PASM (which replaces the X73 suspension).

As far as the sound. I know I'd mentioned that the Mustang with the EcoBoost 4 cylinder turbo engine was a nice car to drive in Hawaii because it was a convertible. But, for me, a sports car should be more than "nice". It should make me feel excitement. That excitement comes from various senses. Sound is one of them.

Can you imagine what it would be like to watch a flying scene in Top Gun.
[www.youtube.com]

and the sound track is of this WWII Harvard?
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It just ain't the same.

Every time I fire up the Boxster, there's that feeling of excitement, thrill of the drive. that's before I even start driving. It only gets better as you start to drive.

what the says, at 2:30:

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Guenter in Ontario
Listening to that idle, I'd be planning routes that don't have stop signs or red lights.

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The comments at the end are somewhat... unflattering.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2016 11:09PM by Roger987. (view changes)

When I was much younger and just beginning to appreciate sports cars, I was fortunate enough to observe several 718's on the track. I don't recall being disappointed about the way they sounded. We need a comparison between a 60's vintage 718 and a new 718.

Jerry Seinfeld's 718. We have to remember that this car was built for racing, not street use. No cats or turbos.
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The 718 Boxster.
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The 981Boxster GTS
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Three different sounding cars.

The problem isn't so much the 4 cylinder vs. 6 cylinder; it's the whole package including turbo. I see the main impact for me as a plus for retained value in my 987, not that I plan on selling.

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SteveJ (2010 987 base, manual trans)
The problem isn't so much the 4 cylinder vs. 6 cylinder; it's the whole package including turbo. I see the main impact for me as a plus for retained value in my 987, not that I plan on selling.

You've got it. The NA flat 4 sounds good in the (real) 718. The new Boxster (718 for marketing purposes) has the engine intake sound muffled (muzzled?) by the turbo, along with the lower speeds of the engine under normal conditions takes away some of that excitement of the NA flat six in Boxsters up to the 981.

The 986 and 987 have the intake close to the driver's left ear. A number of 986 owners removed the "snorkel" to let more of the intake sound reach their ears.

The 981 has an intake on both sides, so you get that sound in stereo, not to mention the sound of the exhaust, of course. It doesn't get much better than that.

Sums it up pretty well. IF there'd never been a Boxster with a flat six, the 718 would fabulous.

[www.caranddriver.com]

PS, Roger, I'm sure you'll be disappointed. In Sports Plus mode, the overruns are eliminated to keep the turbo ready. You'd finally be able to enjoy the "other" stereo without all that engine excitement interfering with your iTunes. I guess, you'll just have be satisfied with what you're stuck with.

Well, C&D didn't pull any punches.

"It’s subtle, but it’s there. Listen carefully when chugging along at low speed in Porsche’s new flat-four-powered 718 Boxster and you’ll recognize what you hear. Sure, it’s damped by water jackets and a turbo, distinctly lacking mechanical clatter and subdued by decades of internal-combustion progress, but there’s no denying the fundamental thrum of the thing. Under it all is the undeniable lope of an air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle."

"Going back to the first-generation Boxster in 1998, the car’s most defining trait has been a world-class intake yowl climaxing in an incendiary crescendo just before redline. If that single, authentic virtue were the only redeeming experience in the old Boxsters—it wasn’t, by far—they still would have been fantastic."

"Utilizing the engine’s manifold pressure sensor, engineers tap the flat-four’s natural resonances and amplify them in the cockpit via a speaker built into the firewall. And it works. There’s noise. Some of it is good, but none of it will define this car."

"These are driver’s cars not race cars. They exist to produce pleasure not lap times. And using that as the yardstick, Beetle sounds aside, it’s hard to say that this Boxster is better in every way that matters to a sports car buyer."

I doubt (m)any 981 owners will be looking to trade for a 718 anytime soon.

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Guenter in Ontario
Sums it up pretty well. IF there'd never been a Boxster with a flat six, the 718 would fabulous.

[www.caranddriver.com]

PS, Roger, I'm sure you'll be disappointed. In Sports Plus mode, the overruns are eliminated to keep the turbo ready. You'd finally be able to enjoy the "other" stereo without all that engine excitement interfering with your iTunes. I guess, you'll just have be satisfied with what you're stuck with.

The rumour mill has it that Porsche will be renaming that option - it will be referred to as 'Sports Plus Notsomuch'.

It's been so long since that lope was heard on the streets in large numbers, maybe it will be the next "new,new thing" for the current crop of Porsche buyers.

Seriously, this car will be quick, especially with the PDK, but with most of these cars being used as fair weather cruisers I'm not sure 0-60 times are going to matter much for prospective buyers-except for bragging rights.

I suspect this drive train will resonate a bit more with street users since the low-end power is more useful (I think) on the street and when paired with the PDK, it will be easy for anyone to use.

Having said all that, as C&D suggests, something has been lost and it's part and parcel of why a lot of people buy cars like this. I don't see a 718 in our future and look forward to driving our "throw-back" 981 for years to come.

Someone buy a triple black 718,I'll be ready for one on the used market in about 7yrs. Stick please. Hope wage cdn dollar will be better then.