Re: Confusing article

"The difference between the base and S-model 718 Boxsters is nothing relative to the vast chasm that separates them, experientially, from their predecessors."

Read the report to find out whether that 'vast chasm' is good or bad.

[www.caranddriver.com]

(Guenter posted this link earlier today; I figure it warrants 'top-of-the-Board' placement.)

[pedrosboard.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2016 03:23PM by Roger987. (view changes)

They gush about how much better the 781 is than the 981 for the entire article, with the possible exception of the sound about which they're ambiguous. Then they have an unqualified and unexplained comment "something's missing" after which they continue to talk about how great the car is.

Car magazines tend not to completely skewer a car they've tested, particularly one that's generally well regarded. And, the reality is, there's nothing wrong with the 718, on its own. In fact, as you point out, the review contains a good number of laudatory remarks. But that same praise applies equally to the 981.

These two paragraphs express the author's disappointment with the 718, when compared to the 981 :

The turbo engines’ power delivery dominates the changes in that experience. The S model torques its way out of corners with a guttural yank that seems somewhat out of character with the Boxster’s reason for existing. If this is a sports car meant for driving hard then it will, by its very nature, be driven at high rpm. It’s not as if this engine won’t rev—it will, the redline is 7400 rpm (just 400 rpm lower than the old sixes)—it’s that the need to do so and the payoff are now greatly diminished.
.......

Both Boxsters are capable and rewarding cars worthy of the name they bear. Had their flat-six-powered predecessors never existed, we’d be singing their praises without hesitation. But 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.

(Underlining is mine)

This car's engine makes maximum power at 6700 rpm, fairly well below redline. Speaking of redline, What "redline" actually is is a bit confusing: the official literature states "maximum engine speed" as being 7800 rpm, yet one look at the tach shows the first red increment at 7600 rpm. No matter, my car's engine has reached 7800 rarely, and it's never hit ignition cut-out. Occasionally it will see 7600. Point of comparison: my 912 made maximum horsepower at 5800, with a tach-defined redline at 6 even; a fairly small difference and "logical" in a way.
Anecdotal aside: My sister doesn't know this, but I discovered when giving her Beetle a tune-up I could hold the throttle wide open yet the motor wouldn't rev past maybe 5000. (And it had a bigger motor by a couple cc's, but half the horsepower of the 912.)

Quote
Boxsterra
They gush about how much better the 781 is than the 981 for the entire article, with the possible exception of the sound about which they're ambiguous. Then they have an unqualified and unexplained comment "something's missing" after which they continue to talk about how great the car is.

I'm just not seeing any gushing (gushing: To make an excessive display of sentiment or enthusiasm) about how much better the 718 is over the 981.

While they certainly still have high regard for the car, most description finish with an inferred "but..."

They begin with a description of the sound and describe it as: Under it all is the undeniable lope of an air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle. Not my idea of gushing - at least not for a Porsche.

They talk about the faint turbo hiss around town and end up describing it as: And it works. There’s noise. Some of it is good, but none of it will define this car. Still doesn't sound like gushing.

They state that the 718's are quicker and easier to drive but Are they as fun? Define “fun.” Fastest lap on track day? Thrilling rushes of torque? For us, something feels missing. Still doesn't sound like gushing to me.

When it comes to handling and steering. Sure, we can say they gush, as they have over Boxsters since the beginning.

If Porsche hadn't spoiled us with a flat six powered Boxster, we'd all think the 718 was a gush worthy car. It's just that the sound plays an important part in the driving experience.

Imagine Burmeister coming out with a new energy saving sound system. It will be louder, have deeper bass, higher highs and quicker response time and to save energy, it will eliminate stereo - only available in mono. Yes it will be better - but....

Sound not important in our driving experience?

One well known member on this board has this to say about his 1998 Boxster:
In the scale of 1-10, I think that the Boxster’s exhaust stock sound is a solid 4.5.
It always bothered me that my car sounded so mellow and lame.
I had test-driven a few Boxsters with aftermarket exhaust systems but all of them had an annoying droning or resonance at different engine speeds.
I'm sure the hackmeister can elaborate how he solved the issue with his own PSE.

A number of members here have opted to spend an extra $3K for PSE to optimize the sound of their cars. Others have gone to alternate after market exhausts to enhance the driving experience.

Unfortunately, sound is the one BIG fly in the 718 ointment. Other than that, it is, like all Boxsters, a great car, but....



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2016 09:41AM by Guenter in Ontario. (view changes)

I think from what I've read, the turbo 4 is great on power until the highest rev ranges where it then falls flat, and therefore, there's no need to wind it to redline. That is the same as in my APR tuned Audi A4 2.0t. The remap, which essentially doubles the boost from 10psi stock to 20psi, gives around 50 more hp and 90 lb ft of torque over the stock car, and the midrange is just a great improvement, but then as you get over 5k rpms, the engine falls flat on its face, and as you are going towards redline, it seems the engine no longer pulls hard. That's opposite of what happens with the older flat 6 Boxsters where the higher you rev, the more you get. If that's the way the new 718 engines perform, then yes, owners of previous models will be disappointed...

EDIT: Here's where I read it: [www.topgear.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2016 10:16AM by boxtaboy. (view changes)

By not needing to pull to redline, you hit the flat part of the power curve, you then save gas by shifting well before redline, thus, the goal of the smaller, blown engines--improve MPG and reduce emissions--as mandated by The Man. We went through this back in the late 70s after the oil embargo. It nearly killed the auto industry, but luckily, engine technology has improved tremendously since. Back in the '70s and earlier, it was "there's no replacement for displacement." While that is somewhat true today, these new standards are not going have such a negative impact on drivers. The reviewers are harping on things that 99% of us won't even need to use (top end of the power curve for pulling out of corners on a track), as you can do more with less engine than you could 40 years ago. Today, we can truly mean it when we say: size doesn't matter.

Quote
db997S
By not needing to pull to redline, you hit the flat part of the power curve, you then save gas by shifting well before redline, thus, the goal of the smaller, blown engines--improve MPG and reduce emissions--as mandated by The Man. We went through this back in the late 70s after the oil embargo. It nearly killed the auto industry, but luckily, engine technology has improved tremendously since. Back in the '70s and earlier, it was "there's no replacement for displacement." While that is somewhat true today, these new standards are not going have such a negative impact on drivers. The reviewers are harping on things that 99% of us won't even need to use (top end of the power curve for pulling out of corners on a track), as you can do more with less engine than you could 40 years ago. Today, we can truly mean it when we say: size doesn't matter.

You're right - with the turbo-four achieving peak torque approx. 2500 rpm lower than the flat-six, there are no acceleration gains to be had by taking the four up to the redline. As C&D said "it’s that the need to do so and the payoff are now greatly diminished."

And you're also right - to achieve the best acceleration, the flat 6 needed to be wound out. But that 'need' translated into an integral part of the fun and excitement experienced by the driver - winding out the engine, generating (in the words of C&D) the "incendiary crescendo just before redline".

So, with the elimination of that 'need', part of the fun and excitement, and, in essence, part of the Porsche experience, are lost.