Yes, the T is my favorite as well. It's a throwback car with functional cloth seats, the GT4 shifter, blacked out everything, standard LSD, sport suspension. Also, the biggest issue from all the reviews is that all of them are loaded with anti-T stuff like foofy interior, heated steering wheels, heavier BOSE stereo on a car that made radio optional to save weight. Even though we can't do that in the US, everyone adding subwoofer, heavier and more speakers! Powered folding mirrors and all sorts of fluff that really belongs in the less focused models. People are spec'ing a T like a cushier S variant. Stop that! It bloats the car and makes the price crazy to were the everyone says get an S for same price. Finally, you cannot get everything in the S and to get the same stuff adds about $13K to the S and you still don't get the cloth seats, GT4 shifter, blacked out interior trim, awesome dark titanium wheels and other small touches. Bravo porsche for giving us in the US the type of car Europeans appreciate. BMW for example only sells vinyl or leather interiors in their cars because they view americans as fat, lazy, status focused so in europe you can get awesome M cloth interiors because europeans get it. Porsche has dropped focused cloth here except the T. thank you Porsche! I have my deposit in.
A better way of describing the T is not to compare it to the base S. It’s a GTS with the base engine. That’s the comparison to make. To me, it’s a higher spec than the S.
I like this model more than the standard one, but I don't know if maybe it is too low.Thinking about the elevated zebra crossings, or the uneven parking entrances, I'm worried about hitting the bumper spoilers everywhere. Are those shorter springs a problem for common daily use?
You can spec 10mm lowered suspension as no cost option. I have the 20mm lowered and after 12,000 miles can report I’ve had no problem with speed humps.
Could have bought a Carrera T back when they were new and did not and they were selling under list. Kicking myself now as they sell for the original MSRP, with 20k miles. I have a cayman T on order in Python green coming in October, I cannot wait. Currently driving a fully loaded 992 C2. I think the T trim is the best trim!
because Porsche gears are all driving gears. You don't get a superfluously low first gear just to get going, you are supposed to use all the gears when driving to keep the engine on boil. If you have complaint about the gearing of this 718, try a non turbo 944... you need to shift at redline to get anywhere near the power band once you shift up.
For me, comparing a loaded T (and it's loaded at its base price in the sense of the standard performance goodies that make the car, not the frills like the optional T interior package which I don't need) with an s at its base price, doesn't really make sense. Optioning out an S so that it's comparable would probably make for close to a 10K GBP difference - I guess, since I'm in the US. And with a manual, you won't get that sweet short-shift setup, which the T shares with the old 981 Spyder and GT4.
100% every single TH-cam reviewer says the same thing but never mentions that if you include the options that the T comes with onto the S, the price difference is $10k. Then the real question is, would you pay $10k (or close to it) for the 50 extra HP? I would say no.
You're 100% right, when I looked at a T vs an S it was like.. so I'm paying this much extra for 50bhp ish more power...? No thanks. The base 718 engine is rapid as it is, pulls like a train and a 718 T is faster on road and track than a 981 GTS.
@@StefABtv - You now have the six in the Cayman GTS! The only issue for me is the price. Here in the USA it costs $90k before tax, etc. So you’re paying about $100k out the door especially if you get an option or two. The best deal is to pick up abase with 4 cylinders but you’ll miss that sound and added power. It’s a dilemma. Most will try and find a used 981 if they can.
@@StefABtv - Sadly only the used ones are affordable and than you worry about a warranty to avoid the ultimate money pit! There is NO SUBSTITUTE FOR A GOOD WARRANTY ! A Must have for all used Porsches!
I remember a few months ago 1 of your subscribers having a argument with me in your comments because they were saying that Porsche are dead lol I’d love to hear from that guy now lol have u seen the new 2020 Porsche range 😆 killing it!
Solid review; my only comment/criticism would on the issue of lag. You're not the only one to mention this, so I accept that it's a little soft on the bottom end. My own very brief test drives in a 2.0T Boxster suggest that's probably true. But when you run from 40mph in 3rd gear, we can hear the car accelerating as soon as you put your foot down. And even your own count from flooring it until you found the thrust acceptable was less than 2 seconds. I get that the accelerative urge from the initial moment of flooring the throttle in that gear - and at that engine speed - doesn't compare with how the car goes when boost is fully developed, but it's fine for ordinary driving, I think? And when you want maximum ass-hauling ability, you're going to drop a gear or 2, right. A car that is really weak on the bottom end and can't get out of it's own way is a real drag, no matter what the top end is like. But I think the issue here is really just that there's a marked difference in the power and torque curves between these motors and the flat sixes, and I say that having owned 5 of them. Floor the flat six at under 2K rpm or so and the throttle response is better, absolutely - you won't get any sense of a lugging engine - it gives you what its got at that engine speed, right away. Problem is, they don't have that much at that speed! if you wanted your flat 6 Porsche to accelerate with real urge, you'd have to drop 2 gears in that scenario, maybe 3. In-gear acceleration from cruising speeds will at least subjectively feel stronger in the flat-4, since you can just wait a second or so, and then it's pulling strongly at an rpm range where the flat-6 that would be most comparable in terms of total power and the model the engines are used in, just doesn't. You're right, the gear ratios are too long - at least in 1st and 2nd, probably 3rd. The 987 had shorter ratios in 1st and 2nd with a 6-speed, though the higher ratios are actually unchanged. And this really exacerbates the perceived lag issue.
A very nice detailed comment about the gearing issue. Thinking about this, I think it's all about getting used to the drivetrain to maximize it. With the long gearing of the current generation 6 speed manual, I think the 4 popping turbo is a better match than the GTS NA 4.0. With the Cayman T, you can at least learn how to best use it. But with the GTS 4.0, there's no way to maximally use it on public roads. There's no way to reach the high rpm range by effectively using multiple gears. Am I in the right view?
Absolutely! Besides, Alpine's 4-cylinder 1.8 liter straight from Renault Laguna sounds just so much better! You just forgot to state you'd rather have renault instead, what is wrong with you? The way Renault paid you to comment is: 1. State how much you hate 4-cylinder Porsche engine 2. Say how Alpine is just SO MUCH better car!
@@paulb7207 I'm always baffled when I see people that love cars like the awful sounding Golf R (that farts on gear changes), old/new A45, Alpine etc say how the 718 engine sounds bad. I love the flat 4, it sounds like an old skool Porsche race car and far more sophisticated than pretty much any 4 pot available today (the adjustable fin turbo coming right off a 911).
Drove one the other day, great sound and overall feel. Its miles ahead of the latest generation in every way possible, and i think it is the best sports car you can get for the price. Test drive it and find out...
well, you are right in a way: we all expect better from Porsche. But I will tell you one thing. I cross-shopped this thing with Alpine. Roughly the same price. Alpine has 1.8 liter 4-cylinder engine straight from... Renault Laguna. Porsche Cayman T has its 2.0 liter 4-cylinder enine straight from... 911 - Porsche took 2 cylinders out from 911 engine and change turbos. That's it. So for the price... you want tweaked Lagina engine or tweaked 911 engine... and now to claim that 911 engine with 2-less cylinders somehow sounds worse than Renault Laguna engine... these people can't be this deaf now, can they?
For a Porsche is a flat six or nothing, there is no character in a 2 / 2.5 litre flat four, personally I don't care about 0-60 or bhp, rather the character of the engine and the soul defines a sports car for me. A sports car must provoke emotions, the 718 doesn't! It is a very good car all round but a sports car in not about perfections. Nice review. Edit In 2023 I have changed my views on the 718 with deep respect of the flat four Porsche which is an intrinsic part of the Porsche heritage. 718 enriches the whole Porsche experience for those that want the flexibility of a turbo engine for better performance and economy. I now own a Cayman albeit a flat six but I hugely admire the 718 range. Life is a learning experience!
yeah, yeah, but then the same people say they just LOOOOVEEEE Alpine with 1.8 liter 4-cylinder engine straight from Renault Laguna. Somehow nobody complains about Renault selling their wonderful Laguna engines for the same price as Porsche sells their engines... weird. Besides people used to buy 4-cylinder 911s for their character back in the day. Late 1960s there were 911 T sold with 2.0 4-cylinders. Defdinitely Porsche character, the difference - usable power for every day. Personally, I own Cayman T. And one thing I like in it more than in 911 -- it has more character. Is more raw, more authentic, less insulated from the road, less of a GT car. It's rougher. Actually, Porsche salesmen to sell Cayman say it has more of the Porsche driving characteristics than the existing 911. That just became too big, too comfortable, to luxurious. Don't get me wrong, if I had the means, I would definitely go with 911. *BUT* I'm sure I'd be missing some of the raw Porsche character that Cayman has. And the 4-cylinder -- it's its charm. You can get it in 6-cylinder now though -- GTS 4.0 and GT4. But then again you hit 130 mph on 3rd gear in these things. This is not every day usuable power to me. 911 has it in lower spec models, but then it;s too GTish. Cayman T is so wonderful precisely because of abundance of the classic Porsche sports car character of it. Not because it lacks character.
Just purchased my 2019 718 yesterday. LOVE!!! My first Porsche and very affordable. Never driven a 911 and will not...for a while at least :) So thanks for that!!! I was fine with my 12" subs in my home theater until I listened to an SVS PB16...now I'm $2500 lighter due to that. Don't want to be $50k lighter!!! Mine is a manual also in Miami blue optioned out.
@@paulb7207 My 718 T arrives in 3 months. To be honest, I kinda like the old school, VW-esque noise the small 4 pot makes. Especially when you start it up. It sounds a bit less… serious and a bit more up and at ‘em. I wouldn’t argue it’s a better noise than a Porsche 6, but it definitely has a little something of its own.
The T is my fav Cayman, in fact its my fav car in the world. Ever. Especially in this color. 300 hp is more than enough for me. Im 50 yrs old.
It is my opinion that the Porsche Cayman is the most beautiful car ever produced. Thank you for sharing Stef!
I agree 100%, especially in Miami Blue.
Don’t forget the original f type. Gorgeous.
Yes, the T is my favorite as well. It's a throwback car with functional cloth seats, the GT4 shifter, blacked out everything, standard LSD, sport suspension. Also, the biggest issue from all the reviews is that all of them are loaded with anti-T stuff like foofy interior, heated steering wheels, heavier BOSE stereo on a car that made radio optional to save weight. Even though we can't do that in the US, everyone adding subwoofer, heavier and more speakers! Powered folding mirrors and all sorts of fluff that really belongs in the less focused models. People are spec'ing a T like a cushier S variant. Stop that! It bloats the car and makes the price crazy to were the everyone says get an S for same price. Finally, you cannot get everything in the S and to get the same stuff adds about $13K to the S and you still don't get the cloth seats, GT4 shifter, blacked out interior trim, awesome dark titanium wheels and other small touches. Bravo porsche for giving us in the US the type of car Europeans appreciate. BMW for example only sells vinyl or leather interiors in their cars because they view americans as fat, lazy, status focused so in europe you can get awesome M cloth interiors because europeans get it. Porsche has dropped focused cloth here except the T. thank you Porsche! I have my deposit in.
Q
Very simple and informative review! Miami blue is the colour
Thanks 🙌
A better way of describing the T is not to compare it to the base S. It’s a GTS with the base engine. That’s the comparison to make. To me, it’s a higher spec than the S.
I like this model more than the standard one, but I don't know if maybe it is too low.Thinking about the elevated zebra crossings, or the uneven parking entrances, I'm worried about hitting the bumper spoilers everywhere. Are those shorter springs a problem for common daily use?
You can spec 10mm lowered suspension as no cost option. I have the 20mm lowered and after 12,000 miles can report I’ve had no problem with speed humps.
Great video and I actually own this actual car now - nice to see you enjoying it. 👍
Great review. Sold my air cooled 1986 911. New Cayman T coming next year! Zero options. The wait is brutal.
We all know while you are driving a Porsche you are still thinking about the 4C... you cannot fool your hearth
Absolute stunner in that colour...
Yep!
Could have bought a Carrera T back when they were new and did not and they were selling under list. Kicking myself now as they sell for the original MSRP, with 20k miles. I have a cayman T on order in Python green coming in October, I cannot wait. Currently driving a fully loaded 992 C2. I think the T trim is the best trim!
The gearing isn’t an issue with that engine. It revs great but 2.5k to 5k revs is fabulous.
This car will be the pefect car for me !
because Porsche gears are all driving gears. You don't get a superfluously low first gear just to get going, you are supposed to use all the gears when driving to keep the engine on boil. If you have complaint about the gearing of this 718, try a non turbo 944... you need to shift at redline to get anywhere near the power band once you shift up.
For me, comparing a loaded T (and it's loaded at its base price in the sense of the standard performance goodies that make the car, not the frills like the optional T interior package which I don't need) with an s at its base price, doesn't really make sense. Optioning out an S so that it's comparable would probably make for close to a 10K GBP difference - I guess, since I'm in the US. And with a manual, you won't get that sweet short-shift setup, which the T shares with the old 981 Spyder and GT4.
100% every single TH-cam reviewer says the same thing but never mentions that if you include the options that the T comes with onto the S, the price difference is $10k. Then the real question is, would you pay $10k (or close to it) for the 50 extra HP? I would say no.
You're 100% right, when I looked at a T vs an S it was like.. so I'm paying this much extra for 50bhp ish more power...? No thanks.
The base 718 engine is rapid as it is, pulls like a train and a 718 T is faster on road and track than a 981 GTS.
Just put a deposit on a Miami blue Cayman S. With Martini stripes. So excited! 😁
honestly you just need a standard Porsche sports car with a manual stick, dont need nothing else as an enthusiast.
It’s a lot of fun fir sure
@@StefABtv - You now have the six in the Cayman GTS! The only issue for me is the price. Here in the USA it costs $90k before tax, etc. So you’re paying about $100k out the door especially if you get an option or two. The best deal is to pick up abase with 4 cylinders but you’ll miss that sound and added power. It’s a dilemma. Most will try and find a used 981 if they can.
@@StefABtv - Sadly only the used ones are affordable and than you worry about a warranty to avoid the ultimate money pit! There is NO SUBSTITUTE FOR A GOOD WARRANTY ! A Must have for all used Porsches!
.., or a Miata with a stick and save about $$$$$!
Agree 💯 I have a 718 Cayman. Manual. PTV. Sports Chrono. PASM and more. It’s amazing.
More Porsche videos please Stef. That colour is awesome.
🙌🙌🙌
I remember a few months ago 1 of your subscribers having a argument with me in your comments because they were saying that Porsche are dead lol I’d love to hear from that guy now lol have u seen the new 2020 Porsche range 😆 killing it!
Did you try it with the fuse out to turn off the fake exhaust noise Soundaktor?
Beautiful color. Unconvincing sound: new regulation?
Yep unfortunately
This car or 4c?
Is the 718 cayman t more fun than the 4c ?
No, but you can use the cayman every day
It’s almost 10.000.-€ less than the JCW I spect 😎
Less room but it’s a Porsche they don’t really compare very well 😂
You have to put an aftermarket exhaust on these cars now to get the proper sounds.
Agree
Solid review; my only comment/criticism would on the issue of lag. You're not the only one to mention this, so I accept that it's a little soft on the bottom end. My own very brief test drives in a 2.0T Boxster suggest that's probably true. But when you run from 40mph in 3rd gear, we can hear the car accelerating as soon as you put your foot down. And even your own count from flooring it until you found the thrust acceptable was less than 2 seconds. I get that the accelerative urge from the initial moment of flooring the throttle in that gear - and at that engine speed - doesn't compare with how the car goes when boost is fully developed, but it's fine for ordinary driving, I think? And when you want maximum ass-hauling ability, you're going to drop a gear or 2, right. A car that is really weak on the bottom end and can't get out of it's own way is a real drag, no matter what the top end is like. But I think the issue here is really just that there's a marked difference in the power and torque curves between these motors and the flat sixes, and I say that having owned 5 of them. Floor the flat six at under 2K rpm or so and the throttle response is better, absolutely - you won't get any sense of a lugging engine - it gives you what its got at that engine speed, right away. Problem is, they don't have that much at that speed! if you wanted your flat 6 Porsche to accelerate with real urge, you'd have to drop 2 gears in that scenario, maybe 3. In-gear acceleration from cruising speeds will at least subjectively feel stronger in the flat-4, since you can just wait a second or so, and then it's pulling strongly at an rpm range where the flat-6 that would be most comparable in terms of total power and the model the engines are used in, just doesn't.
You're right, the gear ratios are too long - at least in 1st and 2nd, probably 3rd. The 987 had shorter ratios in 1st and 2nd with a 6-speed, though the higher ratios are actually unchanged. And this really exacerbates the perceived lag issue.
A very nice detailed comment about the gearing issue. Thinking about this, I think it's all about getting used to the drivetrain to maximize it. With the long gearing of the current generation 6 speed manual, I think the 4 popping turbo is a better match than the GTS NA 4.0. With the Cayman T, you can at least learn how to best use it. But with the GTS 4.0, there's no way to maximally use it on public roads. There's no way to reach the high rpm range by effectively using multiple gears. Am I in the right view?
If you want to avoid turbolag install DTE pedalbox and Cayman 2.0T reacts as with naturally aspirated engine:)
I couldn’t own a 4 pot Porsche. Everytime you see an old flat 6 or the latest GT4. Your heart would sink...
Yep
Absolutely! Besides, Alpine's 4-cylinder 1.8 liter straight from Renault Laguna sounds just so much better! You just forgot to state you'd rather have renault instead, what is wrong with you? The way Renault paid you to comment is:
1. State how much you hate 4-cylinder Porsche engine
2. Say how Alpine is just SO MUCH better car!
I traded my 981 for a 718 and I love the flat 4. Wouldn't trade back for anything, it sounds like an old Porsche race car and pulls like a train.
@@paulb7207 I'm always baffled when I see people that love cars like the awful sounding Golf R (that farts on gear changes), old/new A45, Alpine etc say how the 718 engine sounds bad. I love the flat 4, it sounds like an old skool Porsche race car and far more sophisticated than pretty much any 4 pot available today (the adjustable fin turbo coming right off a 911).
Is the sound that bad or is it the case that the sound of the flat 6 is so good, the flat 4 had no chance?
Drove one the other day, great sound and overall feel. Its miles ahead of the latest generation in every way possible, and i think it is the best sports car you can get for the price. Test drive it and find out...
tarta exe Wish I could, rare cars in NW Arkansas.
@@93455Driver Well, you'll be the coolest guy in NW when you get your own cayman 😎
well, you are right in a way: we all expect better from Porsche. But I will tell you one thing. I cross-shopped this thing with Alpine. Roughly the same price. Alpine has 1.8 liter 4-cylinder engine straight from... Renault Laguna. Porsche Cayman T has its 2.0 liter 4-cylinder enine straight from... 911 - Porsche took 2 cylinders out from 911 engine and change turbos. That's it. So for the price... you want tweaked Lagina engine or tweaked 911 engine... and now to claim that 911 engine with 2-less cylinders somehow sounds worse than Renault Laguna engine... these people can't be this deaf now, can they?
Paul B Ah, but look up what Gordon Murray drives as a daily.......and that guy is a sports car genius.
Can you name one perfect car for you ?
The ‘e’ at the end of Bose is silent.
My mercedes A200 premium+ AMG Line has rev matching as standard
Nice
it's standard in cayman t as well. It's not standard in a regular cayman.
👍
Did you just say 'Aphrodite' wheels ? 😁😁 4:35
It's Bose, like Hose.
An flat four sportscar. So basically a luxury version of subaru brz 🤔
Nice car, but gotta agree on the sound. Sounds nothing like my GTI Clubsport with just a simple resonator delete... Listen on my channel! 👍
🙌
Saludos bro desde mexico 🇲🇽 👌🏼👋🏼sigue mi insta bro AbarthGdl
For a Porsche is a flat six or nothing, there is no character in a 2 / 2.5 litre flat four, personally I don't care about 0-60 or bhp, rather the character of the engine and the soul defines a sports car for me. A sports car must provoke emotions, the 718 doesn't! It is a very good car all round but a sports car in not about perfections. Nice review.
Edit
In 2023 I have changed my views on the 718 with deep respect of the flat four Porsche which is an intrinsic part of the Porsche heritage. 718 enriches the whole Porsche experience for those that want the flexibility of a turbo engine for better performance and economy. I now own a Cayman albeit a flat six but I hugely admire the 718 range. Life is a learning experience!
yeah, yeah, but then the same people say they just LOOOOVEEEE Alpine with 1.8 liter 4-cylinder engine straight from Renault Laguna. Somehow nobody complains about Renault selling their wonderful Laguna engines for the same price as Porsche sells their engines... weird.
Besides people used to buy 4-cylinder 911s for their character back in the day. Late 1960s there were 911 T sold with 2.0 4-cylinders. Defdinitely Porsche character, the difference - usable power for every day.
Personally, I own Cayman T. And one thing I like in it more than in 911 -- it has more character. Is more raw, more authentic, less insulated from the road, less of a GT car. It's rougher. Actually, Porsche salesmen to sell Cayman say it has more of the Porsche driving characteristics than the existing 911. That just became too big, too comfortable, to luxurious. Don't get me wrong, if I had the means, I would definitely go with 911. *BUT* I'm sure I'd be missing some of the raw Porsche character that Cayman has. And the 4-cylinder -- it's its charm. You can get it in 6-cylinder now though -- GTS 4.0 and GT4. But then again you hit 130 mph on 3rd gear in these things. This is not every day usuable power to me. 911 has it in lower spec models, but then it;s too GTish.
Cayman T is so wonderful precisely because of abundance of the classic Porsche sports car character of it. Not because it lacks character.
@@paulb7207 Totally agree, I also have a Cayman T (and traded from a 981).
Just purchased my 2019 718 yesterday. LOVE!!! My first Porsche and very affordable. Never driven a 911 and will not...for a while at least :) So thanks for that!!! I was fine with my 12" subs in my home theater until I listened to an SVS PB16...now I'm $2500 lighter due to that. Don't want to be $50k lighter!!! Mine is a manual also in Miami blue optioned out.
@@paulb7207 My 718 T arrives in 3 months. To be honest, I kinda like the old school, VW-esque noise the small 4 pot makes. Especially when you start it up. It sounds a bit less… serious and a bit more up and at ‘em. I wouldn’t argue it’s a better noise than a Porsche 6, but it definitely has a little something of its own.
@@paulb7207 Good points and my personal view of the 718 has changed immensely.