718 GT4 as a Daily Driver

[AshGTS]

I absolutely adore my 981 GTS! By far the best car I have ever owned! I am however, slightly secretly obsessed with the idea of getting a Gentian Blue GT4 with gold wheels - mostly, if I am honest, because I think it just looks absolutely phenomenal. Most of my driving is on road and I've never tracked a car, but that might change in the future.

My question is, what are GT4s like in terms of ground clearance? Are they comparable to the 981 GTS or does the car sit a lot lower? I ask this as we have an underground car park at work which has a slope going in, if I am slow and careful with the 981 I don't hear the dreaded front splitter crashing. I also want to know if the GT4 would be a car relegated to special journeys only, or if there's parity with the 981 GTS?

Has anyone else done the jump from 981 GTS to 718 GT4? What was your experience?


Ash

 

[Twinfan]

I did exactly that - went from a 981 GTS to a 718 GT4 four years ago.

The GT4 is lower and it very easily scrapes. Slopes are an issue for both the front and the rear of the car, lots of plastic gets scuffed up. I even lost one of my rear plastic brake ducts going over a kerb somewhere around the Silverstone GP circuit I've never been in a multistorey car park with the car as I just know I'll have trouble as I had a problem just going up a friends fairly gently sloped drive. None of this matters if you're happy enough to replace plastics due to damage (I haven't bothered, my car is shall we say "gaining patina" everywhere...) but my worry is ripping off a complete bumper if it scrapes really badly or the splitter or diffuser gets caught. You have been warned...

In terms of using the car as a daily driver, aside from ground clearance you shouldn't really have an issue. The engine is the same as the 4.0 GTS bar a slight remap and it copes perfectly well pottering about and cruising on the motorway. Ride quality is firmer than the 981 GTS (my car also had PASM, like the GT4) and it's crashier over bumps. I found the 981 GTS was amazing at soaking up our rubbish UK roads, the GT4 less so. However the GT4 is a step more hardcore and more track worthy. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice.

In my view, unless you're specifically looking for something with better track abilities, or something a bit more hardcore/firm/aggressive (like I was at the time) then I wouldn't switch purely for looks. You also need to factor in that the 4.0 sounds nothing like the 3.4 GTS, and can't be made to be like one either, which for some people is a major disadvantage.

I originally bought my GT4 as a road only car but I got into track days soon after, which I'm really enjoying. If you're only going to potter around on the road I'd give serious consideration to not making the change unless you REALLY want a GT4. I did, and was happy with the compromises, but it's not something that will work for everyone.

I hope that helps?

-Dave

 

[AshGTS]

That does help Dave - massively! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience - this is exactly what I wanted to know! The Porsche is a second car, (I already have a trusty Audi for family duties), but now my child has hit their teens, I often take the GTS if its just the wife and I, and it gets used on all kinds of errands and trips outside. Your post really makes me appreciate what a great all-rounder the 981 GTS is!

 

[Twinfan]

No worries, if you think of anything else you need to know just ask

 

[MrDemon]

I think one must be mad to go GT4 over a 718 4.0 GTS for road use only.

My GTS 4.0 Cayman is one of the best cars I have owned from 103 cars and 18 porkers. I also think it would be a great upgrade over a 981 GTS. The 4.0 engine is mega. I did 100-200 kph test in 8.6 seconds so easy beats the listed times. My new 4RS does 7.2 in manual mode. the 981 is closer to 12 seconds 100-200 so quite slow in todays world, fast enough of course, but a LOT slower than a 4.0 GTS.

As always it comes down to money and how many cars you own or want to run. I own 5 cars and each does the thing I use them for better than the others. I would hate to daily a GT4 over a GTS . And now the 4RS is out if you can get a 4RS over a GT4 as a 2nd or 3rd car then why would you not.

I guess for looks you could go comfort seats in the 718 GT4, fit more road bias tyres and up the ride height 10mm. Also be cheaper to buy a comfort car, but will be more expensive to run than a 4.0 GTS and still not be as good on the road. But you gets the looks and make it slighty more usable.

ALso if you go GTS and like a Sporty drive make sure the SPASM has not been deleted, a lot of cars are missing SPASM, and it's not just damping, you get stiffer springs and stiffer ARB's which makes the GTS 4.0 SPASM car really a modern Cayman R, but you have to go PDK also imho to make the 4.0 engine sing and usable on the road. 85mph 2nd gear in the manual is a dire experience for me, and I am a manual die hard but own a PDK GTS because it works and gels with the 4.0 engine.

You can easy take a 4.0 GTS on track also if you ever wished for a go on track.

 

[JaseGT4]

I did that from GTS to GT4. You can't really daily the GT4 if you have unplanned drives. Any incline that is slightly more acute than normal will cause a problem. I was going to take mine out today but we decided to park in an underground car park, no chance in the GT4. That said would I still change knowing what I know now - Yes. The car is very different, more raw and a performance every time you drive it.

 

[ralphmusic]

Suspension compliance is way different on my GT4 to my GTS Boxster. The former far less comfortable on local bumpy roads but smaller difference on faster roads.

The GT4 often scrapes the underbody parts but it is running lower than stock.