My 718 CGTS 4.0 PDK

[JohnCRS]

From what I recall with mine, there is no adjustment on the diagonal bar. Therefore as long as you do not load up the suspension whilst they are changed, there should be no issues and the new ones will match up perfectly with the bolt holes. No reason alignment should be affected. If you do add any other protection, make sure that the area for the washers and bolt holes are left clean as any layer of paint of other material can cause the bolts to loosen after a while.

 

[Boomer_Zoomer]

I've just had the 4 year major service completed. This took 2 days at OPC Aberdeen which was a pain, but thankfully no surprises reported. The car was given a clean bill of health.

Because the previous owner was a very low mileage gentle use driver, the car only covered 258 miles during the 12 months before I took the car over, I made a special request for a Particulate Filter soot and oil ash check to be done.

This test was carried out by the Gold technician with the following results.
GPF Bank 1 soot load 0.4%
GPF Bank 2 soot load 0.4%
GPF Bank 1 oil ash 10.6%
GPF Bank 2 oil. ash 12.2%
The Gold technician said Aberdeen OPC have had no problems with 718 soot or oil ash sensor triggers, and he could not recall any replacement GPF units being fitted due to EML warnings. Our subsequent discussion on the topic centred on driving style, fuelling, recommended engine oils, and over filling oil top ups as being the primary causes for triggering EML warnings. Driving style in my case is with a keen driver's purpose, and the GPF's get a good blow through on every drive. I also use Shell V-Power or other super premium E5 fuel brands exclusively.

My replacement rear sub-frame braces and assorted nuts and bolts were also collected at the service. I shall treat the new braces with a quality rust preventative clear resin in my garage at home. The fitting of the replacement components is already booked in at Aberdeen OPC at the end of May.

In response to your comment John, no mention has been made of a rear wheel geometry re-set after replacing the sub frame brace bars. I shall confirm whether this is necessary at the time of fitting. Personally, I'm doubtful this brace bars replacement would affect the rear wheel alignment, but I'll probably have this checked at my local geo alignment centre GT Tyres, Forres just to make sure.

Brian.

 

[jimmy p]

I understand this is a thread about a Cayman 4.0 pdk but for anyone reading this it sounds like the pdk box is the only one to have. I agree it is excellent, probably best auto in the business. I have however just picked up a new Boxster GTS 4.0 manual. It is also a great gearbox, yes I get the long gearing however it's a fast car, you are always going to be going very quick if you keep your foot down.
All I'm saying is if you really want a manual and enjoy using your left leg and properly changing gear don't write off the manual box, it is also one of the best manual 6 speeds in the business.
As you were......

 

[dbjames]

Hi Brian - what did Aberdeen charge for the 4 years service please- I know there's often considerable variation?
On another note, I'm planning to venture up to the highlands - any tips on great roads for the 4.0 would be greatly received!

 

[Boomer_Zoomer]

The cost of my 4 year service at Aberdeen OPC including all consumables was £1690.
I have now treated the replacement chassis braces with two coats of Jenolite Rust Shield. This excellent product was a fast drying, clear resin costing only £14. The chassis braces and other assorted nuts and bolts are being replaced at OPC Aberdeen next week.

Regarding good roads to access the highlands, I would recommend avoiding the A9 and taking the A90 north branching off at Perth for the A93 to Blairgowrie. Thereafter to Braemar and Ballater, then the A939 to Tomintoul and Grantown on Spey. Continue on the A939 to Dava and Nairn, before heading west to Inverness, the gateway to the north highlands.

Excellent driving roads north west of Inverness include the A832 to Kyle of Lochalsh, and the A835 to Ullapool and Wester Ross. The Sheildaig loop on the A896 via Glen Torridon to Kishorn is an excellent drive with wonderful scenery. Best to avoid Skye in the summer months, it is clogged with camper vans and motorhomes.

Brian

 

[dbjames]

To be honest I was expecting mine to look much worse. Was a nice shock to see it so mint. Sell it

On another note Brian, I have sold my GT4 RS, the 4RS is so under developed the car just could not cope in oem form with 500HP on that platform and suspension, very hard choice to sell what I thought was going to be my dream car and was a lot of money :-( it's now for sale £30k under list if any one wants a really nice GT4RS. But it needed at least £20k spending on it, just to make it work and then a warranty fight if you mod it, and for a bit more £££ you get the real deal.

So last week I swapped it for this, and so far after 5 days it's blowing my mind, it's amazing how much better a car is when Porsche make the time to get it right.
I'll keep the 718 GTS for a bit longer, but the new toy is just amazing. What a proper bit of kit this is to drive. I thought my 991.2 GT3 was good, but this thing is on another level.
I did not want wings, must be getting old, and I always said a GT car has to have a wing.! I have gone for buckets and PDK, this one has the RS shifters already fitted. It's PTS Nato Olive with every carbon option and orange stitching every where.
But the way it drives and turns in is just out of this world. I feel so lucky I am able to own and pilot such a machine. I think I might just daily it just because I want to be in it as much as possible. The 4RS I just did NOT want to drive it which was very disheartening and it's just been in storage for months.
View attachment 3764

Can you elaborate on what you felt was lacking with the chassis please

 

[Boomer_Zoomer]

Yesterday I had the replacement chassis braces and assorted nuts and bolts fitted at OPC Aberdeen. They did an excellent job, only taking a maximum of two hours during which I was invited through to the ramp by Tyler the technician to inspect the completed work. I have retained the corroded chassis braces which I shall clean up, rust protect, and sell on at a future date. A photo of the finished rear underside is attached below. This is how a 4 year old GTS 4.0 should look with diligent care and maintenance.

Rather than return home via the busy A96 route, I instead took the scenic route via the A939 Lecht snow road. Unfortunately the A939 was closed at Bridge of Brown which necessitated a detour via the B9008, B9009 route to Dufftown. This proved a joy to drive. The absence of traffic on this undulating winding road provided the opportunity to enjoy the GTS 4.0's prodigious performance in the intermediate gears. This car is the best Cayman of the six variants I have owned. Back in 2015 when ready to change from my sublime Cayman R manual, I was refused the opportunity to order a 981 GT4 by the OPC in the central belt of Scotland from whom I had purchased three Caymans previously.
This did not go down well with me at the time, resulting in my next purchase elsewhere.

Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, I now have no regrets missing out on the 981 GT4. The subsequent two 718 2.5T Caymans were an experience I would not have missed. The 718 GTS 2.5T PDK with ceramic brakes was a formidable track weapon out pacing many supposedly faster cars. The evidence for that was apparent at the PCGB track day at Knockhill in August 2019 when I posted a late session PB lap time of 58.76, pipping best time of the Manthey modified 981 GT4 of experienced wheel-smith Chris Whittle, albeit on Michelin Super Sport rubber, comparable to my PS4S tyres.

I would suggest that the 718 GTS 4.0 PDK is probably the best all-round touring car of the current Cayman range. The atmosphere 4.0 flat six revs to 7800 and sounds absolutely glorious. It goes without saying that I didn't buy this car with fuel economy in mind. Nevertheless, I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the cross-country fuel consumption of 28mpg. This compares to the thirsty 24-26mpg returned by the 2.5T PDK flat-fours on identical routes. This current car could be a keeper.

Brian.

 

[Boomer_Zoomer]

The PCGB region I belong to is R2 Scotland North. This covers a huge geographical area encompassing the extensive land mass north of Perth including the western and northern islands. Although it is a massive geographical area it is sparsely populated and has some of the best driving roads in Europe. It has been apparent for some considerable time that for we Highlanders, PCGB events mainly concentrated in the Aberdeen and Dundee shires are not conveniently placed for our active participation. There are no motorways and preciously few dual carriageways between Inverness, Aberdeen, and Dundee. It may not be widely known to those living south of the border, but Aberdeen is 110 miles distant from Inverness via the notoriously congested and RTC prone A96 route. On a good day this journey can take a laborious 2 hours 45 minutes each way.

So, it was with eager anticipation for us in the Inverness locality, that the joint R2 organisers from Aberdeen convened a meeting last month at an Inverness hotel to explore the possibility of forming a sub-group of Highland Porsche owners under the affiliation of the R2 PCGB organisers in Aberdeen. This has been enthusiastically embraced by the Inverness contingency and we have now established the R2 Highland Porsche Group - HPG, run by two joint local volunteer organisers. We have already had our first inaugural meeting as HPG, and last weekend we had our first official drive day as a formal sub-group. I'm delighted to report this was a resounding success.

Seven cars and ten people enjoyed a glorious drive north from Inverness via the B9176 to the Struie viewpoint, then the A836 Bonar Bridge, joining the A9 to Dornoch beach for a snack lunch in glorious warm sunshine. With the benefit of prodigious local knowledge we know the best roads, and optimum timings to make the most of the stunning scenery good driving roads that are so abundant in this part of rural Scotland. Our final stop for coffee at the Kincraig Hotel on the A9 near Alness provided a fitting conclusion to our first day out as group. Since the initial success of this drive day, word has gotten around locally amongst other Porsche owners who have now joined PCGB for the first time ever. That can only be a Good Thing for the club as a whole.

The HPG have now established a regular date and venue for monthly meetings with an exciting programme of events currently being formulated. With the much lamented absence of a PCGB track day at Knockhill this year, the HPG is exploring the possibility of holding a Porsche exclusive track day on the national championship kart track at Golspie possibly next year. This track is currently utilised twice a year as rounds of the Scottish Sprint Championship for MSA affiliated motor clubs.

I am delighted to be part of this new PCGB R2 group. The combined knowledge of the people enlisted so far is considerably greater than the sum of the individual parts. This can only be good.

Brian.

 

[Boomer_Zoomer]

Today I attended a motorsport sprint event held at the national kart track in Golspie on the A9 north of Inverness. My principal purpose was to check out this track, having been mentioned as a possible contender as a fixture on the calendar of events for the newly formed R2 Highland Porsche Group.

The track is used principally by the North of Scotland Kart Club as national affiliated venue for kart championships, and also by Caithness Car Club for motorsport sprint events as on the day I attended. The track has two configurations available, a short version and a longer version, as is common practice with many motorsport circuits such as Anglesey and Oulton Park for example. I was impressed by the smooth, grippy, quality of the track surface and the undulating nature of the layout. It reminded me of the handling track at PEC Silverstone, both in the variety of corners and the width.

With the very regrettable demise of Knockhill as a PCGB track day venue, this excellent Golspie track may well serve the needs of R2 members who enjoy exercising their Porsches on a closed circuit. As Golspie is principally a kart track, the layout and width is only suitable for one car at a time on the track. Any speed event held here for cars necessitates a sprint format, meaning that only one car at time completes a maximum of three laps per run. In the event of an exclusive R2 track event taking place, no timing apparatus would be deployed. The purpose being to enjoy our cars in the safety of a closed circuit complete with track marshals and basic medical support provided.

It is early days whether this Golspie track day concept for our R2 group will come to fruition. Nothing has been officially confirmed yet. The R2 HPG have a contact within the kart club management and there are plans to open discussions taking this idea forward for a possible event date held next year.

I attach a photo taken at the recent sprint event showing a rather well driven Boxster demonstrating the precision of sprint driving discipline.

Brian.

 

[Paul-718gts]

I've just had the 4 year major service completed. This took 2 days at OPC Aberdeen which was a pain, but thankfully no surprises reported. The car was given a clean bill of health.

Because the previous owner was a very low mileage gentle use driver, the car only covered 258 miles during the 12 months before I took the car over, I made a special request for a Particulate Filter soot and oil ash check to be done.

This test was carried out by the Gold technician with the following results.
GPF Bank 1 soot load 0.4%
GPF Bank 2 soot load 0.4%
GPF Bank 1 oil ash 10.6%
GPF Bank 2 oil. ash 12.2%
The Gold technician said Aberdeen OPC have had no problems with 718 soot or oil ash sensor triggers, and he could not recall any replacement GPF units being fitted due to EML warnings. Our subsequent discussion on the topic centred on driving style, fuelling, recommended engine oils, and over filling oil top ups as being the primary causes for triggering EML warnings. Driving style in my case is with a keen driver's purpose, and the GPF's get a good blow through on every drive. I also use Shell V-Power or other super premium E5 fuel brands exclusively.

My replacement rear sub-frame braces and assorted nuts and bolts were also collected at the service. I shall treat the new braces with a quality rust preventative clear resin in my garage at home. The fitting of the replacement components is already booked in at Aberdeen OPC at the end of May.

In response to your comment John, no mention has been made of a rear wheel geometry re-set after replacing the sub frame brace bars. I shall confirm whether this is necessary at the time of fitting. Personally, I'm doubtful this brace bars replacement would affect the rear wheel alignment, but I'll probably have this checked at my local geo alignment centre GT Tyres, Forres just to make sure.

Brian.View attachment 4179

Hi Brian,
Hope you don’t mind me asking what the approximate total mileage was when you had your GPF checked ?

 

[Boomer_Zoomer]

Hi Paul,

For your information, the total mileage recorded when my GPF deposits were checked was 12,444 miles.

Continuing my maintenance updates, I have another forthcoming workshop visit later this week when badly corroded studs and bolts on both rear exhaust muffler flanges were identified at the major service. New studs, bolts and gaskets are already ordered for this repair.

To be honest I'm shocked at the extent of the corrosion on some of the components the underside of this particular low mileage car. The previous owner was clearly not as diligent as I when it came to care and maintenance of the chassis bit and bobs.

I also live by the coast but never in my experience of owning 6 Caymans, mostly bought from new, have I ever experienced rust on this scale in such a short period of time.

Thankfully all affected components will have been replaced by the close of this week.

I am currently returning this car to the maintenance standards I am used to in my 14 years of Porsche Cayman ownership.

Brian.

 

[Paul-718gts]

Hi Brian,

Thank you for coming back to me..

Tbh the ash numbers look about what u would expect to see given the mileage… apart from the challenges we have seen with the 2019 4 cylinder cars a normal rule of thumb would be 100k miles = 100% full.
Like you I like things to be in good order and well maintained, keep up sharing the great job you are doing..

 

[Boomer_Zoomer]

Paul,

Thank you for your reassuring comment regarding the ash deposits readings on my car.

I have been following your posts on the GPF problems on 2019 4-cylinder cars. A very sorry saga indeed, which Porsche has not handled at all well according to your many reports.

I also owned a new 2019 Cayman 2.5 GTS PDK for around 10,000 miles before I sold it in late 2020. At the time it was the joint best Cayman I had ever owned, tying with my sublime 987.2 Cayman R manual. Thankfully I did not experience any GPF issues with the car during my ownership. The 2.5 CGTS participated in PCGB track days at Knockhill and Oulton Park, which suited it well. It was a 981 GT4 beater on these technical, undulating, and twisty tracks. With its prodigious torque spread over a wide rev range it had the advantage pulling out of slower corners faster than the long geared 981 GT4. Also the PCCB option more than proved its worth on both of these tracks. I loved that car.

My current 2021 model year CGTS 4.0 PDK has now usurped the 2.5 CGTS PDK as the Number 1 best Cayman in my long experience with the marque. For my purposes it provides ideal all-round useable performance, comfort, and touring capabilities on the rural roads prevalent in my locality.

Brian.

 

[Boomer_Zoomer]

The final element of the remedial work replacing corroded bits and bobs on the rear underside of my CGTS 4.0 was successfully completed last week. This focused on replacement of the severely rusted studs and nuts on the right and left exhaust flanges as shown in the photos of last Tuesday's post.

This work entailed the removal of the entire rear bumper and panel section, including the retractable wing, to gain access to the affected exhaust flanges. The rusted studs were so badly seized that all ten in number required burning off with a welding torch. For this drastic action to be necessary after only 4 years since new, is clear evidence that the rear of the car was exposed to extreme salty environmental conditions. Records show that under the previous ownership my car only covered 250 miles in the 12 months before it was sold to OPC Aberdeen. My speculation is, this car was parked outside nose-in, with the rear of the car facing all weathers, hardly turning a wheel for a whole year.

Because I live 2 hours distant from Aberdeen OPC, I left home at 5.00am to ensure the exhaust system had sufficient. time to cool before my workshop appointment at 8.00am. The work was estimated to take around two hours. In actual fact it took an astonishing 5 hours to complete. Credit is due to Aberdeen OPC for charging only 2 hours labour as originally quoted. I was very grateful for that very generous concession. The ensuing conversations conducted with the sales and service staff confirmed that "superficial" surface rust on the underside chassis components as afflicting my car, do not come within the roadworthiness and safety criteria of the resale PDI 111 point check.

It was my choice to have all the affected components replaced. However, I was very grateful for the concessionary discounts offered, bearing in mind the young age of the car and the confirmed below average mileage of under 10,000 miles since first registration in September 2021. The take-away experience from this, is to always ask for an inspection of the underside of any Porsche Approved car before purchase. I was blindsided by the above ground pristine presentation and the low mileage.
For peace of mind, all replaced components have been treated with Rust Shield clear resin to inhibit further corrosion in the future.

Brian.

 

[JohnCRS]

It does look a lot better Brian. Did the OPC use better quality fittings than those originally fitted, or are you committed to regular rust proofing? Chatting to my local technician, if the bolts are more than three years old they will usually need grinding out if they have to be removed. Replacement is a very regular 'service' item.

Two years ago I came across a 981 GTS, about 17,000 miles, sold for a premium as a collector car. It was found to have rotted through the rear wings and the underneath was in a very crusty state. Those stay bars had actually rotted through along the channels. It was rejected and returned to the dealer after which we, unfortunately, lost track of it. I agree with your point, to anyone buying one of these cars, have a careful look at the underside and question what you don't like the look of.

Thank you for the updates on your car.

Best wishes, John

 

[ianthow]

The rusted studs were so badly seized that all ten in number required burning off with a welding torch. For this drastic action to be necessary after only 4 years since new, is clear evidence that the rear of the car was exposed to extreme salty environmental conditions. Records show that under the previous ownership my car only covered 250 miles in the 12 months before it was sold to OPC Aberdeen. My speculation is, this car was parked outside nose-in, with the rear of the car facing all weathers, hardly turning a wheel for a whole year.

Brian,
This is a very common issue with Porsche exhaust studs and nuts going back over several generations. My 987.2 had new nuts fitted when purchased at 5 years old, replaced during clutch replacement. Four years later, they were gone again in spite of the car being kept in a dry, integral, garage with a de-humidifier to dry out damp air after wet drives). This time I replaced the fixings with marine grade A4 stainless steel (16-18% chrome / 10-14%nickel) bolts and serrated flange nuts. That was six years ago. These are still like new. I am sure that the problem is galvanic corrosion of standard low grade steel fixings on the standard exhaust, which is likely to be 409 stainless (~11% chrome). It is incredible that they are not using better quality fasteners on premium products.

 

[Boomer_Zoomer]

Thank your comments John and Ian.

The corroded components I have chosen to replace are all Porsche OE parts. They seem to me to be of a better quality than the removed rusty items, particularly the nuts and bolts which appeared to be galvanised if that is the proper description. As an added preventative measure I sprayed all the parts with Rust Shield resin, (Amazon £13.99). My car underneath is now to the standards I consider acceptable. Hopefully it will remain so, at least for the duration of my ownership.

Ian, I take your point about using marine grade nuts and bolts to guarantee all weather durability on these exposed and vulnerable components. The two chassis braces could also be electro-plated before fitting, as a garage owner friend recommended. For my purposes I chose to use the OE parts treated with a clear rust inhibitor. I'll be keeping an eye on how successful or otherwise this turns out in reality.

It is shocking that Porsche fit such poor quality fasteners and chassis brace bars on premium cars.

On another topic, my conversations with the sales manager covered the regrettable end of production for the petrol engined UK Boxsters and Caymans later this year. The CGTS 4.0 for example is no longer available as a new order. The EV evolution of the Boxsters and Caymans are due for UK supply by early 2026 I understand. I made the point that there was little apparent enthusiasm for electric Caymans according to the opinions expressed on PCGB forums and elsewhere. The EV Boxster will be competing with the MG electric sports convertible and other similar Chinese made products. It will remain to be seen the impact on residual values of our current petrol engined sports Porsches when the EV models come on stream. If the sales manager's prophecy is correct, some of our Porsche ICE sports cars may even increase in residual value when the only alternative option is electric.

The EV Macan is apparently making headway in the premium SUV market I've been reliably informed. But that is an entirely different sector compared to full-blooded petrol engined sports coupes.

Brian.