Ordering a Cayman GTS4.0

[Gorsh]

On a GTS the 'GTS Interior' is worth serious consideration as it's unique to the GTS, looks great and does affect resale desirability and value. Nothing wrong with PDK, it's highly valued by lots of drivers as is the manual. I would definitely add climate control too, Bose is quite good being the mid range option, Cruise is useful, reversing camera is something I like having too. Whatever you decide enjoy the process and the anticipation of delivery day getting closer!

 

[james1990]

Thanks Gorsh - just on your point around the 'GTS Interior'. My understanding (and correct me if I'm wrong) is, it's the alcantara that is GTS-unique - therefore with me opting for no options - I'm effectively choosing to retain the alcantara and not replace it with leather. Therefore, the roof lining, steering wheel and centres of the seats will all be in that material. Does that sound about right?

Interestingly on the gearbox, the OPC told me the orders are roughly 50/50 split so far on manual/PDK. Got the cruise and camera, opted against the 2 zone climate for now as it's such a small cabin, I'm not convinced the 2 zone would be that effective + my partner wants nothing to do with it

Cheers for you thoughts

 

[james1990]

Morning all, this is my first post so I hope it's ok jumping on the back of this discussion.

I've ordered a Cayman GTS4.0 from my local OPC and wanted to gauge the thoughts of potentially like-minded people when it came to what specs/options I should be going with. I've got a bit of a window to change my choices if needed. I'm trying to be as frugal as possible with the options without it being detrimental to the resale value.

Thankfully the Cayman GTS4.0 comes with a lot of the core stuff you'd want. Therefore, a lot of the things I'm referring to are mainly cosmetic and tech choices. I'm really interested in thoughts on:

Stereo/sound - is sticking to standard sensible or will not having at least the Bose upgrade impact me down the line? I'm really not bothered about audio (the engines sounds better IMO) and I've always been underwhelmed with the Bose kit on Porsches.
Interior - I like alcantara and plan to do no upgrades inside apart from the wheel (adding multi function). Any strong opinions against this?
Colour - I'm a big fan of Gentian blue...but also have a soft spot for a few of the "Special" colours. Any thoughts on resale if I spent the extra 900-1000?

Thanks in advance

P.S. I've gone PDK...which I know will divide opinion.

 

[Motorhead]

Hi James,

Well done for making the purchase decision. It’s a great choice and I’m sure you won’t regret it regardless of the spec you choose … and remember that it’s your choice no matter what other people say!

For starters I’d stick with the standard sound system. Big fat low profile tyres and stiff suspension generate a lot of road-induced sound, and the engine is directly behind you, so I doubt you’ll get the benefit of a high-end system unless you turn-up the volume to a high level.

I have my own option preferences which you may want to take onboard: auto-dimming and folding mirrors, PDLS (either), cruise control, climate control and the smoking package (I hate the ugly hole in the centre console!). To be honest most - if not all - of these should be standard on a so-called “premium” car, and I’m aware that no Porsche options are cheap.

Note that the standard aircon system is very basic (and a pet hate of mine!), with manual control of temperature and fan speed, and is totally unacceptable in my opinion, although others differ. The Cayman cabin is small, which means that the temperature can change quite quickly dependent upon weather conditions … who wants the distraction of having to fiddle with temperature and fan speed controls? That’s going back to the dark ages!!

You’ll never get back what you pay for options but they will make the car more attractive come resale. Choose what you want and what you can afford. It’s an expensive car and percentage-wise a few expensive extras won’t make a huge difference long-term if you’re planning to keep the car for a while.

I’m a fan of blue and red, and the CGTS looks really good in any of those colours on offer.

All just my tuppence-worth of course. []

Enjoy the purchasing journey. When are you anticipating delivery?

Jeff

 

[james1990]

Thanks Jeff - really appreciate your thoughts.

Good point on the aircon. I do value remaining a nice temperature over a small upgrade to the speakers - thanks for your views there. I guess I will never please every next purchaser but, as you say, perhaps I should spec for me and worry about selling when the time comes I hadn't considered the smoking package; it's cheap enough so I may well do that.

I've had a build slot confirmed for mid December. I've been quoted first qtr for delivery...with the usual caveats.

Cheers,

James

 

[Gorsh]

Thanks Gorsh - just on your point around the 'GTS Interior'. My understanding (and correct me if I'm wrong) is, it's the alcantara that is GTS-unique - therefore with me opting for no options - I'm effectively choosing to retain the alcantara and not replace it with leather. Therefore, the roof lining, steering wheel and centres of the seats will all be in that material. Does that sound about right?

Interestingly on the gearbox, the OPC told me the orders are roughly 50/50 split so far on manual/PDK. Got the cruise and camera, opted against the 2 zone climate for now as it's such a small cabin, I'm not convinced the 2 zone would be that effective + my partner wants nothing to do with it

Cheers for you thoughts

Hi James

You're partly correct about the leather/alcantara mix, the GTS Interior adds to this rather than changes it - coloured stitching on the seats, doors and dash, coloured embroidered GTS logo on the headrests, carbon trim and coloured dials, you can choose red or silver. There might be some other details different to my 981 GTS too as I haven't checked the latest specification. As Jeff says above there are other worthwhile options like auto dimming/folding mirrors, and I would urge you to reconsider the climate control, it's not the dual bit that's so important but the ability to set a temperature and forget it rather than constantly fiddling with the buttons and knobs (it's an option many cars have as standard) - these and other things can add considerably to the overall ownership pleasure as well as the added bonus of being desirable come resale time.

 

[mikeg]

James,

You will find that there are supporters and anti's for almost very option - from the big choices like Manual/PDK down to smaller things like PDLS lighting (yes if lots of country night-time driving) and PSP. Choose what you will get use and value out of and don't let the resale tail wag the dog. FWIW I would definitely go for the GTS interior pack (you still get alcantara but contrasting stiching and carbon inlays - it looks great). Even the smoking pack opens a debate - makes the cente console a lot tidier but there are those who resent paying £38 for a small plastic lid that used to be free ........

One other tip - watch out for the PASM -10mm option. It actually means the car is raised by 10mm from the standard -20mm and, in my opinion, is better for road use.

Even though it is for a 911, I found this You Tube video really helpful - www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKUUu1BmAEA

 

[Motorhead]

Yes James, it’s very important to understand the difference between the standard aircon and the optional climate control. Many people - and unfortunately this can include Porsche sales staff - think that the only difference between the two is the 2-zone control, which is not the case. Anyway, the informed choice is yours.

Going back a few years the smoking package was a no-cost option but now Porsche have the cheek to ask £38 for it. I’d eyeball the sales exec and ask if it’s justified on a £70k car. It may be the only freebie you’ll get!

6-9 months delivery … that’s going to be a long wait! There may well be a price-hike in that period but it’ll be a MY2022 car and maybe there’ll be some updates if 718 production is going to continue for a few more years before the (electric?) replacement arrives.

Jeff

 

[james1990]

Thank you everyone for your comments.

I'm definitely going to change the air con based on the unanimous views.

Still going to think on the GTS interior package and lowering distance on the PASM.

Thanks again - can't wait for the car to arrive

 

[Scrounger]

I agree with Jeff. The Dual Climate is well worth the £500 and I took his advice and ordered it on mine and I'm so glad I did.

 

[PHB1969]

when I was looking for a GTS, the GTS interior pack was important. I‘d had a base model and the the carbon inserts made the car different to the base that I had had. Luckily I picked up a brand new car spec’d by the dealer with 19 miles on it with everything I wanted on it. The reversing camera is really useful. I also have LED lights - these are so bright, perhaps too bright! Bose to standard, I can tell a difference, others may not.

 

[james1990]

Thanks - ive asked the dealership to add it to the list

 

[JaseGT4]

Congrats James, I'm in a similar position, hoping to take delivery Aug/Sept. I keep changing my mind on colour and wheels - don't ask However, I have spec'd -10mm pasm, the dual climate control, folding mirrors, reversing camera, light package. I have taken off all of the alcantera and gone for partial leather and opted for the standard two way seats instead of the 18 way seats, also included coloured seatbelts to break up the black interior. Exciting times, enjoy the journey.

 

[Semerka]

Hello James, exciting times! []

I too add my support for the climate control system. We have had it on the previous two Caymans, but only have the standard aircon on the current one. And it is a pain on longer journeys, I miss the climate control.

Standard Interior (taken from the configurator):

In Black leather: seat bolsters and headrests.

In Race-Text in Black: seat centre, steering wheel rim, door handles, door panel armrests and storage compartment lid (partially), gear lever. GTS logo in Black embroidered on headrests

***

The GTS Interior Package is alcantara and also adds leather lining on top of the dashboard and top of the door cards, which is very nice, plus of course the carbon fibre trim.

The standard interior is race-text material and has plastic on top of the dashboard / door cards. I am not sure what the difference is between race-text and alcantara.

 

[Wollemi]

One other tip - watch out for the PASM -10mm option. It actually means the car is raised by 10mm from the standard -20mm and, in my opinion, is better for road use.

Don‘t whatever you make the mistake of opting for the -10mm suspension instead of the GTS standard -20mm

the -20mm is perfect, no issues with grounding at all and the ride is remarkably good. Raising to ride height will risk losing some of the precision and feel which makes a GTS such a joy to drive.

 

[KenDavis71]

Hi James,

I’ve recently ordered a gts and have been (still am) playing around with the spec. Still awaiting a production date.

No doubt like you, I’ve spent hours going back and forth and happy to share my thoughts/consideration if you want to contact me directly. I’d be equally interested in your view.

Its ultimately about personal choice, you’ll never really get the money back and like other reply’s there are some options that are probably worth considering more than others.

regards

Ken

 

[JaseGT4]

Well, had an email yesterday to say mine has been put back by a month possibly late Sept/Oct delivery, still haven't locked my spec in yet.

 

[PhilipM]

I'm about to place an order for a GTS 4.0 so this thread has been very helpful. I hadn't realised that the PASM -10mm is actually 10mm higher than standard. Where does it say this in the spec sheet? The info about the dual zone control on the aircon is very useful.

 

[james1990]

Agree, many thanks to everyone for sharing their views and experience.

I’ve stuck to my gut with a lot of things but also made some changes, e.g. dual zone AC, smokers package and a few others.

Can‘t wait to take delivery now!

 

[JaseGT4]

Why the smokers package?