Good eve

[lessismore]

Good evening everyone, I am new to the board so please be gentle. I purchased a 981S last year with all the toys I wanted and it wasn't easy to get a low mileage 20inch wheels FPSH through the OPC network. Looking now there are none with BOSE, 20inch wheels, parking sensors, PCM,PDK etc etc in the network
Thankfully I managed to get one in agate grey through the lovely people at Edinburgh and the only thing it didn't have was a sports exhaust
Question I need to answer is - Is it worth getting as a retro fit, will it enhance the car and whats the price - circa 2k I guess and is it money well spent. Would appreciate any info if people have done this in the past
I have to say I have only put 800 miles on it in 6 months but it is amazing and I cant wait for the sun to come out and get it out of the garage

Its so good I am getting a Macan for the daily chores which I am equally looking forward to

Best

 

[Daveotto]

Welcome and great colour choice btw

I have the sports exhaust on my 718S and TBH I don't see the value so would not recommend it as a retrofit, its a lot of money just to make the car sound louder.

Mine came as part of the spec with an ex demo but given the choice I would have spent the money on LED headlights

KR

Dave

 

[AndrewCS]

I would not pay to retro fit the PSE, my 981 CS has it and after thirteen thousand miles I find myself turning it off most of the time. (Post engine warm up to 90`C oil temperature I run in Sport mode).

Does depend on what type of driving / roads are used though.

 

[Gazoak]

I wouldn't be without it. OPC Chester loaned us a car for the weekend with it on before we bought our car and it was something I hadn't even considered prior thinking the sound of the flat six would be enough. When I added my options which were limited, I couldn't resist. I agree it can be boomy and I tend to switch it off on motorways but generally its always on driving B roads. It also sounds great when decelerating through the gears with PDK. Go for it!

 

[TheAnimal]

I recommend it on the 981 if you are planning to keep long term. Ask the OPC if they can let you drive one with Sport exhaust for 30 minutes. If they haven’t got one wait until they get one or they can heck their group stock (some OPCs are part of a Group of dealers). Another route you can take is to call another OPC that has a PSE 981 in stock, and do a deal on them fitting the PSE subject to you test driving their car first.

Watch some videos on youtube too

 

[keiththo]

I got a PSE retro fitted to my 981, I love the crackles etc but the boominess on motorways is annoying at around 70 mph. It affects the engine noise in a pleasant way generally so I’m glad I did it.

 

[mr pg]

I bought my 981CS (also Agate) back in May 2015, and it came with all the driver aids, including PTV, but no PSE. I had it fitted just a month ago (at a very good price (relatively) of £1750). There is more noise at mway speeds, but on the right road it is glorious. Back to the Alps/Dolomites again in July, and I think I'll enjoy it even more now.

 

[Peter_Bull]

I am very happy with the sound of my 981 with standard exhaust and twin pipes.

To be honest I think that in my advancing years the sports exhaust don't quite appeal to me any more. I guess if your a young chap it will be different.

I had one retro fitted on my 996 years ago and although it sounded wonderful, especially in the tunnels of Europe, I had it switched off most of the time. I hated the overrun popping from day one!

Save your money and enjoy the standard notes!

 

[PaulJ]

I am very happy with the sound of my 981 with standard exhaust and twin pipes.

To be honest I think that in my advancing years the sports exhaust don't quite appeal to me any more. I guess if your a young chap it will be different.

I had one retro fitted on my 996 years ago and although it sounded wonderful, especially in the tunnels of Europe, I had it switched off most of the time. I hated the overrun popping from day one!

Save your money and enjoy the standard notes!

I'm 65 and love the PSE on my 981 GTS - it's always turned up to 11 on the 1-10 scale! I'm not sure of your age Peter, but I'll risk putting it into a musical context. Hank Marvin played all the standard notes, but Jimi Hendrix was life enhancing!

 

[Deanoc123]

It was certainly on the must have list for me. It'll be a good investment as it will certainly add value and widen the appeal when you go to sell because the sound of the car is why people are not buying 718s

 

[lessismore]

Many thanks for all the posts and supportive comments - As I will be using it as either a back up car but mainly for weekends and on B roads looking for nice places to eat when the sunshine is shouting at you to go out and enjoy I think I will get it fitted

I will look to find a competitive quote as it was the one option I would have liked which was missing and compromised on knowing I could retro fit unlike the others I managed to secure on my car. I checked and the view was it would add value to the car and open it up to a wider audience if I ever wished to sell which currently I most definitely do not

Off topic we picked up our Macan 2.0 petrol yesterday which we will use as the day to day car and drove it 180 miles home and what a fabulous experience that was up the motorways and on the back roads

Enjoy the weekend everyone

 

[Technetium]

How can you possibly know that it is lack of engine noise that has affected sales of 718s?

European sales of the Cayman/Boxster have fallen since their peak in 2007/8 - along with the drop in sales for all sports cars, including the audi TT.

And Cayman sales for 2017/2018 were pretty much the same as for the previous model in 2014/15. See carsalesbase.com.

Sure, you can find reviewers on YouTube bemoaning the sound of the new engine, but most of them tend to agree that the 718 is a better car overall.

And it isn't difficult to find experienced Porsche owners who think that the new engine is better in some respects (e.g. response at low revs).

As for the OP's question, there are predictable responses. Some love it, some hate it (or at least are not keen) and some are not that bothered either way. What you tend to get if you ask people's opinions of pretty much any contentious subject. It is certainly interesting (and often entertaining) to read the various opinions and justifications, but I am never convinced that this really helps anyone make a decision. Have to try it yourself. Obvious, but true.

 

[Deanoc123]

How can you possibly know that it is lack of engine noise that has affected sales of 718s?

European sales of the Cayman/Boxster have fallen since their peak in 2007/8 - along with the drop in sales for all sports cars, including the audi TT.

And Cayman sales for 2017/2018 were pretty much the same as for the previous model in 2014/15. See carsalesbase.com.

Sure, you can find reviewers on YouTube bemoaning the sound of the new engine, but most of them tend to agree that the 718 is a better car overall.

And it isn't difficult to find experienced Porsche owners who think that the new engine is better in some respects (e.g. response at low revs).

As for the OP's question, there are predictable responses. Some love it, some hate it (or at least are not keen) and some are not that bothered either way. What you tend to get if you ask people's opinions of pretty much any contentious subject. It is certainly interesting (and often entertaining) to read the various opinions and justifications, but I am never convinced that this really helps anyone make a decision. Have to try it yourself. Obvious, but true.

Was that at me? Yes EU sales of the 718 are lower than the 981 while every other model is rising. It worse in the US. This you have to assume is because of the engine because not much else changed.

EU boxster and Cayman sales.

2014 - 8444 / 981 2015 - 8850 / 981 2016 - 9770 / 981 2017 - 8438 / 718 2018 - 8202 / 718

I was not trying to open the 981 /718 debate, they are both excellent cars for different purposes. The facts are though that they are selling less and depreciating more quickly.

To your point, yes there are positive reviews but it would be false to say there are not more negative reviews.

My point was simply if people are actively hunting out 981s because of the noise then the noisy button is a good option to have.

 

[Motorhead]

Dean,

Don't forget that 981 sales probably got a boost (in 2015/2016?) when the GT4 and Spyder were introduced and I doubt that they took sales away from the run-of-the-mill cars. The WLTP emissions programme didn't help 718 sales either.

Maybe sports car sales in general are slowing, as the world appears to be in love with the SUV - in all its variants..!

Jeff

 

[Ray]

Dean,

Don't forget that 981 sales probably got a boost (in 2015/2016?) when the GT4 and Spyder were introduced and I doubt that they took sales away from the run-of-the-mill cars. The WLTP emissions programme didn't help 718 sales either.

Maybe sports car sales in general are slowing, as the world appears to be in love with the SUV - in all its variants..!

Jeff

Very good point Jeff. The manufacturers of top end luxury vehicles have all moved into the SUV market, even Bentley. You don't make them if you cannot sell them or could they be a loss leader?

Ray

 

[Daveotto]

WLTP affected sales across the range in Europe against a global 4% increase much of which was SUV growth in US and China

2017 WORLDWIDE 246,375 & 2018 256,2554 = +4%

2017 EUROPE 80,262 & 2108 77,216 = -4 %

 

[Technetium]

How can you possibly know that it is lack of engine noise that has affected sales of 718s?

European sales of the Cayman/Boxster have fallen since their peak in 2007/8 - along with the drop in sales for all sports cars, including the audi TT.

And Cayman sales for 2017/2018 were pretty much the same as for the previous model in 2014/15. See carsalesbase.com.

Sure, you can find reviewers on YouTube bemoaning the sound of the new engine, but most of them tend to agree that the 718 is a better car overall.

And it isn't difficult to find experienced Porsche owners who think that the new engine is better in some respects (e.g. response at low revs).

As for the OP's question, there are predictable responses. Some love it, some hate it (or at least are not keen) and some are not that bothered either way. What you tend to get if you ask people's opinions of pretty much any contentious subject. It is certainly interesting (and often entertaining) to read the various opinions and justifications, but I am never convinced that this really helps anyone make a decision. Have to try it yourself. Obvious, but true.

Was that at me? Yes EU sales of the 718 are lower than the 981 while every other model is rising. It worse in the US. This you have to assume is because of the engine because not much else changed.

EU boxster and Cayman sales.

2014 - 8444 / 981 2015 - 8850 / 981 2016 - 9770 / 981 2017 - 8438 / 718 2018 - 8202 / 718

I was not trying to open the 981 /718 debate, they are both excellent cars for different purposes. The facts are though that they are selling less and depreciating more quickly.

To your point, yes there are positive reviews but it would be false to say there are not more negative reviews.

My point was simply if people are actively hunting out 981s because of the noise then the noisy button is a good option to have.

Sorry, yes. The quoting function didn't seem to work properly on my tablet last night and I couldn't see how to easily undo it.

I take your point, but I have watched numerous reviews (by professional reviewers) and the only real negative thing they have to say about the 718 is the "drony" engine noise.

If you want the "full-fat noise" then go for a 981, as you say.

Phil

 

[Wollemi]

I had a Sports exhaust fitted to my 987 Boxster and never regretted it for a moment. The 987 is quieter than the 981 anyway, although you do hear the exhaust better in a Boxster than a Cayman anyway. I wouldn't both on a 718, for obvious reasons. The rest of the car is significantly improved over the 981 but you don't want to hear the engine anymore than you have to.

 

[Ray]

Years ago I had a VW Golf GTI which was tricked out with a fast road camshaft a full bore exhaust system all road legal. When it was parked on tick-over the house windows would rattle. When you travelled on the M/ways you had absolutely no chance of listening to the ICE unit.

Bottom line is the exhaust was far too loud. The second problem was the camshaft which was fitted needed to get rid of the gases and that exhaust was the only unit which would do it.

So I personally would't go for something too loud. The novelty wears off, unless you get a free pair of ear defenders. But hey ho everyone to there own.

Ray

 

[Ray]

Years ago I had a VW Golf GTI which was tricked out with a fast road camshaft a full bore exhaust system all road legal. When it was parked on tick-over the house windows would rattle. When you travelled on the M/ways you had absolutely no chance of listening to the ICE unit.

Bottom line is the exhaust was far too loud. The second problem was the camshaft which was fitted needed to get rid of the gases and that exhaust was the only unit which would do it.

So I personally would't go for something too loud. The novelty wears off, unless you get a free pair of ear defenders. But hey ho everyone to there own.

Ray