718 GT4 Build Advice

[rakh1]

Not sure where you are but worth phoning nearby Porsche Dealers to see if they have a Gentian Blue car in. It is *stunning* in real life. Mine will be this colour. Silverstone has one in at the moment.

Also interested in thoughts on PCCB. I want to get them but am worried risk of damage and cost to replace outweighs unsprung mass and clean wheels advantage.

Thoughts on the Clubsport package? Necessary for resale if you spec buckets and PCCB?

/R

 

[OliR]

Hi All,

I've been very lucky to receive allocation for a GT4, due for delivery around December and could do with some feedback from yourselves about spec. I'm having a hard time deciding on options (colour being one of them) and would just like to hear peoples thoughts about what I shouldn't miss out on. So far I've got:

Gentian Blue
Wheels in satin Platinum
Black leather interior with yellow stitching
Full Bucket Seats
Chrono Package
Bi-Xenon Headlights
Park Assist
Cruise Control
Clubsport Package
Steering Wheel rim in Yellow
Seatbelts in Racing Yellow
Carbon Interior Package

I'm really struggling with a couple of things, firstly the choice of colour, does anyone in the North West have a Gentian Blue car I could see in the flesh? I'm torn between this, Miami, and Black.

Secondly, what are the latest thoughts on the PCCB's? It's a weekend car and will be seeing quite a few track days, as I recall the steels were a better option because they're cheaper to replace, or have the PCCB's come along so far that they can quite happily stand up to the abuse? Appreciate there is also the unsprung mass debate but I suspect I'm probably not a good enough driver to notice or appreciate it.

I've also asked about the possibility of getting a PDK gearbox, will have to wait and see on that one.

Thanks guys, and apologies if this has already been discussed to death.

 

[DWaldie]

I have a black CS. It's the best colour when polished, but difficult to keep clean, and it's "soft" so sctratches easily. Mine is a weekend toy, so not a problem. I also have a daily driver in the same colour. What a masochist

 

[Motorhead]

Hi Oli,

The first thing to say of course is that it’s your car so it has to be your choice, and don’t worry about resale ... there’s always someone who’ll buy it. Just buy what suits you, drive it and above all enjoy it.

I’m not sure that I’d bother with PCCBs - the standard cast iron brakes will be more than adequate, cheaper to replace and you won’t have any worries about possible damage and high replacement costs.

Regarding colour choice I’d agree that it’s best to see an actual car in daylight if you can ... if you can’t find a GT4 then a 992 in that colour will give you some idea.

Your options look OK but please don’t forget to add Climate Control since the standard A/C is very basic for a £75k car. The Smoking Package avoids the unsightly hole in the centre console and you may want to include the Folding and Dimming Mirror options. Either headlight upgrade will be good, and I’ve heard that the Rear Camera is much better than the sensors alone which just beep and don’t have a visual proximity warning.

You could finance those options by dropping the Clubsport Package unless you’re a track day fanatic ... more weight, rattle prone, etc., although others will disagree. I’ve no idea why the Chrono Package is an option on the track-oriented GT4 but standard on the Spyder and GTS 4.0.

Jeff

 

[ralphmusic]

LED headlights are brilliant, if you’ll forgive the pun. The beam is really bright white and self dipping operation works well.

 

[OliR]

Thanks guys. I'll have a ring round tomorrow and see what I can find in Gentian - I suspect it's one of those colours that's hard to photograph/represent properly. I'm in Manchester currently.

Part of the appeal of the PCCB's is those sweet yellow calipers, that match the yellow internally, but I'll be honest I don't think that's a good enough reason and I'm sure the steels are excellent.

You're right, the lack of Climate control is a bit poor on Porsche's behalf, and something that caught me out on my current 718. I like the clubsport package as I want to use the harnesses on track days, but it seems to divide opinion, is there a lot of noise produced with the harness tucked behind the seats?

 

[ralphmusic]

The harnesses attach to fittings on the firewall. There are fittings available from the USA (maybe also UK) that cost £300 + harness £150 v several thousand for the £2,778 Clubsport pack which has the dubiously effective roll ’cage’, one harness and a fire extinguisher.

 

[Motorhead]

I’m a great fan of blue Oli and I’m sure that Gentian will suit the GT4. Someone on here (Geoff Lane??) has one in that colour with the gold wheels - it looks great in the pics, but I’ve a feeling that he’s in the West Country.

If you really like yellow callipers it would be much cheaper to have the red ones resprayed.! Personally I like red with the blue, but it’s something you could address at a later stage.

I think the issue is with the rear ‘scaffolding‘ itself rattling rather than the harnesses jingling. It’s bolted in place and maybe there can be clearance issues with the body which will only get worse with time. Others on here will be better placed than me to advise you on the merits and demerits.

Jeff

 

[OliR]

That's very interesting, so if I didn't go for the clubsport package, I'd still be able to install the harnesses, and save the best part of £3k in the process, does the roll cage do anything other than take up space above the engine?

 

[Motorhead]

It could be used as a coat hanger rail!

It’s always seemed to be an odd option to me. Unlike a proper welded-in roll cage I can’t really see what it‘s meant to do other than to add a dubious amount of stiffness and unwanted weight to the rear of the car plus some additional roll-over protection behind the passengers‘ heads.

Jeff

 

[geoff lane]

Devon I'm afraid but if your near Exeter anytime soon let me know more than happy to bring it out.

 

[Wollemi]

Gentian Blue looks absolutely stunning in bright light - showroom lighting or direct sunlight.

Looks quite dull and dark - in flat or gloomy light, so ideally see it in outside in poor light.

You might think it’s ok but it put me off.

 

[ralphmusic]

That's very interesting, so if I didn't go for the clubsport package, I'd still be able to install the harnesses, and save the best part of £3k in the process, does the roll cage do anything other than take up space above the engine?

Read this 993 thread on rennlist and you'll get an idea of the work involved with selecting and fitting a non-Clubsport harness arrangement. One supplier is Brey-Krause whose products can be found here

It depends on your appetite to fit non-standard parts, value for money, and whether you actually need the harnesses. The Clubsport pack is considered by some to make driving it more of an event. I am on 76 trackdays and have never felt the need for harnesses but then I don't drive at 11/10ths. I use this device for extra belt security on the road and track.. and even PistonHeads discussed it.

I hope that helps inform your decision process.

 

[Twinfan]

Hi all,

I have the ClubSport package on my car along with two sets of harnesses and the fire extinguisher fitted in the passenger footwell. The cage 'pings' from time to time but it certainly doesn't rattle. In fact, my old 981 GTS had a couple of annoying rattles that I couldn't get rid of so my GT4 is actually better in that regard!

The ClubSport package is expensive but I wanted the full GT car experience, hence also chosing the not-so-subtle Racing Yellow and full carbon/alcantara interior interior and maximum yellow stitching. It's all down to personal taste, preference and budget but I wouldn't rule it out on the basis of noise.

Regarding PCCBs, I did a lot of research and decided they're not for me. I've driven a 981 GT4 and 718 GT4 with them fitted and compared to my car I can't tell the difference in handling so the unsprung weight argument is pretty moot IMHO. They are more resistant to brake fade according to tests, however you need to do multiple back-to-back 100-0 stops to show the difference. Not exactly representative of road or track driving. They are larger and stones can get trapped between the wheel barrel and the caliper causing damage, plus you have to be careful taking wheels off/on not to damage the discs. At ~£10k per axle to replace discs and pads they are expensive to replace should the worst happen. It's not common to have issues, but there have been cases mentioned on Rennlist of flaking and chips. You could try claiming on your car insurance for any damage incurred, but as a consumable part I don't know how succesful that would be. Bear in mind that having PCCBs means you need to maintain them in order to use the extended warranty in years 4-15 should you keep the car that long.

The bottom line is that I just wanted to get in the car and drive it, for many years, without worring that I could have a potentially large bill randomly thrown at me. Plus all the Porsche race cars use iron brakes so I chose the standard brakes. They are fabulous and I don't regret my decision for one second. If I'd had deeper pockets maybe I'd have chosen PCCBs, but then if my pockets were substantially deeper I would possibly have bought a 911 GT3 instead...

 

[AndrewCS]

pp Twinfan … and stones can get trapped

Discovered that this had happened to my `iron brakes` with the original owner at 1,000 miles. One new disc and pads both sides, cheap fix !

For a weekend / track car … ditch the `lux options` and choose a light / bright colour with the CS pack.

 

[Motorhead]

I guess roll cage creaking rather than rattling would be a better description Dave. It's a bolted-in fitment so I guess you may need to tweak the bolts on occasion to maintain a firm fixing[s1]. Maybe now would be a good time since you've done some road running and things should have settled down? It might even get rid of the 'ping'.

I must say I hadn't appreciated just how expensive the 'full package' was: Full Bucket Seat, Clubsport Package and Passenger Harness - not much change from £7k..! All credit to you in your quest for the full GT car experience.

Jeff

 

[Twinfan]

pp Twinfan … and stones can get trapped

Discovered that this had happened to my `iron brakes` with the original owner at 1,000 miles. One new disc and pads both sides, cheap fix !

Not that cheap, but cheaper than with PCCBs for sure! I also said "They are larger and stones can get trapped between the wheel barrel and the caliper causing damage". So that's a wheel and caliper refurb, which can't happen with the Big Reds.

For a weekend / track car … ditch the `lux options` and choose a light / bright colour with the CS pack.

Or choose a bright colour, CS pack, and fully load it up too... []

[I only omitted PCCBs, BOSE and the remote garage opener!]

 

[Twinfan]

I guess roll cage creaking rather than rattling would be a better description Dave. It's a bolted-in fitment so I guess you may need to tweak the bolts on occasion to maintain a firm fixing[s1]. Maybe now would be a good time since you've done some road running and things should have settled down? It might even get rid of the 'ping'.

I must say I hadn't appreciated just how expensive the 'full package' was: Full Bucket Seat, Clubsport Package and Passenger Harness - not much change from £7k..! All credit to you in your quest for the full GT car experience.

Jeff

No creaks on my car Jeff, and the pings are perfectly normal as the chassis moves about a tiny amount. No need to adjust anything here []

Like I said Jeff, my car has almost every option on it as I plan to keep it a long time unless something changes or a better option for me comes along. You only live once and I splashed out majorly! I'm glad I did as the car is fantastic. I learnt my lesson from my GTS where I ignored the extra cost and added a few options at the last minute. It was the best thing I did, they really finished the car off for me.

Just an exhaust change to go now on my car, which I have in hand []

 

[Motorhead]

Understood ref the roll cage Dave, and when you're spending £££ I've always believed that it's best to get what you really want if you can afford it.

Are you looking at the JCR exhaust mod or is something else now available?

https://www.jcr-developments.com/porsche/product/718-gt4--spyder--gts-4.0---titanium-silenced-valved-race-pipe-(inconel-rolled-tips)

Interesting construction with Helmholtz resonators, etc.

Jeff

 

[geoff lane]

I guess roll cage creaking rather than rattling would be a better description Dave. It's a bolted-in fitment so I guess you may need to tweak the bolts on occasion to maintain a firm fixing[s1]. Maybe now would be a good time since you've done some road running and things should have settled down? It might even get rid of the 'ping'.

I must say I hadn't appreciated just how expensive the 'full package' was: Full Bucket Seat, Clubsport Package and Passenger Harness - not much change from £7k..! All credit to you in your quest for the full GT car experience.

Jeff

No creaks on my car Jeff, and the pings are perfectly normal as the chassis moves about a tiny amount. No need to adjust anything here []

Like I said Jeff, my car has almost every option on it as I plan to keep it a long time unless something changes or a better option for me comes along. You only live once and I splashed out majorly! I'm glad I did as the car is fantastic. I learnt my lesson from my GTS where I ignored the extra cost and added a few options at the last minute. It was the best thing I did, they really finished the car off for me.

Just an exhaust change to go now on my car, which I have in hand []

Dave, Regarding the exhaust what's your view on warranty ? , I'm in 2 minds the 718 is better with the sports exhaust on but not as good as the 981.

It is all about emotion and the sound is a big part of that, the only downsides are sound and gearing.

My concern is if something were to happen while you are away and the car needs to be recovered to an OPC. You don't have the option to swop the exhaust over and Porsche are always very clear on cars being totally standard to cover warranty claims.