Cayman GTS4.0 & East London OPC

[Windy_Miller]

Having had a somewhat underwhelming experience with a different previous OPC in ordering a new 718 Cayman GTS4.0 back in October I cancelled my order with them and went to East London OPC via a 3rd party car broker service called Coast to Coast (which others on here have also used previously), which obtained me a 2% discount off my cars list price (incl options).

https://www.coast2coastcars.co.uk/

I know the OPC will make their ’discount’ back on the finance, but at least the finance will be on a 2% cheaper car, and £1470 staying in my pocket is better than in anyone elses.

well, my experience with East London couldn’t have been more different than with the previous OPC I’d been to.


As this is my first (and likely last) brand new Porsche purchase, and the realisation of a boyhood dream nearly 40 years in the making since watching the ‘awful’ Disney movie Condorman in the early 80s (check out the villains’ black 911s ????), I wanted to feel like Mr Billy-Big Boots A-number-one High-Roller customer in speccing and buying my sparkly new porker.


Ive dealt with Nasir at East London and he couldn’t have been more helpful having fielded countless questions from me by email and phone call prior to my appointment yesterday.


Nasir spent all the time I needed yesterday at the showroom running around their stock and grabbing keys for different cars to show and demo the different stereo options, gauge and seat belt colours, wheel and paintwork colours etc to me. Also he made no hard sell of ‘must have‘ options and even dissuaded me from some more expensive ones that we concluded I probably wouldn’t make sufficient use of to make them worthwhile having. All of which has helped make my ‘final’ configuration (for now at least ??).

And then once I’d placed my order and e-signed the form he presented me with 2 hardbacked ‘coffee table’ brochures (one on the 718 models and one all about the different Porsche technologies). It really is the little things that make a difference and leave a positive impression of great customer service.

So I’d like to use this forum as an opportunity to praise and recommend Nasir at OPC East London for his excellent service to date and really just ‘getting it right’ in representing a premium brand to customers who will and do come with high expectations when purchasing the cars of their dreams. ????

For anyone interested here’s my configuration (and no, I haven’t spec’d it for resale / future classic value - I’ve spec‘d what I want… ??)

http://www.porsche-code.com/PNSQNWY0

 

[Peter_Bull]

Congratulations Jason - a great choice of car and a lovely spec too.

Love the wheels, even though I may be a tad biased!

 

[Motorhead]

Well done Jason. Pleased to hear that you’ve had an excellent experience with East London and hope that continues throughout the production and delivery process.

I’m a fan of the blues on offer, so with the exception of PDK yours is very much the spec that I’d choose. That blue and gold combination reminds me of one of my favourite cars … a Clio Williams 3.

Like it or not, with those big wheels in close proximity to your ears the Cayman’s a noisy car and if you can it would be worth arranging a test drive to confirm whether or not the Bose is worth the significant price premium, depending upon your planned usage of course.

Jeff

 

[Windy_Miller]

Thanks both.

id not thought about the Renault Clio ‘likeness’, but yes I see it now. Always liked the look of them when they were out.

I’ve got 19” on my 987 and the Bose and i like the soundscape it creates despite the road noise, which I think only becomes noticeable on poorer surfaced roads or when driving at a speed that deserves the stereo switching off anyway…

in listening to both sound plus and Bose in cars yesterday (albeit not whilst driving) the sound plus just sounded a little ‘thin’ to me, not enough depth to the sound and it certainly didn’t cope with the bass in the Tron Legacy daft punk soundtrack CD that I was using as my ‘benchmark’, whereas the Bose ‘composed’ the sound quite well. I’d never even consider dropping £3k or whatever it is into the burmeister system.

ive agonised over manual (love it in my 987S) and PDK, and currently think PDK will give me the best of what I want / need (as much as I enjoy heel’n’toeing rev-matched downshifts on track and at every roundabout I ever approach ).

i think the ‘modern’ transmission will better suit the modern nature of the car.

I’ve driven a manual GTS4.0 at OPC Silverstone some weeks back and did like it, but with the auto rev blip I thought ‘what’s the point’ in having a manual?

I’ve yet to find and try a PDK GTS4.0 demo car to really know for sure.

i drove a PDK 987R back in the summer and couldn’t believe what a different character of car the PDK and sport chrono resulted in.

final (final) decision not necessary till pre-build lock-in.

Jason

 

[Twinfan]

ive agonised over manual (love it in my 987S) and PDK, and currently think PDK will give me the best of what I want / need (as much as I enjoy heel’n’toeing rev-matched downshifts on track and at every roundabout I ever approach ).

i think the ‘modern’ transmission will better suit the modern nature of the car.

I’ve driven a manual GTS4.0 at OPC Silverstone some weeks back and did like it, but with the auto rev blip I thought ‘what’s the point’ in having a manual?

The point of having the manual for me is so that I can enjoy it on the public road as it gives the interaction that only three pedals and a solid mechanical gear change can give. I only use Auto Blip on track, where it is fabulous, and if I want I can decide not to turn it on. So the manual gives you options.

PDK is superb, but too good/consistent for me. It makes the car too smooth and too clinical. Pros cons depending upon what you want from a car.

Enjoy whichever option you choose!

 

[RJW]

You’re going to have fun in that car I can assure you. Only thing I’d add to your spec is park assist front and rear.

 

[Windy_Miller]

You’re going to have fun in that car I can assure you. Only thing I’d add to your spec is park assist front and rear.

thanks Bob - it already is on the spec, (no cost) option 636. I’m happy with simple beepers and don’t need a camera - fortunately god gave me eyes and a sense of depth perception…

 

[Windy_Miller]

@Twinfan - totally agree with your points and my heart keeps saying ‘manual’, but my head (and desire to future proof against an increasingly less flexible dodgy right hip) keep telling me ‘PDK’.

I won’t truly know until I have a drive of a GTS4.0 with a PDK.

 

[AndrewCS]

I find the use of `auto-blip` an essential part of my driving these days, it is prioritised on my manual `daily` but can be deselected if required. I always use it on the GT4 when `enjoying` the roads, it brings a great balance to proceedings.

`Heel - toe` is fine for track use where you can better plan ahead but on less familiar rural routes I find it too cumbersome.

PDK is a great choice, I wish that it had been available on the 981 GT4 ... the PDK / modes offer an amazing variance of options that really do reward. I first encountered similar rewards on an X3 Sport auto. when under instruction with the IAM and latterly with a 981 Cayman S PDK []

Whatever you end up with, it`ll be superb !

 

[Scrounger]

Great spec and glad your experience went well.

I originally specced a manual on my GTS (mainly to keep the cost down) but OC Home Command wanted the PDK. My OPC has a PDK GTS 4.0 and it’s a great drive with the added bonus of being able to use the flappy paddles when you want to do things yourself.

The only thing I’d add to your spec would be the auto dimming mirrors. I’m so glad I have them on my current Cayman as many a time I’ve had a SUV behind me with their headlights glaring.

Dan

 

[Windy_Miller]

Great spec and glad your experience went well.

I originally specced a manual on my GTS (mainly to keep the cost down) but OC Home Command wanted the PDK. My OPC has a PDK GTS 4.0 and it’s a great drive with the added bonus of being able to use the flappy paddles when you want to do things yourself.

The only thing I’d add to your spec would be the auto dimming mirrors. I’m so glad I have them on my current Cayman as many a time I’ve had a SUV behind me with their headlights glaring.

Dan

Thanks Dan, I’d not thought about the auto-dimming mirrors as I don’t and won’t do much night driving (hence also sticking with the standard lights).

Although even just driving back in the dark last night from the OPC I was repeatedly having to ‘dip’ my rear view mirror.

Are the auto-dimming mirrors electronically controlled, or just a simple photo-chromatic mirror? If electronic id rather do without another piece of technology-controlled frippery.

Besides leaning forwards to dip the mirror is the closest I get to doing a sit-up these days…

 

[Scrounger]

From the Porsche website

'Auto-Dimming mirrors have two sensors on them: one in the front which catches direct glares from headlights, and one in the back which picks up on the ambient light of the windshield. These sensors communicate with the control circuit, which tells the mirror whether it needs to be dimmed or not.

The magic is in the electrochromic layer of the mirror. When beams of light from the car behind you hit the sensor, it sends a signal to the control circuit, which in turn sends a low voltage charge to the electrochromic layer, causing it to darken and reduce reflection.'

Just to note you can turn them off using the small button under the rear view mirror.

Dan

 

[AndrewCS]

ADM ...had them on the CS but are not on the GT4, don`t miss them

 

[Iainho70]

Nice one, man, and congratulations on a fine choice (naturally, I am biased).

I have an Agate Grey GTS 4.0 PDK on order (since August) with East London and whilst I have not met Nasir in person, he comes across as very helpful and professional in our email correspondence.

Looking forward to meeting him when I collect my car - hopefully at the back end of Q2 2022.

Cheers.

Iain

 

[Motorhead]

Not being in direct line of sight I’m not bothered about the exterior mirror dimming function but not having auto-dimming on the internal rear view mirror strikes me as crass on such an expensive car, and should be viewed as an essential safety feature. The technology has been around for decades … Porsche stinginess in the extreme!

Jeff

 

[Wollemi]

The point of having the manual for me is so that I can enjoy it on the public road as it gives the interaction that only three pedals and a solid mechanical gear change can give. I only use Auto Blip on track, where it is fabulous, and if I want I can decide not to turn it on. So the manual gives you options.

Twinfan, you have a GT4 in which the auto-blip function is separately switched. Ua like the GT4, the GTS4.0 has a mode dial in which the auto-blip function is combined with the selection for sport throttle response, and the improved oil cooler function.

So you can’t have the sport throttle response without auto-blip function. So to drive without auto-blip you have to have the lazy throttle and reduced cooling.

Just as well you have the GT4 given your preferences!

Most people I think only drive the GTS4.0 in Normal mode until the oil has warmed up (because it warms up faster in normal) and then switch into Sport and let the auto-blip do it for you. I’ve been trying to perfect heel and toe for 40 years and the auto-blip is way better than me. Sometime you accept the machine is better than you are.

 

[Windy_Miller]

Thanks Dan for the Intel on the ADM, I think our family Kia and SWMBOs mini has an auto dipping rear view.

i think I’ll stick with the manual dipping version as I won’t drive often in the dark and it’s one less piece of technology to (eventually) fail. I’m intending this car to be a looooooong term keeper (at least until E5 super unleaded becomes more expensive per gallon than beer… ).

thanks Iain, I’m sure Nasir will look after you well.

 

[Twinfan]

Twinfan, you have a GT4 in which the auto-blip function is separately switched. Unlike the GT4, the GTS4.0 has a mode dial in which the auto-blip function is combined with the selection for sport throttle response, and the improved oil cooler function.

So you can’t have the sport throttle response without auto-blip function. So to drive without auto-blip you have to have the lazy throttle and reduced cooling.

Apologies - I forgot the GTS now does this. On my old 981 GTS auto blip was only added in Sport Plus, I know it's changed on the 718 which is a bit of a shame. Or at least it would be for me!

Sorry for my irrelevant opinion, and as you were...

 

[JaseGT4]

Good choice, it was a close call on Gentian for me, I wanted aurum wheels and ended up with Shark Blue and Aurum wheels. The manual gearbox is sublime though, an absolute joy to drive and control so I would recommend test driving one if you can. My only regret is that I didn't jump from Bose to the top of the range system. Other than that my spec is very similar to yours. Enjoy!

 

[Windy_Miller]

Aye Jase, I keep ’flipping’ between colours - i saw a shark blue GT4 at the wknd on a TIPEC (not sure if I’m aloud to utter that word here… ) meet and it did look stunning. I like how all the GTS black bits contrast really well against the brighter colours, especially python green, shark blue and guards red.

However, I think the gentian blue has many different hues to it under different lighting (ie bright days, cloudy, artificial), which seem to make it a ‘colour of many colours’ so to say.

All that said, I also love GT silver, which is the colour I always wanted my 987 in, but then I ended up with a white one and never regretted it.

i have driven a manual GTS4.0 and did love it, just as I love my current manual 987 on the road and track. But I think the PDK will be the better ‘future-proof’ transmission for me given my long term keeper intention (ie 10++ yrs) for this car.

However I’ve still yet to drive a GTS4.0 PDK so im keeping an open mind till I do…