[Ernest72]

Power to weight works very well in a straight line. But for the twisties, nothing beats a light weight car. It’s the weight alone that provides a good part of the feel.

 

[BJR]

Find someone with a PIWIS near you and they can turn on the instrument lights. You will love the PDK, it’s almost always right. My only complaint is on long downhills it loves to keep it in a lower gear at a higher rpm which can be annoying. But nothing a flick of the paddle can’t fix.

Thats its compression braking. A tap of the throttle turns it off.

 

[GreyBoxS]

Power to weight works very well in a straight line. But for the twisties, nothing beats a light weight car. It’s the weight alone that provide a good part of the feel.

Exactly. That is what sold me on the Boxster. My '78 Alfa Romeo Spider is very lightweight and fun to drive but lacks power. My Corvette has 400HP but feels large and heavy. The Boxster has adequate power and drives like it is riding on a rail. Great responsiveness. If fits me better if that makes sense. Feels very solid. I haven't been able to detect any chassis flex going over bumps - feels solid. While power to weight put it on my radar, it was only after driving the car that sold me. Now if I can only do something about that noise from the passenger seat "slow down, slow down" (haha)
Thanks for everyone's thoughts.

 

[DJRob]

On the PDK...so far I have found that putting the stick in manual then using the shift blocks on the steering wheel keep the trans from reverting out of manual until I want it to. I have to think twice if push or pull but I am sure that will become second nature soon.

Regarding the shift buttons on the steering wheel, I either read it or someone told me long ago- the direction for downshifting is akin to pulling back on the reins on a horse. Never got confused with that nugget living in my head. It's also aligned with the acceleration vector of the car- push forward to upshift, back to downshift. Same holds true for the shift knob in the center console.

I'm sure someone will correct me, but I believe Porsche switched the direction of the shifting action after the 981 series.

 

[bigmoguls]

Upgrade to a paddle shift steering wheel. I think you can even use Macan steering wheel as a replacement.

 

[ICNU]

Regarding the shift buttons on the steering wheel, I either read it or someone told me long ago- the direction for downshifting is akin to pulling back on the reins on a horse. Never got confused with that nugget living in my head. It's also aligned with the acceleration vector of the car- push forward to upshift, back to downshift. Same holds true for the shift knob in the center console.

I'm sure someone will correct me, but I believe Porsche switched the direction of the shifting action after the 981 series.

You are correct. They changed the direction for the center console shifter on the new 718 models forward to pull back to shift UP a gear which is the opposite of the 981 models. They now work just like the GT cars with PDK, which have always been push forward to go down a gear and pull to go up. Not sure why they ever made the 987/981 models differently than the same year GT PDK cars in the first place?

 

[csrpenfab]

Welcome and congrats on the gorgeous 981. You'll soon come to love the PDK as I have. I got to ride some hot laps with a Porsche pro driver in a PDK 911, and even he told me how he can't beat PDK lap times in a manual. He advised me to let the "PDK do it's magic". I still find myself in manual mode on most twisty roads to hold the gears a bit longer.

 

[mm981cs]

I find the push/pull just fine once you are acclimated to it - You can give it a quick tap up easier than pull it back to up shift and usually downshifting you are slowing down anyway so a bit more time to pull back,,,, anyway it will not be a big deal I would say. The PDK is faster than you so speed-wise you are losing very little other than manual shifting enjoyment.

Welcome - based on your garage - you are going to love your 981 - for various reasons.

 

[GreyBoxS]

Regarding the shift buttons on the steering wheel, I either read it or someone told me long ago- the direction for downshifting is akin to pulling back on the reins on a horse. Never got confused with that nugget living in my head. It's also aligned with the acceleration vector of the car- push forward to upshift, back to downshift. Same holds true for the shift knob in the center console.

Thanks DJRob, I can remember that!

Upgrade to a paddle shift steering wheel. I think you can even use Macan steering wheel as a replacement.

I have heard of steering wheel changes a lot on the forum. Is there a specific model I would look for that fits my car?

 

[clemsonbilly]

Wow! What a treasure trove of info this thread is!
My ‘13 Boxster S has given me 2&1/2 years of completely trouble free pleasure. I love the PDK and it is one of my favorite features of this amazing car.
If the car you purchased doesn’t have the X73 suspension this is highly recommended here. I have the base suspension and I have the X73 kit but haven’t put it on yet. It was only $1,700 and from all accounts here it’s a big upgrade. My 981 also has Sports chrono which is also another reasonably priced upgrade as it is basically just software, the clock and a switch to add to the car. Many motoring miles of fun to you fellow Porschephile! They really are imho, on balance the best made mass produced autos ever.

 

[GreyBoxS]

Wow! What a treasure trove of info this thread is!
My ‘13 Boxster S has given me 2&1/2 years of completely trouble free pleasure. I love the PDK and it is one of my favorite features of this amazing car.
If the car you purchased doesn’t have the X73 suspension this is highly recommended here. I have the base suspension and I have the X73 kit but haven’t put it on yet. It was only $1,700 and from all accounts here it’s a big upgrade. My 981 also has Sports chrono which is also another reasonably priced upgrade as it is basically just software, the clock and a switch to add to the car. Many motoring miles of fun to you fellow Porschephile! They really are imho, on balance the best made mass produced autos ever.

Thanks for the info clemsonbilly. I'll check out the X73 kit. Nice you were able to activate the Sports Chrono feature. Some of the posts I've seen suggest the ability to add it has been shut down by Porsche and/or that certain components that receive the software update may only work prior to certain date codes.

 

[bigmoguls]

Thanks DJRob, I can remember that!


I have heard of steering wheel changes a lot on the forum. Is there a specific model I would look for that fits my car?

Unfortunately, I don't know.

 

[Augie]

Boy your car looks like it's new and what a lovely color.
Your handle reminds me of what I first used it was BoxTheS for my 2000 BS. It was one of the first S's produced for US. Built November 1999 but didn't take delivery until 2000 because the tax penalty was being eliminated, saved me thousands. Here's a before and after pic

 

[GreyBoxS]

Boy your car looks like it's new and what a lovely color.
Your handle reminds me of what I first used it was BoxTheS for my 2000 BS. It was one of the first S's produced for US. Built November 1999

Thanks Augie. Nice transformation with you've made with yours. Must've been exciting getting one of the first S's ever for the US.

 

[Augie]

Yes it was.

But much more so my 2006 CS which became an all-out race car built by DeMan Motorsports- 3.8 x-51, coil-over, wing, light flywheel, race seats, GT3 nose, etc. Cool but was a hard ride track only car.

After that the 2016 Spyder was a dream car. Great looks and performance.

 

[GreyBoxS]

After that the 2016 Spyder was a dream car. Great looks and performance.

Thanks for posting pics. White on red is classic. Was your 2016 Spyder a turbo-4 or 3.8 six cylinder? One of the reasons for buying my 2014 was to stay with the NA 6 cylinder.

 

[Augie]

It’s a 3.8 375 HP manual. The interior was the only option I got called Spyder interior. I think it was $2700 and it made the car. I added cocoa red and black mats that just highlighted the whole thing.
2014 981 is the way I’d go
Hope you’ll get it. You will love it