Matt Farah on 718 Boxster

[12,000 RPM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71dPKCqVegs

Sounds better than I thought it would, but it's still pretty agricultural down low

Again Porsche could have hit these performance figures with shorter gearing but the EU emissions tests are what they are.

[cawimmer430]

The low end grunt sounds raspy and aggressive to me the way it should.

[Raza]

It sounds pretty good. Not as good as my 987S or, of course, my Z4, but it sounds good. And it's a good looking car (though I prefer the 987).

But what is with the writing on the back of Porsches now? They're starting to look like Rolex rehauts. PORSCHE 718 Boxster S PORSCHE PORSCHE PORSCHE PORSCHE.

[MexicoCityM3]

I've read several reviews of the 718. They have been somewhat negative, whereas the 911 (new turbo Carrera) reviews have been more positive. It seems with the 718 Porsche didn't pull off the turbo transition as well as they did with the bigger sixes.

[12,000 RPM]

Engines with cylinder counts divisible by 3 sound the best to me. I3s, V6s, F6s, I6s, V12s, F12s... it's all good.

Outside of V4s, crossplane I4s and high revving F4s 4 bangers pretty much all sound like vacuum cleaners. This is definitely in the borderline range on the agricultural vacuum cleaner scale. Around town it sounds like ass.

[Cookie Monster]

Engines with cylinder counts divisible by 3 sound the best to me. I3s, V6s, F6s, I6s, V12s, F12s... it's all good.

Outside of V4s, crossplane I4s and high revving F4s 4 bangers pretty much all sound like vacuum cleaners. This is definitely in the borderline range on the agricultural vacuum cleaner scale. Around town it sounds like ass.

I3.

I think the new Boxster sounds decent, though.

[Payman]

I can accept a 4 cyl Porsche if it started at $35,000. This new Boxster may be great, but it makes me sad.

[12,000 RPM]

For whatever it's worth, you can buy an $80K 4 banger BMW/Benz... and people do, regularly.

Plus objectively anyway those 4 bangers culo blast 6 cylinders of the past.

But I get what you are saying.

The weirdest part about the "turbofication" of Porsche is the gas guzzling carbon spewing Panamera/Cayenne are still naturally aspirated. I feel like they could have easily hit their fleet numbers and not offended anybody by fixing those cars first.

[MexicoCityM3]

For whatever it's worth, you can buy an $80K 4 banger BMW/Benz... and people do, regularly.

Plus objectively anyway those 4 bangers culo blast 6 cylinders of the past.

But I get what you are saying.

The weirdest part about the "turbofication" of Porsche is the gas guzzling carbon spewing Panamera/Cayenne are still naturally aspirated. I feel like they could have easily hit their fleet numbers and not offended anybody by fixing those cars first.

Turbos are a better fit for the sedans because you need the low end torque and don't care that much about the throttle response.

On a pure sports car like the 718 those things are more important.

[GoCougs]

Check out the launch and accel run up to 100 mph at 6:40. Sounds and revs like a diesel. How disappointing.

I watch his vids all the time and I like his stuff (esp. the "one take" whereby he drives subscribers' cars, many of them pretty random and cool) but I'm waiting for the day when the news comes that he's wrecked a car or taken out a cyclist...

[12,000 RPM]

He crashed a Civic in New Zealand. It was on a track though. I would def be leery of driving someone's project on a track.

[CaminoRacer]

I like it, except for the price.

[MX793]

Watching this, it occurred to me exactly what it is about flappy-paddle gearboxes that bothers me.  People talk about how quickly these things shift, but if you watch the video, there's a nearly .2 second delay between when he pulls the paddle and when the shift actually happens.  He pulls the paddle, releases the paddle, then it shifts.  That's something I've noticed with every automated gearbox (tiptronic slushy or DSG) I've ever driven and, to me, it lends a sense of disconnectedness with the vehicle.  Sure, the shift may still happen faster than I could do on a regular H-pattern even with that slight delay between paddle pull and shift, but it results in a less connected, more video-game-ish experience.  I want the shift to execute the instant I depress the paddle (like the sequential shifter on a motorcycle), not after the paddle has been pulled and then released.

[12,000 RPM]

Delay is def a big issue with slushies but the DSGs I've driven were pretty snappy, all the way down to a ~2007 GTI

But shifting an auto box manually on the street generally just feels stupid. If I need more power or am driving down a mountain I use it. But otherwise no thanks.

[MX793]

Delay is def a big issue with slushies but the DSGs I've driven were pretty snappy, all the way down to a ~2007 GTI

But shifting an auto box manually on the street generally just feels stupid. If I need more power or am driving down a mountain I use it. But otherwise no thanks.

The DSG Lancer Ralliart I drove behaved pretty similar to the PDK in the video.  It didn't shift until after I released the paddle, which felt weird to me.  The shift itself was quick and snappy, but there was this very slight hesitation (maybe .15 seconds) between when I commanded and when it actually shifted that made if feel disconnected.  Gives the impression that I'm requesting a shift rather than actually shifting (why wouldn't it feel that way?  That's exactly what's going on...).  I want it to feel more direct, more mechanical, like the shifter on a motorcycle.  Or the trigger on a gun.  Gun fires the instant the trigger pulls.  Not after the trigger has been pulled and released.

[Raza]

The DSG Lancer Ralliart I drove behaved pretty similar to the PDK in the video.  It didn't shift until after I released the paddle, which felt weird to me.  The shift itself was quick and snappy, but there was this very slight hesitation (maybe .15 seconds) between when I commanded and when it actually shifted that made if feel disconnected.  Gives the impression that I'm requesting a shift rather than actually shifting (why wouldn't it feel that way?  That's exactly what's going on...).  I want it to feel more direct, more mechanical, like the shifter on a motorcycle.  Or the trigger on a gun.  Gun fires the instant the trigger pulls.  Not after the trigger has been pulled and released.

You know, I never noticed that about my brother's S4.  I'll give it a try next time I drive it.  I don't know if it shifts when I pull it or when I release it. 

[MX793]

You know, I never noticed that about my brother's S4.  I'll give it a try next time I drive it.  I don't know if it shifts when I pull it or when I release it. 

It may not require you to release before it will shift (i.e. if you pull the paddle and hold it, it will probably shift), but that it doesn't actually engage the next gear until after I've had time to pull and release the paddle means it's too delayed for my liking.

[Xer0]

In general, I can't stand flappy paddles in street cars and really don't get them.  Maybe it's cause around here the streets are straight and you can't really drive in away that holding a gear actually maters, but you're just as disconnected as your average automatic and the act of just pulling a paddle doesn't feel satisfying at all. 


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[12,000 RPM]

I will say this- I would prefer a decent flappy paddle box to a bad manual. All manuals are not created equal, which is a big dirty secret nobody talks about

[GoCougs]

Watching this, it occurred to me exactly what it is about flappy-paddle gearboxes that bothers me.  People talk about how quickly these things shift, but if you watch the video, there's a nearly .2 second delay between when he pulls the paddle and when the shift actually happens.  He pulls the paddle, releases the paddle, then it shifts.  That's something I've noticed with every automated gearbox (tiptronic slushy or DSG) I've ever driven and, to me, it lends a sense of disconnectedness with the vehicle.  Sure, the shift may still happen faster than I could do on a regular H-pattern even with that slight delay between paddle pull and shift, but it results in a less connected, more video-game-ish experience.  I want the shift to execute the instant I depress the paddle (like the sequential shifter on a motorcycle), not after the paddle has been pulled and then released.

Cockpit camera isn't sync'd with the sound - the delay shown (esp. in accel run beginning at 6:40) doesn't exist IRL. Even a lowly GTI is lightening fast. Heck, even the slushie Q50 pseudo flappy paddles is pretty quick (vastly quicker than shown in this video).

DSG shift happens during the pull - the lever is designed such that there is extremely little throw between full extend and full retract. IME, turbo + M/T is a muted experience in general such that at least for the GTI/Golf R (esp. since their gearboxes are a bit rubbery), DSG cars are more responsive IMO.

[Raza]

I will say this- I would prefer a decent flappy paddle box to a bad manual. All manuals are not created equal, which is a big dirty secret nobody talks about

Nah, I'd take a bad manual.

[12,000 RPM]

Nah, I'd take a bad manual.

You haven't driven a bad manual. I have owned several Nissans.... to this day they still haven't figured it out, and a lot of their performance cars are worse for it

[Cookie Monster]

You haven't driven a bad manual. I have owned several Nissans.... to this day they still haven't figured it out, and a lot of their performance cars are worse for it

I've driven bad manuals. Still would rather take them.

[12,000 RPM]

I've driven bad manuals. Still would rather take them.

How bad are we talking. What cars

[Raza]

You haven't driven a bad manual. I have owned several Nissans.... to this day they still haven't figured it out, and a lot of their performance cars are worse for it

I've driven a Mercedes manual. I'd still take it over the best automatic.

[12,000 RPM]

OK, I guess you can't break character.

"I would rather row feces than drive an automatic"

[Raza]

OK, I guess you can't break character.

"I would rather row feces than drive an automatic"

Lol. Look, you've stated it before. I apparently have control issues. So why would you think that I'd rather give up control than deal with a vague shifter and retain control?

[Cookie Monster]

How bad are we talking. What cars

Mainly the 4Runner (vague, long throws, notchy) and the 240 (everything was broken or worn out including a sagging clutch pedal).

[Xer0]

I've driven a Mercedes manual. I'd still take it over the best automatic.

What year?  I drove an old 190D once and half the time I was just guessing and hoping I was in the right gear.  First and up for reverse also confused the shit out of me for like 10 whole minutes.


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[MX793]

Cockpit camera isn't sync'd with the sound - the delay shown (esp. in accel run beginning at 6:40) doesn't exist IRL.

I considered that, but his mouth is moving very closely in sync to the audio (definitely not a .1+ second delay as I observed between when he hit the paddle and the engine audibly shifted).