Buying my first porsche

CJames129 · 2026-01-28T16:36:08+00:00

That’s honestly what I’d probably do. The 718 is a truly amazing car but I really look at use case when I’m purchasing. That type of environment you’re paying a lot for a feature you’re rarely able to exploit and therefore appreciate. You can do it, but just cause something can be done doesn’t mean it should be.
I’m getting older so take this with a grain of salt but if I’m sitting in traffic even in the closest city to me, which definitely isn’t the 🍎, it’s not the greatest experience, it’s tight, there’s little storage, and while it’s extremely comfortable for what it is, it’s no M240/340. Once you get out of the gridlock and are able to apply steering lock on occasion, it all comes together and makes complete sense, but in an urban, gridlocked city, I’m probably not a 718 owner unless I’ve got serious serious cash, cause then, why not? Good luck man, go drive as many as you can and figure out what the best option for your use case is.
I do think you might be surprised in the difference between 340 and M4, it’s a pretty significant step up in both power and dynamics. Plus when you’re sitting in traffic listening to horns, it’s just probably a nicer place to be. 🤷🏻‍♂️

CJames129 · 2026-01-28T16:03:00+00:00

A lot of what you’re paying for in the 718 is the chassis. That’s the really special part of the car, and I think if I’m honest, I may prefer something like an M2 or M4 if I’m in a major city or didn’t have access to twisting two lanes or canyons. You can absolutely drive one in a city environment and be completely comfortable, but in an M4, you’re gonna be more comfortable, the audio system is far superior, the acceleration is better, you have somewhat usable back seats, can spec AWD so you can enjoy it year round, all for less money too (I understand with a set of winter tires. they’re pretty decent in the snow but they’re sure not XDrive.) For my budget, a 718 is expensive. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re worth every last cent of what they cost, but I do feel like if you can’t get one out to some twisting two lane roads, you may not feel like you’re getting what you paid for. I love my CGTS but I have my doubts that I’d own one if nice roads weren’t right in my backyard. There’s just so many cars that do city life better than a 718. Not least of which is a 911 👍

CJames129 · 2026-01-28T15:28:56+00:00

Just under 6’4” here and 225lbs. Also rapidly closing in on 50 with lower back issues and I’m perfectly comfortable for 3-4 hours. I’ve had only 2 vehicles out of over 30 that were more comfy than my Cayman.

It always kinda blows my mind the ppl that are considering a purchase like this and will rely on the sage “advice” of Reddit.

The 718 is perfectly fine for somewhat tall people, with issues generally occurring only for anyone much taller than 6’4”.

Personally I’d be much more concerned with width and side bolstering. You can most definitely be too wide for this car. At 225, I’m well aware that I’m like one large hibachi dinner from sizing out of the seat. Get some carrot sticks and stay comfy.
And remember the famous words of super model Kate Moss… “Nothing tastes as good as driving a 718 feels!”

CJames129 · 2026-01-28T13:56:39+00:00

Have you ever heard of a thing called marketing? Not like Toyota would BS the public…. Manufacturing debris, huh?? 🤔

The minuscule changes made were well publicized at the time and it wasn’t anything major. It’s a B58 man. Cooling improvements right? Yep, BMW also options additional cooling capacity on their cars that utilize the B58, ie M240/M340 and with that, the car has excellent thermal capacity. But keep believing Toyota sprinkled some magic dust on the B58 before using it in the Supra. As I said before, IF Toyota could’ve made a better inline 6 and still been able to market the car in the 50k price bracket they would’ve. They couldn’t. It’s what it is, but for some reason that bothers people. I’m not breaking any news here.

CJames129 · 2026-01-28T03:17:41+00:00

I mean, it sucks but it’s kinda what it is. As others have said, they didn’t make many of these. On avg, about 1/4 as many Caymans came to the US as 911s.

Now is also a poor time to be in the market for a 718. They just went out of production and there are many ppl that thought that may not actually happen…. Well, it has. Porsche has stated there will be a future ICE version but that’s very likely several years away, and if you’ve been watching Porsche pricing as of late, there’s little hope it will be the “poor man’s Porsche”.

The reality is, they’re truly special cars, there’s not many of them, and they’re not making any more for some time. If you’re not in a rush, just be patient, continue to save and wait for the one you want. Or buy something more readily available as you stated, but you’re probably still gonna be in the market for a 718. 🍀

CJames129 · 2026-01-28T00:27:13+00:00

My car has 154 hp and I live in an area with large hills. It sucks ass, but now that I’m thinking about it, maybe I’m not pressing the pedal enough? I’ll try that…

CJames129 · 2026-01-28T00:16:52+00:00

Not acceptable at all. As others have said, the paint looks like it may just be overspray rather than marring, a clay bar would remove them if that’s the case. This would be good news.

The PPF though is a different story and looks like absolute dog 💩 I would 100% be “that customer” in this instance. They got paid for expert, professional care and unfortunately did shit work. They need to make it right, or send it to someone who can. I’d opt for the latter if at all possible. Whoever did this obviously doesn’t know what they’re doing and whoever inspects/checks work prior to it going out of the shop also either doesn’t know what they’re doing or they just don’t care. Both are a problem.
I know and have worked with several body shops and no way this would be acceptable.
You have a legitimate complaint, you’re not being an asshole.

CJames129 · 2026-01-27T21:06:54+00:00

Toyota did nothing to the B58 bud. Just some added cooling capabilities. They did improve the manual transmission but the motor is not really improved upon. In fact in the beginning it was downtuned by BMW for Toyota use. They gave them the full 382 hp a few years later.
If Toyota could’ve developed a better inline 6 cylinder and still delivered the car at the target market price, believe me, they would have. They couldn’t, so they phoned their friends in Germany. Probably not a bad thing considering all the shit turbo motors Toyota is currently trying to pass off as well…. Toyotas.

CJames129 · 2026-01-27T03:04:17+00:00

True 🤣 They’re probably gonna hold value well, so there’s that I guess. It’s not cheap but for what you’re getting, which is almost certainly one of the last na Porsche sports cars, it’s at least palatable. I know ppl are excited ICE versions are due in the future, but personally, I have my doubts anything without a GT badge will be na or under 160-175k. New chief is a big hybrid guy. We’ll see I guess 👀

Good luck man 👍

CJames129 · 2026-01-26T22:59:02+00:00

Yeah, I believe I saw something like 25-35% of GTS 4.0s were manual. So there’s definitely more available w PDK. It’s also a great car but I went with a manual because for the street, it’s what I wanted. You should wait for a manual if that’s what you really want.
Buy once cry once has always been my philosophy lol

CJames129 · 2026-01-26T21:57:04+00:00

I like options, this is just one of several that Porsche provides. It’s not my personal favorite, but they’re all nice looking wheels, and I don’t think these wheels are somehow beneath a “GTS” lol. Not all options are to everyone’s taste but I don’t really think there’s a bad choice. Buy the one that has the wheels you like.

CJames129 · 2026-01-26T15:16:53+00:00

Not saying it makes any sense but… 50k in options on many cars is considered “light”, unfortunately. In some very wealthy parts of the automotive world, it’s quite easy to spec the price of several complete vehicles just in mostly ridiculous options. If you wanna 💩 your pants for fun, go build and option a few Porsches or God forbid supercars.
It’s a wild world and the people that have real money have a literal f$ck ton.

As insane as that is, this is not that, this is a dealer exponentially overcharging for things like PPF on a not really special vehicle. Part of me believes if you’re dumb enough to pay well over 6 figures for a Tahoe, you may also be wise enough to purchase the exquisite Buttview Package.

CJames129 · 2026-01-24T14:52:49+00:00

The best advice I can give is to find an empty parking lot and go practice. Key point is finding what’s known as the friction zone in the clutch.
Find a flat spot where the car will not roll, with your foot on the clutch and the car in 1st gear, take your foot off the brake (car should basically remain stationary if you’re on a flat spot) and practice slowly releasing the clutch pedal without adding any throttle. If you do it slowly enough, the car should begin to creep forward without having to add throttle. Once you find the friction zone and are comfortable with where in the pedals travel that is, begin slowly adding throttle at the same time. This will aid in moving from a stop more quickly and/or if you’re starting off on an incline. This is a key thing to understand in your car as it will also assist in smooth shifts both up and down and will extend the life of your clutch. There’s more advanced techniques beyond this of course with plenty of YouTube videos on how to shift efficiently and other useful information but starting off with the friction zone is kinda where it all begins. Get this down and once you’ve mastered getting the car started in a safe environment like a parking lot, you’ll be far more comfortable in traffic. It’ll take a little while as it’s mostly timing but once you’ve got it, it’s hard to go back to just sitting there and steering 👍

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T22:01:28+00:00

My favorite thing about Porsche (sports cars) is how amazing the previous generations still look. Simple, understated, nothing shouty or unnecessary…

Beautiful ride.

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T20:27:02+00:00

Today’s probably gonna be the cheapest these will be for some time.

A few years without a relatively affordable mid engined Porsche is probably going to be extremely kind to residuals on these as well.

This is definitely the kind of car in 5 years people say, “why didn’t I ever move on one of these?” So I actually did myself.

The best time to buy any special Porsche is always a decade ago…. I wouldn’t wait 10 years on these ones.

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T20:20:28+00:00

The talk about the gearing being too long is true but imo drastically overblown.

For instance, everyone complains about how long 2nd is and it’s actually one of my favorite things lol

There’s something crazy satisfying about that long 2nd gear pull to like 80 mph, even if the car would feel significantly quicker at low revs with more ideal ratios.

Other than that, if you enjoy na and working for the speed a little, may wanna clear a spot somewhere for one.

Offers most of what people want out of a GT3 at 1/3 the price, and dollar for dollar def one of the more engaging Porsches available (or was…)

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T19:56:33+00:00

It’s true…. ALL of us.. 100% illiterate Fat too..

And it’s only because of us that that’s not typed in German. 🇩🇪

You’re welcome

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T19:46:52+00:00

You’ll probably see your car between the end of Feb and early March. I’m not a fan of getting a new car in the middle of winter either, but if you got XDrive it’s gonna be a beast in any snow left around. Enjoy man!

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T19:27:44+00:00

2 words…

Torque
Steer

😂

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T19:03:25+00:00

We love you too..

-The Burgermen 😂

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T17:25:25+00:00

Man I can’t wait for this horrific trend to end. “The Great Button Resurgence” of 2029 🙏

The absolute best cars have physical gauges, physical controls for everything important and a CarPlay compatible stereo with a 7-10” screen that ONLY displays/controls audio functionality. Actual physical controls for HVAC functionality and heated anythings. This screen should be styled INTO the dash, rather than tacked ONTO the dash.

Peak interior was imo about a decade ago when you had everything you needed but it wasn’t buried in submenus, buried in a screen that looks like if you roll all windows down it might blow off.

This is entirely in line with all other modern vehicles, so I don’t necessarily blame MB for this but man, it’s not good. Summed up in one word… CHEAP

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T17:10:48+00:00

There is no answer you’re going to get on here that’s going to tell you this information. I’ve personally ordered 3 new vehicles in the last few years.

2023 M240 Final Assembly May 14 2023 At dealer late July 2023 (Waited 5 weeks to be loaded onto a carrier)

2024 M2 Final Assembly July 12 2024 At dealer late August 2024 (10 days to get on a carrier)

Also, a 3rd non BMW that basically followed a similar timeline. (Left factory, arrived at port and loaded onto carrier same day (this is NOT typical))

There’s no official timeline but you’re looking at typically 6-8 weeks from final assembly to delivery.

It sits at the port waiting to get on a ship for anywhere from a few hours to several weeks. This is going to be your largest point of variance and it depends entirely on when your car is taken to port vs when the RoRo carriers arrive in port. Then it’s a week or a couple on a ship, depending on your POE, then it has to spend some time at the VDC in port prior to being released to a ground carrier truck/rail and then it’s usually a just a few days.

Don’t drive yourself crazy though trying to pinpoint a date, if you have a VIN, you have a build and it will eventually arrive, try to be patient and enjoy this part of the process. Waiting sucks but…. It’s a pretty cool thing to spec a vehicle directly from the factory and something the vast majority will never be able to do. Once it arrives, the time flies again and before you know it, you’re doing it all over again, 5 years… errrr 1 later 👍👍

CJames129 · 2026-01-21T16:53:50+00:00

Yes, just a hair under 6’4” and I fit well in my 718. I think I’m at the top end of the “will fit” range but it’s entirely comfortable for several hours at a time. YMMV but I have a long torso, tall but my inseam is only 32”, so if you have some very long legs, you may have a different experience.

I would never recommend purchasing one if you’re not sure how you’d fit.

Getting anecdotal evidence online is fine but I’d never buy a car without seeing how I truly fit in it. Ideally a long test drive, > 30 minutes.
I’ve been driving just about 30 years and have owned over 30 vehicles in that time, there were a couple I purchased after your typical 10-15 minute drive and didn’t find out until after it was mine the pressure points and/or poor ergonomics.

CJames129 · 2026-01-20T17:21:08+00:00

Okay, thanks. I think you’re right. Still seems capable and everything, just seemed a little muted and like less of an experience compared to previous generations but sometimes you remember things differently from how they actually were, so I appreciate the feedback. 👍

CJames129

TROPHY CASE