jphughan

Great to hear!!

Can you quantify the cabin noise level when just cruising on the freeway in 6th gear? Is there any unpleasant exhaust drone? Is the overall noise level tiresome, livable, perhaps even reasonable? How does it compare to less aggressive sporty cars like an M3 or even a more "pedestrian" car? Could you have a conversation with a passenger without nearly shouting? With reviews like this, overall DD livability, LWB egress, Cup 2 wear rate and behavior in the cold/wet, and ride height/approach angle have been my only real concerns, and except for cabin noise, I've read enough about all of those subjects that I think I'll be good, so I'd appreciate any insight you can provide on that last factor.

And also, how's the stereo? And do you have the base 2x25W setup or Sound Package Plus?

acey81

For a reference I came from a F80 M3 to a Cayman GTS and the overall noise levels are higher in the Cayman, and will be even higher in the GT4 due to larger and more aggressive tires, bigger engine with even more aggressive exhaust, and possibly even less soundproofing. Allegedly according to the reviews the car makes quite a lot of mechanical noises, as it "should" in a GT-car. Having the engine behind your ears makes it more intrusive on long runs. Even with the PSE off. No droning, but it is always there and booming along nicely.

I have Cup 2 on my GTS and they wear very good both on track and on the street. After 4 track days there are hardly showing any wear, and I think that they will heat cycle out rather than wear out at this rate.

The stereo package is a joke, I haven't tried the base version, but the CDR+ with Sound Package Plus is about as poor as the standard BMW systems. I had Bose in my M3 which isn't great by any stretch, but 10 x better than the system in the Cayman. Let's face it, Porsches are made for driving. The tech is a couple of years behind the competitors (at least).

jphughan

Thanks for the feedback. I agree that engine, exhaust, and other mechanical noises are appropriate in this car and I'm looking forward to enjoying them the vast majority of the time I'm driving, but I'm still hoping that when I just need to get from A to B, I can drive down the freeway at low RPMs and have things tame enough that I can have a conversation with a passenger (or using Bluetooth) and not be desperate to get out of the car toward the end of a long drive. I tested a 981 Boxster S because it was the only car on the dealer's lot that had X73, and while it was certainly louder than my M3 even with the top up while driving aggressively, I found it totally civilized on the highway, which is why I'm hoping for GT4 owner feedback on this question.

Yet more great feedback about Cup 2s. These tires must be quite something, which I suppose they ought to be for what they cost!

The stereo is about what I was expecting: roughly comparable to the base lame BMW setups. Not a dealbreaker by any means, but nice to know that I wasn't underestimating in that regard. I have the premium stereo in my E92 M3 and it sounds really good (not amazing, but still impressive), but I admit that the vast majority of the time I just enjoy the soundtrack of the car itself, so it sounds like I'll be well prepared.

Thanks again!

Jenner

Based on what you wrote it sounds like the S or GTS is the right car for your needs.

That said the beginning of this Autocar review (first 2.5 min) has it on the street at lower RPMs maybe it will help answer your question:

jphughan

No, I instruct at 8-10 track days per year and the majority of my time is spent driving for fun, with very little commuting or freeway time, so high noise levels even while cruising wouldn't be a dealbreaker in my case, just as the mediocre-at-best stereo isn't, even though I might option a better one if it were available -- but that doesn't mean I'm not curious as to what to expect before buying a $100K car that I in all likelihood will not be able to test drive in advance. The reason I'm not asking about the factors that are important in my more frequent use cases is because the reviews, videos, and owner impressions thus far already have me convinced that it will be brilliant in those aspects, so the more mundane questions are all that's left.

Thanks for reminding me about the Autocar review. That actually sounds pretty reasonable, but there are so many variables with watching those types of videos that I'd still like to get owner impressions.

Petevb

Heat cycling is their Achilles heel- they do definitely harden and get less sticky as they age, particularly at cooler temps. Still great tires, and the best combo of street-ability, wear and stick I've found if you track or autocross (though they do need some temperature).

Ajjra

Did you also get the LWB's?

GoHardGT3RS

Yes, I did. My car: white, black wheels, LWBs, clubsport, carbon pack, chrono

The car is simply amazing for the price. So much fun to drive, and what a great noise ! The exhaust combined with the auto blip is just great, far better than the 997.2 GT3 and GT3 RS I had before, especially at engine start and low speed in the city.

I am in love with the GT4 !

fishing

Wow, great spec!!! Glad you are enjoying the car!

neanicu

Hey man we are jealous,no question about it!

Enjoy!

Sunny_M3

Reading about all these folks that have GT4 builds really makes me sad because I know my chances are slim for getting the car. I am about #7 on the list and who knows if the dealership will get any allocation

Ajjra

Are you saying that the sound from the auto-blip is different that the sound when you rev match on your own on a downshift?

Dan993

I can answer this from my short drive. It is not different, but, rather, 'perfect ' each time. I might get shot for this, but the way I think about auto blip is a bit like, or a lot like, a manual PDK downshift. Instead of pulling a paddle, one pushes in the clutch and shifts. If this car had PDK, it would sound the same, but be faster. Regardless, it's great fun.

GoHardGT3RS

I confirm 100%.

Simply a perfect blip each time. I always drive with the sport and exhaust button on !

ExMB

Doesn't the software shut it off between 30 - 70 km ; for in town driving?