Meanwhile the owners of the turbo-four models who keep claiming “our cars are faster, we don’t care about the noise” are now all scrambling to find loose change behind the couch cushions to trade in for one these properly engined Coxsters.
I actually don't mind the turbo-four, and looking around the turbo-four seems to win over a lot of doubters who actually gives it a chance and takes one for a spin. Sales of the 718 are from what I can see, about level with the 981. I think the 718's problem is the price. In stead of increasing the price by five grand over the 981, they should have reduced it by five grand across the board due to the lower perceived value of a four cylinder. Also, the base 981 was known for being quite lacking in the
torque departement, and the sound, while nice, wasn't really a GT3, the tall gearing didn't help either. If it was my money, and I was looking for a base Cayman (not an S or a GTS), I'd actually get the 718, rather than the 981 for this reason.
That being said, Porsche is definitely up to something.
718-mules without GT4/Spyder bodywork has been spotted testing, sounding very much like 6-cylinders, so I guess the six-pot may make a comeback in the 718 GTS when it's facelifted (looks like GTS bodywork). This is consistent with what Andreas Preuninger said in one of the interviews; It cost Porsche a lot of money to have this new (non-GT3) 4,0L atmospheric six developed, and it is emissions-homologated way past 2022, so it would be silly not to use it in more cars.