Porsche 911 vs 718: What’s the big difference?

The Porsche 911 is an expensive sports car, with prices starting just south of 100,000 dollars. The Porsche 718 comes as both a convertible and a coupe, just like the 911. However, the base model begins at $67,000, over 30,000 less than the 911. However, the most expensive 718 models, the Cayman GT4/ Boxster Spyder (Coupe/convertible) hold about the same price tag as a base 911. Porsche’s are all about the perfect combination of performance and luxury. In this article, AutoThink is comparing the 718 to the 911 using criteria from Highsnobiety article, 8 reasons why the 911 is the greatest sports car of all time. Is the 718 a cheaper alternative that checks all the boxes that the 911 does?

According to Highsnobiety, a 911 is considered an amazing car because of the following reasons:

1) It’s engine is in the back.

The Boxster is mid-engined, which may not be the same as the 911, but is great for handling. In fact, the Boxster is one of the best handling cars in the world, as shown by the Guinness world record it holds for the quickest vehicle slalom. (Watch the video here on Youtube).

2) Air-cooled engine

Porsche has stopped using air-cooled engines with the Porsche 993 edition 911, which stopped production in 1998. This means that the only air-cooled 911 you can get is over 20 years old, and if you are looking for a car that is, the 911 would be recommended. However, the models after the 993 are water-cooled, just like the Boxster.

3) There’s a 911 for everyone

It’s a very similar case with the Boxster. If you are looking for a convertible or coupe with impressive performance, that is pretty affordable, you can buy an entry-level Boxster. However, if you want one that’s more track-focused, you can opt for the Cayman GT4. This 718 model lapped the Nürburgring in 7:28 seconds, which is only 10 seconds less than that of a 911 Turbo S, which is double the price. This Cayman GT4 can also go from 0-60 in under 4 seconds, similar to a 911 GT3 manual ($143,000), and has a top speed of nearly 190 mph, which is also very similar to a 911, It also over 400 horsepower and about 300 lb-ft of torque, which is about the same as the Porsche 911 Carrera S.

4) They are easy to live with

A Porsche 911’s is a car that is relatively easy to live with. When you are going down a slope, you do not have to worry about hitting the front of the car against the road. This cannot be said for most other supercars, as the owner of a Lamborghini’s greatest fear is dinging the splitter on the road. The 911 is also quite practical, as it has about 5 cubic feet of storage space. The back seats also fold down, giving extra space. The same can be said about the 718. It has 9.6 cubic feet of cargo space, and you do not have to worry about hitting the front.

5) They were built to compete

This is a point they made that I was very reluctant to bring up in this article. While Porsche has a 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, and a Cayman GT4 rally car, the 718’s racing heritage is nothing on the 911. The Porsche 911 Carrera RSR won Targa Florio, Daytona 24 Hours, and Sebring 12 Hours in 1973.

6) You can own one and never lose money

In this point, Highsnobiety is trying to convey that there is a very large price range for the Porsche 911. You can get a used one for under 30 grand, and a new one for well over 100,000 dollars. This is also the case with the Boxster except for 30k, instead of getting a 911 with over 100,000 miles on it, you can get a newer Boxster that also has a manual transmission, and half the number of miles on it.

The Porsche Cayman

The Porsche 911 GT3