[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by CJFusco

That's a good point -- the 718s will provide a great driving experience, but one would have to buy a 911 to get the real "Porsche experience," at least the closest thing that the purist can get in the modern line.

I dunno. I love turbocharged cars, but once you get a taste of the Porsche flat-six -- especially once it's uncorked by upgrading the exhaust system (if you can't tell, I was profoundly underwhelmed by the stock setup) -- it's tough to think of driving a performance car without a great engine sound.

I've posted on here before that anyone who finds a 986/987 or 996/997 to be boring needs to drive one with a performance exhaust. Porsche gave them entirely too much muffler from the factory, a good exhaust adds so much to the experience overall. I don't pretend to understand exactly what gives different engine types their distinct sound, only that each type has it. You will never be able to replicate the raspy flat-six howl with a flat-four, just like an inline-4 will never sound like a V-8. There are few engines that can match a flat-six at full song.

It probably won't be a big deal to the average 718 buyer, most of which will probably be more concerned about styling or luxury features. But the loss of the NA flat-six is a big deal to me, and the 718 is far less appealing because of it.