RE: Porsche confirms new Boxster Spyder
Friday 13th March 2015
To have only a couple of complaints about a new car is fairly remarkable, but such is the case with the Porsche Cayman GT4. The first problem is those damn gear ratios, a frustrating barrier to interacting with a great manual gearbox. The other is incredibly limited availability, meaning many who did want one are currently left GT4-less, morose and seeking alternatives like an Exige Cup.
High standard set by the previous car!But there's a solution! The Boxster Spyder is to return. At present firm details are predictably vague as Porsche seeks to keep the spotlight on the Cayman for a little while. It has been officially announced by VW though (there's a new Audi Q7 AND A4 coming this year too) and those who missed out on the GT4 have been tipped off as well.
Yes. All of this pleaseAnd what about the gear ratios? Well given Porsche listened to the fairly vocal criticism about the PDK-only GT3, perhaps if we're vociferous enough in denouncing overly long ratios then something could change. Would any fewer people want a Cayman GT4 if it did 160mph rather than 182mph? Exactly. And even if the regular rangey ratios had to stay, then could different final drives be offered as options? Come on Porsche, we don't all want to do 80mph in second.
Porsche confirms new Boxster Spyder
Missed out on a GT4? 375hp Boxster equivalent is on the way!
High standard set by the previous car!
In fact the message from OPCs to customers is very interesting. Ignoring the fact they've spelt Spyder with an 'i' (heathens), the car is 'rumoured to be just as focused as the GT4 but 10bhp less', which is certainly exciting. You will remember an identical relationship between the Cayman R and Boxster Spyder previously (320hp for the Spyder, 330hp for Cayman).
However, the last Boxster Spyder wasn't a full Porsche GT car. The Cayman GT4 most definitely is. Does that mean the Boxster Spyder will also get the full overhaul from Preuninger's team, GT3 suspension and all? Or are Porsche dealers promising too much to keep hold of disgruntled deposit payers for the Cayman GT4? It would be surprising to see the former but then we didn't expect a manual-only Porsche in 2015 either.
Yes. All of this please
Feel free to contribute your own guesses on what a Boxster Spyder could be. Frankfurt would seem like the most obvious place to debut the car but we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime there are one or two very nice original Spyders in the classifieds. Manuals are in short supply but isn't this Arctic Silver car fantastic? Even with brown leather.
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[Blue Boxster images: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien]
Discussion
Claudia Skies said:
I fail to understand this constant harping about the gear ratios. With a 6-speed there are plenty to choose from.
If you don't like 5th, how about using 4th instead? Doesn't sound difficult to me.
The problem is that people like revving up to the red line whilst accelerating. It's fun to get up to 7k, change to the next gear and do it again. If you don't like 5th, how about using 4th instead? Doesn't sound difficult to me.
On these cars 7k in 2nd gear is 80 mph, meaning that instead of doing some fun gear changes, you've done a shift from 1st to 2nd and don't need to shift again until you're over the national speed limit.
What gears would you need on a typical track day? 2nd, 3rd and 4th if you're lucky? Not much manual fun there.
IknowJoseph said:
Claudia Skies said:
I fail to understand this constant harping about the gear ratios. With a 6-speed there are plenty to choose from.
If you don't like 5th, how about using 4th instead? Doesn't sound difficult to me.
The problem is that people like revving up to the red line whilst accelerating. It's fun to get up to 7k, change to the next gear and do it again. If you don't like 5th, how about using 4th instead? Doesn't sound difficult to me.
On these cars 7k in 2nd gear is 80 mph, meaning that instead of doing some fun gear changes, you've done a shift from 1st to 2nd and don't need to shift again until you're over the national speed limit.
What gears would you need on a typical track day? 2nd, 3rd and 4th if you're lucky? Not much manual fun there.
schmalex said:
IknowJoseph said:
Claudia Skies said:
I fail to understand this constant harping about the gear ratios. With a 6-speed there are plenty to choose from.
If you don't like 5th, how about using 4th instead? Doesn't sound difficult to me.
The problem is that people like revving up to the red line whilst accelerating. It's fun to get up to 7k, change to the next gear and do it again. If you don't like 5th, how about using 4th instead? Doesn't sound difficult to me.
On these cars 7k in 2nd gear is 80 mph, meaning that instead of doing some fun gear changes, you've done a shift from 1st to 2nd and don't need to shift again until you're over the national speed limit.
What gears would you need on a typical track day? 2nd, 3rd and 4th if you're lucky? Not much manual fun there.
I really liked the look of the old Boxster Spyder. I love the look of the new Boxster, so surely they can't go wrong with the Spyder?
Blayney said:
Personally I think the answer is to forsake the all important (irrelevant) 0-60 time and make it closer ratio'd. It doesn't matter if you have to make an extra gear change before 60 - just make it more fun.
I really liked the look of the old Boxster Spyder. I love the look of the new Boxster, so surely they can't go wrong with the Spyder?
Agreed. However, I used to own a B7 Audi S4 manual that had the worst gear ratios known to man. They were so close that you end up either pulling away in 1st, block change to 3rd and then block change to 6th, or pull away in 2nd, change to 4th & then 6th. Even in 6th gear, the engine was spinning at 3,000+ rpm at 75 on the motorway - bloody crazy for a 4.2 V8.I really liked the look of the old Boxster Spyder. I love the look of the new Boxster, so surely they can't go wrong with the Spyder?
My old 986 Box S had a wonderful gearbox and you could wring it in 1st, 2nd & 3rd without going too crazy on speeds.
Davey S2 said:
SidewaysSi said:
Surely an Elise is a better car?
Better at what?For a Sunday morning blast for a few hours probably. As an all rounder almost certainly not.
schmalex said:
My old 986 Box S had a wonderful gearbox and you could wring it in 1st, 2nd & 3rd without going too crazy on speeds.
Funny you say that as people complained about the gearing in that car too as it used the same box as the 996 but didn't have 996 power. Porsche have over time gone down this long gear road, back around the time of cars I am familiar with from the late 80's early 90's short gearing was normal. 968 for example has pretty much spot on first 5 ratios similar to my 944 S2 race car. Most race tracks your right in the power in 3rd and 4th all the time, Silverstone being the one exception where you constantly hit the limiter in 3rd in several corners which is mega frustrating. 60 ish for 2nd, about 85 to 90 for 3rd and 110 to 120 or so for 4th etc. Just look at the engine torque x the gear ratio to see how important it is to not have long gears, a shorter final drive would likely make these recent cars hugely faster round a lot of race tracks.
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