GT4 vs Spyder - what are the objective differences?
Discussion
From the outset, I own a Spyder (981). It's a cracker.
Quite fancied a GT4 - all allocations were taken by the time I was in a position to purchase. Instead, I bought one of the first 981 Spyders. It's delightful.
Particularly pleasurable are the exposure to the elements, exhaust note and performance. A firm favourite is driving in the rain, at speed, with the roof off.
However, the roof is a faff if caught with it down in a shower in slow moving traffic.
The road noise through the canvas is tiring on long motorway journeys.
The Bose sound system is crap, and the PCM hails from the 20th century.
One wonders what separates these two cars, aside from the marketeers' bumf.
In straight line performance stakes, according to Car and Driver's tests, they are the same. See the PDF test links:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-porsche-c...
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-porsche-b...
The GT4 has the GT3's front suspension, and a few other tweaks. There seems to be no evidence of the GT4's extra hp in the above.
What's remarkable is that the Boxster weighs the same as the Cayman, and was less expensive, compared with other cabrios vs coupes.
What makes the GT4 stand out?
Quite fancied a GT4 - all allocations were taken by the time I was in a position to purchase. Instead, I bought one of the first 981 Spyders. It's delightful.
Particularly pleasurable are the exposure to the elements, exhaust note and performance. A firm favourite is driving in the rain, at speed, with the roof off.
However, the roof is a faff if caught with it down in a shower in slow moving traffic.
The road noise through the canvas is tiring on long motorway journeys.
The Bose sound system is crap, and the PCM hails from the 20th century.
One wonders what separates these two cars, aside from the marketeers' bumf.
In straight line performance stakes, according to Car and Driver's tests, they are the same. See the PDF test links:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-porsche-c...
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-porsche-b...
The GT4 has the GT3's front suspension, and a few other tweaks. There seems to be no evidence of the GT4's extra hp in the above.
What's remarkable is that the Boxster weighs the same as the Cayman, and was less expensive, compared with other cabrios vs coupes.
What makes the GT4 stand out?
chasethesun said:
What makes the GT4 stand out?
I would expect people to say handling, especially on track, and brakes less prone to fade (again on track).For road use only I'd stick with the Spyder or if you want a coupe switch to a GTS and free up some cash in the process. I'm in the minority though! I didn't think the GT4 was worth the current asking prices unless you intend to track it.
Twinfan said:
For road use only I'd stick with the Spyder or if you want a coupe switch to a GT4 or if you want to free up some cash get a 987.2s avoid the 981 unless the above.
Edited for you the 981gts is not worth the extra cash and you also don't notice extra hp over a 981s which in turn IMHO you are better off getting a 987.2s then any 3.4 981!Back on topic as the usual suspect tries to derail with harking on about the Gts!
The main difference for me is the roof period. I wanted a coupe so got gt4 although got offered spyder which I would have taken if wanted a soft top both good cars you take your pick.
If you want to be technical the differences are chassis, brakes and suspension
The main difference for me is the roof period. I wanted a coupe so got gt4 although got offered spyder which I would have taken if wanted a soft top both good cars you take your pick.
If you want to be technical the differences are chassis, brakes and suspension
GT4P said:
Back on topic as the usual suspect tries to derail with harking on about the Gts!
From the OP's post I got the impression the roof was a pain to operate and external noise was intrusive. Based on that, I assumed the GT4 was being considered as a coupe option. I was throwing the GTS in there as a second road-only option. Not exactly off topic or a stretch given than a Spyder owner is more likely to be a road-only driver 
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Plus bigger brakes on the gt4 although the Spyder is not left wanting on the road,the suspension is sports pasm vs a passive set up on the Spyder both great on road and I have always preferred a passive set up to PASM on any of the caysters I have driven.My Gt4 was bought for weekend road use only and it is great at the job but I would not use either car as a daily although you can if you wanted to as I prefer a cheaper more practical car for shopping,DIY and tip duties especially on the congested roads of the South East
chasethesun said:
From the outset, I own a Spyder (981). It's a cracker.
Quite fancied a GT4 - all allocations were taken by the time I was in a position to purchase. Instead, I bought one of the first 981 Spyders. It's delightful.
Particularly pleasurable are the exposure to the elements, exhaust note and performance. A firm favourite is driving in the rain, at speed, with the roof off.
However, the roof is a faff if caught with it down in a shower in slow moving traffic.
The road noise through the canvas is tiring on long motorway journeys.
The Bose sound system is crap, and the PCM hails from the 20th century.
One wonders what separates these two cars, aside from the marketeers' bumf.
In straight line performance stakes, according to Car and Driver's tests, they are the same. See the PDF test links:
The GT4 has the GT3's front suspension, and a few other tweaks. There seems to be no evidence of the GT4's extra hp in the above.
What's remarkable is that the Boxster weighs the same as the Cayman, and was less expensive, compared with other cabrios vs coupes.
What makes the GT4 stand out?
that's pretty simple to answer. Although Cmoose seems to struggle a bit :-)Quite fancied a GT4 - all allocations were taken by the time I was in a position to purchase. Instead, I bought one of the first 981 Spyders. It's delightful.
Particularly pleasurable are the exposure to the elements, exhaust note and performance. A firm favourite is driving in the rain, at speed, with the roof off.
However, the roof is a faff if caught with it down in a shower in slow moving traffic.
The road noise through the canvas is tiring on long motorway journeys.
The Bose sound system is crap, and the PCM hails from the 20th century.
One wonders what separates these two cars, aside from the marketeers' bumf.
In straight line performance stakes, according to Car and Driver's tests, they are the same. See the PDF test links:
The GT4 has the GT3's front suspension, and a few other tweaks. There seems to be no evidence of the GT4's extra hp in the above.
What's remarkable is that the Boxster weighs the same as the Cayman, and was less expensive, compared with other cabrios vs coupes.
What makes the GT4 stand out?
Bigger brakes
Fully adjustable sus
Better electronics all round
Better Steering feed back
Bigger tyre foot print 245/295's
wider track
Better ride which you would not expect
it's been done to death.
Nothing wrong with the Spyder but it's more a Boxster GTS with a 3.8 and funny roof.
GT4 is a GT car which feels like a solid bit of kit and can be tracked properly.
the biggest issue with both is the gearing and engine. both cars are the same in this respect, so for me I would take a Boxster GTS over a 981 Spyder at todays prices, imo it has a nicer engine and a working roof and lets face it they are dailys and one does a better job.
Single skin roof are always going to be noisy over the GTS luxury roof, and of course you can have PDK if you wish.
Boxster GTS is a sorted Porker in all respects.
GT4 can be used on track without PTV wreaking disks and a fixed geo wreaking tyres in a few laps laps.
The brakes are amazing, the geo can be set to > -2 camber and the car set up feels proper, No other Boxster or Cayman in history has had adjustable sus and it's a massive plus point as I tend to want to fit after market parts to allow this, my 987 Spyder is all adjustable.
That costs big money to do, but on the 981 it's not really worth doing as there is the nanny electronics issue which uses PTV to the extreme on track
The GT4 has the 991 RS electronics and it's quite a trick system again 1st time in History we have proper electrics on a Boxster /Cayman/
Spyder is a great car and a better fit for more people I would say than the GT4, but if you hanker after a manual GT car at £80k you only have the older 2005 997 GT3 or the GT4 to choose from.
But then I also say the 981 GTS is a better fit than the Spyder for most people also ;-)
Spyder looks cool as ;-) is a rare car and you get a warm fussy feeling inside owning one over a run of the mill Boxster.
My issue is it's not special enough for a weekend only car and not nice enough for a full time one use car, but that's just my personal view.
NO "wrong/bad" cars just wrong choices.
Edited by Porsche911R on Monday 11th September 09:30
This seems to be a bit of a recurring topic, but having one of each here's my 2p's worth.
On the road, driving at sensible/legal type speeds which is mainly what I do it's the Spyder that stands out for me. It sounds louder and just generally better to me, feels more eager on the road, and with the slightly faster steering and great handling, I just find it generally more fun to drive on the road.
I agree the roof design could have been much better though, but it is what it is.
In comparison the GT4 on the road seems pretty refined which could be a plus for some, and it does have a strange whirring noise which has been mentioned before, not sure if this is part of its 'character' or not.
The cockpit in the GT4 is probably the nicest I've had in a sports car, with a proper roof it just feels as secure, compact and cosy as you'd want it, with the high quality interior pretty spot on as well.
The obvious GT4 stand outs have been pointed out re the front suspension & brakes etc, which is obviously more geared to the track.
The GT4 has from the outset been promoted as a track ready car, the Spyder never was.
I did have mine set up with a new geo pretty much from the start including the cup rear tow links, so have only been on track with this set up, and it does feel great with no undue tyre wear issues etc.
Having said that I'm not the fastest guy on track, 2 guys from Hong Kong in their standard set up GT4s just collected from the factory were quicker than me at Spa, but I had still had great fun which was the whole point of the exercise.
As has been said it really comes down to individual preference, reasonably refined coupe or noisy angry roadster & maybe how serious you are about track driving.
They are both great cars but they're not the same, and weren't ever meant to be competitors as far as I know.
If I really had to choose one I'm pretty sure it would be the Spyder, mainly because I find it more fun for road driving, and I'm pretty sure I'd have enough fun with it on a track for my level of talent.
I would still find it hard to sell the GT4 all the same, it is a pretty special car which I find myself quite attached to.
Others may have a different opinion but guess what, that's perfectly fine by me.
On the road, driving at sensible/legal type speeds which is mainly what I do it's the Spyder that stands out for me. It sounds louder and just generally better to me, feels more eager on the road, and with the slightly faster steering and great handling, I just find it generally more fun to drive on the road.
I agree the roof design could have been much better though, but it is what it is.
In comparison the GT4 on the road seems pretty refined which could be a plus for some, and it does have a strange whirring noise which has been mentioned before, not sure if this is part of its 'character' or not.
The cockpit in the GT4 is probably the nicest I've had in a sports car, with a proper roof it just feels as secure, compact and cosy as you'd want it, with the high quality interior pretty spot on as well.
The obvious GT4 stand outs have been pointed out re the front suspension & brakes etc, which is obviously more geared to the track.
The GT4 has from the outset been promoted as a track ready car, the Spyder never was.
I did have mine set up with a new geo pretty much from the start including the cup rear tow links, so have only been on track with this set up, and it does feel great with no undue tyre wear issues etc.
Having said that I'm not the fastest guy on track, 2 guys from Hong Kong in their standard set up GT4s just collected from the factory were quicker than me at Spa, but I had still had great fun which was the whole point of the exercise.
As has been said it really comes down to individual preference, reasonably refined coupe or noisy angry roadster & maybe how serious you are about track driving.
They are both great cars but they're not the same, and weren't ever meant to be competitors as far as I know.
If I really had to choose one I'm pretty sure it would be the Spyder, mainly because I find it more fun for road driving, and I'm pretty sure I'd have enough fun with it on a track for my level of talent.
I would still find it hard to sell the GT4 all the same, it is a pretty special car which I find myself quite attached to.
Others may have a different opinion but guess what, that's perfectly fine by me.
Thank you for the replies.
As I don't ever intend to drive on track, despite the noise and the roof foibles, it's clear that the Spyder is the right car for the present.
That said, who knows what the 718 equivalents will be like.
Will this be the first iteration where the Boxster Spyder is more expensive than the new Cayman GT4, following on from the 718 trend?
Despite the rumours, I have a sneaking suspicion that the next GT4 will remain the more expensive product. Will they justify the extra funding by keeping the GT4 a flat 6, and the Spyder will adopt the turbo 4?
As I don't ever intend to drive on track, despite the noise and the roof foibles, it's clear that the Spyder is the right car for the present.
That said, who knows what the 718 equivalents will be like.
Will this be the first iteration where the Boxster Spyder is more expensive than the new Cayman GT4, following on from the 718 trend?
Despite the rumours, I have a sneaking suspicion that the next GT4 will remain the more expensive product. Will they justify the extra funding by keeping the GT4 a flat 6, and the Spyder will adopt the turbo 4?
chasethesun said:
Thank you for the replies.
Despite the rumours, I have a sneaking suspicion that the next GT4 will remain the more expensive product. Will they justify the extra funding by keeping the GT4 a flat 6, and the Spyder will adopt the turbo 4?
this seems what every one expects.Despite the rumours, I have a sneaking suspicion that the next GT4 will remain the more expensive product. Will they justify the extra funding by keeping the GT4 a flat 6, and the Spyder will adopt the turbo 4?
Sandy59 said:
This seems to be a bit of a recurring topic, but having one of each here's my 2p's worth.
On the road, driving at sensible/legal type speeds which is mainly what I do it's the Spyder that stands out for me. It sounds louder and just generally better to me, feels more eager on the road, and with the slightly faster steering and great handling, I just find it generally more fun to drive on the road.
I agree the roof design could have been much better though, but it is what it is.
In comparison the GT4 on the road seems pretty refined which could be a plus for some, and it does have a strange whirring noise which has been mentioned before, not sure if this is part of its 'character' or not.
The cockpit in the GT4 is probably the nicest I've had in a sports car, with a proper roof it just feels as secure, compact and cosy as you'd want it, with the high quality interior pretty spot on as well.
The obvious GT4 stand outs have been pointed out re the front suspension & brakes etc, which is obviously more geared to the track.
The GT4 has from the outset been promoted as a track ready car, the Spyder never was.
I did have mine set up with a new geo pretty much from the start including the cup rear tow links, so have only been on track with this set up, and it does feel great with no undue tyre wear issues etc.
Having said that I'm not the fastest guy on track, 2 guys from Hong Kong in their standard set up GT4s just collected from the factory were quicker than me at Spa, but I had still had great fun which was the whole point of the exercise.
As has been said it really comes down to individual preference, reasonably refined coupe or noisy angry roadster & maybe how serious you are about track driving.
They are both great cars but they're not the same, and weren't ever meant to be competitors as far as I know.
If I really had to choose one I'm pretty sure it would be the Spyder, mainly because I find it more fun for road driving, and I'm pretty sure I'd have enough fun with it on a track for my level of talent.
I would still find it hard to sell the GT4 all the same, it is a pretty special car which I find myself quite attached to.
Others may have a different opinion but guess what, that's perfectly fine by me.
Being a 981 Spyder owner, I completely agree with your experience of the Spyder.On the road, driving at sensible/legal type speeds which is mainly what I do it's the Spyder that stands out for me. It sounds louder and just generally better to me, feels more eager on the road, and with the slightly faster steering and great handling, I just find it generally more fun to drive on the road.
I agree the roof design could have been much better though, but it is what it is.
In comparison the GT4 on the road seems pretty refined which could be a plus for some, and it does have a strange whirring noise which has been mentioned before, not sure if this is part of its 'character' or not.
The cockpit in the GT4 is probably the nicest I've had in a sports car, with a proper roof it just feels as secure, compact and cosy as you'd want it, with the high quality interior pretty spot on as well.
The obvious GT4 stand outs have been pointed out re the front suspension & brakes etc, which is obviously more geared to the track.
The GT4 has from the outset been promoted as a track ready car, the Spyder never was.
I did have mine set up with a new geo pretty much from the start including the cup rear tow links, so have only been on track with this set up, and it does feel great with no undue tyre wear issues etc.
Having said that I'm not the fastest guy on track, 2 guys from Hong Kong in their standard set up GT4s just collected from the factory were quicker than me at Spa, but I had still had great fun which was the whole point of the exercise.
As has been said it really comes down to individual preference, reasonably refined coupe or noisy angry roadster & maybe how serious you are about track driving.
They are both great cars but they're not the same, and weren't ever meant to be competitors as far as I know.
If I really had to choose one I'm pretty sure it would be the Spyder, mainly because I find it more fun for road driving, and I'm pretty sure I'd have enough fun with it on a track for my level of talent.
I would still find it hard to sell the GT4 all the same, it is a pretty special car which I find myself quite attached to.
Others may have a different opinion but guess what, that's perfectly fine by me.
I've got my name down for the next GT4 but won't be swapping the Spyder out, for all the reasons you've mentioned. It's also a brilliant car for a Euro tour.
Cheers
DJMC said:
Remember, you have to be under 27 years old to own a convertible if you're male.
Especially in a Porsche.
It seems most owners are the older gents on this model, where age = need an easy life people go from, Caterham-Lotus-987.2 Spyder, to the new 981 soft ass one as one get to >60Especially in a Porsche.
older you get the less driver focused one wants or can get into.
Porsche911R said:
DJMC said:
Remember, you have to be under 27 years old to own a convertible if you're male.
Especially in a Porsche.
It seems most owners are the older gents on this model, where age = need an easy life people go from, Caterham-Lotus-987.2 Spyder, to the new 981 soft ass one as one get to >60Especially in a Porsche.
older you get the less driver focused one wants or can get into.
DJMC said:
woodysnr said:
I'm 72 and loving the 981 and the 987 Spyders
That's OK-ish, but the middle aged guy in the shades driving a fat assed 911 turbo cab looks a complete t
t!Mind you, those Spyder twin humps look daft to start with, objectively speaking!
k what anyone thinks! For track use id go Coupe!
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