Boxster Spyder

[Taffy66]

notsomadmick said:

Some opinions discussed, may not being accounting for ‘preferred driving style.’ Off track, we can only generally drive fast on B roads - where bends typically come up quickly. The faster the car, the quicker they come up... My preferred style is to be ‘fast and smooth.’ I do not enjoy becoming too busy/abrupt with the pedals. In a manual, you have more to manage than an auto. So when I push my manual GT3, I am on and off the power/brakes a fair bit more than my Spyder, where I gain slightly more time to maintain a smooth flow. The Spyder’s long gearing probably aids this process. So I think the ease of achieving a fast driving flow is one reason I can climb out feeling more rewarded. Then factor in an ideal B road suspension - the racket it makes etc, it starts to add up. Yes I love my GT3 - for all kinds of reasons - but 375 horses are plenty for the road. ...And if offered a 718 Spyder (unlikely) will it be a better B road car than this...

Exactly this.! I wish i could have worded it as eloquently as that..

[Porsche911R]

981 Spyder makes a great daily lifestyle car, If I only had one car it might well be my choice.

Put 19" with PS4S on it and 430bhp it would transform the car.

People just get defensive if I dare say what these cars are really like to live with, they are only cars, who cares what peoples opinions are on them.

As I have 5 cars and always seem to have 4 at the same time the 981 Spyder does not do anything better than the others, it just does a lot of things ok, hence as a 1 car ownership car it would be great at list price.

I have the perfect garage atm , but still get board as I love change lol.

I would like a E46 M3 CS manual and a Lotus Elise cup, finding new cars a bit unexciting atm.

If the 458 Speciale keeps dropping, I'll have one of those also please.

But as it stands I really cannot top what I already own.

I even used it in the snow ;-)

[Porsche911R]

Taffy66 said:

notsomadmick said:

. So when I push my manual GT3, I am on and off the power/brakes a fair bit more than my Spyder,

Exactly this.! I wish i could have worded it as eloquently as that..

And the Key line above which = involvement.

[JeffC]

kevs 172 said:

I’m probably one of the few that didn’t particularly like the 981 Spyder, I sold mine after a couple of months. Absolutely loved my 987 Spyder though. Very difficult for me to like driving modern cars after driving a well sorted 964 C2 for a couple of years.
I must be getting old!
Cheers

I didn't rate mine to drive either, while I owned my Spyder I bought one of the first Boxsters, it was a 986 3.2 and although it felt really dated I was surprised how small and alive that car felt in comparison.
The 981 to me is a typical modern car does everything reasonably well if you drive at 70% just when you ask it to do that last little bit it falls short of the mark.
I would also echo the comment on the gearing, its not so much the speed in the gears (although thats not ideal) its how long it takes to rev it out, the engine just does not "zing" at the top end, during running in process I thought the car had good potential but once I run mine in and started to rev it is when It lost its attraction to me, was like driving a torquey diesel just fell off at the top end, Its such a shame as I do think its the best looking Porsche in a long time, just a shame the driving experience doesn't live up to what it could have been.

[Porsche911R]

JeffC said:

kevs 172 said:

I’m probably one of the few that didn’t particularly like the 981 Spyder, I sold mine after a couple of months. Absolutely loved my 987 Spyder though. Very difficult for me to like driving modern cars after driving a well sorted 964 C2 for a couple of years.
I must be getting old!
Cheers

I didn't rate mine to drive either, while I owned my Spyder I bought one of the first Boxsters, it was a 986 3.2 and although it felt really dated I was surprised how small and alive that car felt in comparison.
The 981 to me is a typical modern car does everything reasonably well if you drive at 70% just when you ask it to do that last little bit it falls short of the mark.
I would also echo the comment on the gearing, its not so much the speed in the gears (although thats not ideal) its how long it takes to rev it out, the engine just does not "zing" at the top end, during running in process I thought the car had good potential but once I run mine in and started to rev it is when It lost its attraction to me, was like driving a torquey diesel just fell off at the top end, Its such a shame as I do think its the best looking Porsche in a long time, just a shame the driving experience doesn't live up to what it could have been.

well at least some understand :-), funny how things are very divided on these cars.

[JeffC]

Porsche911R said:

well at least some understand :-), funny how things are very divided on these cars.

I do but also think it will likely depend on car history, what you comparing it to and what you want from a car as that will differ massively from person to person, If your not 100% bothered about the driving experience and want a flash looking meaty sounding car to try and impress people you don't really like, a 981 Spyder will take some beating .

[notsomadmick]

JeffC said:

I didn't rate mine to drive either, while I owned my Spyder I bought one of the first Boxsters, it was a 986 3.2 and although it felt really dated I was surprised how small and alive that car felt in comparison.
The 981 to me is a typical modern car does everything reasonably well if you drive at 70% just when you ask it to do that last little bit it falls short of the mark.
I would also echo the comment on the gearing, its not so much the speed in the gears (although thats not ideal) its how long it takes to rev it out, the engine just does not "zing" at the top end, during running in process I thought the car had good potential but once I run mine in and started to rev it is when It lost its attraction to me, was like driving a torquey diesel just fell off at the top end, Its such a shame as I do think its the best looking Porsche in a long time, just a shame the driving experience doesn't live up to what it could have been.

Must say I am a rather puzzled you say the Spyder falls off at the top end. I do agree the car is long geared and torque rich to 4800. But then it suddenly gets going - and kicks ever harder as you pass 7000. It simply bears no resemblance to a diesel beyond 4800. I particularly like this characteristic of the engine - power delivery increasing exponentially as the revs climb to the red line. (I use v power.)

[isaldiri]

notsomadmick said:

Must say I am a rather puzzled you say the Spyder falls off at the top end. I do agree the car is long geared and torque rich to 4800. But then it suddenly gets going - and kicks ever harder as you pass 7000. It simply bears no resemblance to a diesel beyond 4800. I particularly like this characteristic of the engine - power delivery increasing exponentially as the revs climb to the red line. (I use v power.)

well... per below graph.... like the gt4 that engine isn't exactly getting much more power after 6k rpm and certainly not above 7k....

[notsomadmick]

The graph does back up what you say. But it doesn’t feel like the power falls off. I’ll have a play when I’m next out. Perhaps the racket the car makes as you rev it out plays a part in disguising the delivery higher up. I thought I read somewhere that the GT4 makes its power slightly differently to the Spyder, but the graph shows not. Interesting.

Edited by notsomadmick on Tuesday 19th February 08:39

[Porsche911R]

notsomadmick said:

The graph does back up what you say. But it doesn’t feel like the power falls off. I’ll have a play when I’m next out. Perhaps the racket the car makes as you rev it out plays a part in disguising the delivery higher up. I thought I read somewhere that the GT4 makes its power slightly differently to the Spyder, but the graph shows not. Interesting.

Edited by notsomadmick on Tuesday 19th February 08:39

real dyno's show a much bigger drop off from 6.5k revs than that basic plot.

[Fokker]

notsomadmick said:

The graph does back up what you say. But it doesn’t feel like the power falls off. I’ll have a play when I’m next out. Perhaps the racket the car makes as you rev it out plays a part in disguising the delivery higher up. I thought I read somewhere that the GT4 makes its power slightly differently to the Spyder, but the graph shows not. Interesting.

Edited by notsomadmick on Tuesday 19th February 08:39

I've had both and they're pretty similar, if ever so slightly different - There's a flat spot at about 5300 rpm in the GT4 which isn't really present in the Spyder.
The GT4 is perhaps slightly stronger at the top end but not by much.

Up to 6000 - 6500 they're strong but they certainly don't chase the red line.
They have loads of torque thought so once you change, there's plenty of pull from lower down.

991.2 GTS manual I had, wow... now thats a car that chases the red line - and its a turbo!
Fast as f**k

[Taffy66]

Fokker said:

I've had both and they're pretty similar, if ever so slightly different - There's a flat spot at about 5300 rpm in the GT4 which isn't really present in the Spyder.
The GT4 is perhaps slightly stronger at the top end but not by much.

Up to 6000 - 6500 they're strong but they certainly don't chase the red line.
They have loads of torque thought so once you change, there's plenty of pull from lower down.

991.2 GTS manual I had, wow... now thats a car that chases the red line - and its a turbo!
Fast as f**k

As you know Dave i had a GT4 and a 991.2GTS and currently have a 981 Spyder.The Spyder and GT4 very similar however as you say there doesn't seem to be a flat spot at 5k in the Spyder.For what ever reason my Spyder feels lighter than the GT4 despite not having the ultimate tied down feeling the GT4 has..I much prefer the Spyder as a road car..The best engine of these three is the 991.2GTS by a huge margin and probably quicker than my 991.2GT3.
However even the 991.2GTS wouldn't see my 458 for dust, well at least in a straight line anyway.

Edited by Taffy66 on Tuesday 19th February 11:32

[Fokker]

I can only imagine how fast the 458 is John, the GTS is now a very quick car!

Yes, the 981 Spyder is a very good car. I've had some great trips in it recently and as a result I've taken it off sale and am keeping it.
I'll not sell it when I get the GT4 through either. It's just such a great everyday road car for me. Its a keeper

It took me a while as after my many thousands of miles in the GT4 I was missing it so much but the Spyder has different qualities and come the Spring and Summer I will be glad I kept it. Only 7 for sale on the locator now, people are snapping them up it seems.

[notsomadmick]

Couldn’t resist the dry road this lunch time... So went out to satisfy curiousity. 3rd gear shows it best. Agree from 48’to 65’ it pulls really hard, and yes, thereafter acceration does smoothly curve off...Think the addictive row beyond 65’ and chasing a glowing gear shift gauge, may have sent my sunglasses a tad rosy. But I can’t not love it...

[Porsche911R]

Taffy66 said:

As you know Dave i had a GT4 and a 991.2GTS and currently have a 981 Spyder.The Spyder and GT4 very similar however as you say there doesn't seem to be a flat spot at 5k in the Spyder.For what ever reason my Spyder feels lighter than the GT4 despite not having the ultimate tied down feeling the GT4 has..I much prefer the Spyder as a road car..The best engine of these three is the 991.2GTS by a huge margin and probably quicker than my 991.2GT3.
However even the 991.2GTS wouldn't see my 458 for dust, well at least in a straight line anyway.

I am sure I would have the legs on a 458, I do with my mates 991.2 GTS.
My manuals def faster once off the line, as the flat shifts only net me a 1/10th loss vs PDK

[breadvan]

Porsche911R said:

as the flat shifts only net me a 1/10th loss vs PDK

Blimey, so 5 shifts in the 0-60 then?

[Porsche911R]

breadvan said:

Blimey, so 5 shifts in the 0-60 then?

Only do 30-130 :-). 0-60 is for kids.
Hence why I said once off the line .......

[CarterDesk]

Porsche911R said:

Only do 30-130 :-). 0-60 is for kids.
Hence why I said once off the line .......

Classic

[PJLarge]

Does anyone know anything about the yellow Spyder in Perth (apart from it being about the most expensive for sale at an OPC)?

[tracydeedance]

Sorry can't help about the Perth car but it does look good nice to see a car such as a Spyder in a bright colour for a change.