Should i buy a 981 Spyder?

Should i buy a 981 Spyder?

Author
Discussion

Doddler

74 posts

153 months

Sandy59

2,706 posts

210 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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Doddler said:
No AC, non starter for most I would say.

Cheib

23,112 posts

174 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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Sandy59 said:
Doddler said:
No AC, non starter for most I would say.
And no buckets....and a colour that divides opinion. Be interesting to see if it shifts.

JayK12

2,321 posts

201 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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Whats list on that car guys?

Its been up for a while already, months.

Taffy66

5,964 posts

101 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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Worst spec Spyder in the worst Spyder colour i've seen..Who was daft enough to spec 18 ways with AC delete i wonder.!
Its going to be extremely difficult to sell at any price especially with £16K miles and no OPC warranty..OTOT the Racing yellow interior trim looks ghastly..!

JayK12

2,321 posts

201 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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Taffy66 said:
Worst spec Spyder in the worst Spyder colour i've seen..Who was daft enough to spec 18 ways with AC delete i wonder.!
Its going to be extremely difficult to sell at any price especially with £16K miles and no OPC warranty..OTOT the Racing yellow interior trim looks ghastly..!
I like yellow in the Spyder, 18 way seats sit way lower than the buckets. Interior trim can be changed. OPC warranty until Nov 2018. I'd be tempted but it would have to be cheaper.........AC delete is the only thing that bugs me.

Would list be around £65K?

Taffy66

5,964 posts

101 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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JayK12 said:
I like yellow in the Spyder, 18 way seats sit way lower than the buckets. Interior trim can be changed. OPC warranty until Nov 2018. I'd be tempted but it would have to be cheaper.........AC delete is the only thing that bugs me.

Would list be around £65K?
Unless you're very short the folding buckets sit too high..Mine has the 918 buckets which are height adjustable and sit lower than the 18 ways.
It seems strange that the original owner on one hand specced 18 ways for added everyday practicality and on the other hand deleted the AC ..Very, very strange spec indeed..!

Steve Rance

5,435 posts

230 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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Maybe he - or she was short and had a bad back!

Either way, the aircon or lack of it wouldnt bother me but the seats might.

JayK12

2,321 posts

201 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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Taffy66 said:
JayK12 said:
I like yellow in the Spyder, 18 way seats sit way lower than the buckets. Interior trim can be changed. OPC warranty until Nov 2018. I'd be tempted but it would have to be cheaper.........AC delete is the only thing that bugs me.

Would list be around £65K?
Unless you're very short the folding buckets sit too high..Mine has the 918 buckets which are height adjustable and sit lower than the 18 ways.
It seems strange that the original owner on one hand specced 18 ways for added everyday practicality and on the other hand deleted the AC ..Very, very strange spec indeed..!
I drove a GT4 with sports buckets and when i got back in mine with regular seats it felt way lower. Do 918s sit lower? AC delete is a killer for that car.

tracydeedance

786 posts

178 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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That yellow Spyder mentioned was 65 k two weeks ago?
No a/c even though convertible is a no no buckets are Prefered by most but no big deal if you don't need them and can be a pain if ones A little more mature and it's A long term keeper.
Especially if it's priced accordingly without buckets.
Heated seats are A must on cabs.


Edited by tracydeedance on Friday 31st August 12:44

Porsche911R

21,146 posts

264 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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Taffy66 said:
Unless you're very short the folding buckets sit too high...!
after 10 years of foldling buckets in most GT3 and RS models, this is now an issue where is was never before lol/

All 3 of my cars have folding buckets as they are the best seats imo :-)



RSVP911

8,192 posts

132 months

Friday 31st August 2018
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Haven’t read the thread so apologies if repeating others.

In a word .........

YES !

They are epic cars - I had one and also a GT4 - preferred the Spyder by a country mile .

Great fun & very easy as a DD (clutch a bit heavy but other than that perfect)

Buy & Enjoy smile

Edited to add - this was at a time I also had a 991.1 RS - virtually always grabbed the keys to the Spyder smile

TB303

1,040 posts

193 months

Saturday 1st September 2018
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This thread piqued my interest as I always think about going to a 458 spider and selling the 981 spyder and 360 because I don’t get enough time to drive the spyder (therefore miles suits a Ferrari...). That said, I’ve managed 10k miles in my 981 which feels out of whack with the market as these Porsches seem to be being nursed these days rather than driven? Going the way of the Ferrari market....

To the OP - I cannot think of a modern car that offers as much as the spyder. The noise is just amazing for a stock car (nice and mechanical / raspy / metallic unlike some droney cars), and these cars really come alive on alpine roads (there lies a slight issue - it’s not often in the UK we get to drive those of course!).

I’m not sure I agree about the noise being too much as someone commented - and coming from a 458 it won’t be that loud. Plus with the exhaust off you can be more incognito. Funny as our American friends add sport headers for even more noise!

In answer to the OP’s points. The things to think about in terms of daily driving:

- ground clearance (it’s quite low. Only an issue if you have to pass a lot of speed bumps)
- will having a manual roof bother you (it’s easy and quick, but some will want electric of course)

Other than that I’d say it’s down to depreciation etc and the usual stuff. The ride is firm, but good firm in my book.

Edited by TB303 on Saturday 1st September 03:53

gpgts

143 posts

93 months

Saturday 1st September 2018
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TB303 said:
This thread piqued my interest as I always think about going to a 458 spider and selling the 981 spyder and 360 because I don’t get enough time to drive the spyder (therefore miles suits a Ferrari...). That said, I’ve managed 10k miles in my 981 which feels out of whack with the market as these Porsches seem to be being nursed these days rather than driven? Going the way of the Ferrari market....

To the OP - I cannot think of a modern car that offers as much as the spyder. The noise is just amazing for a stock car (nice and mechanical / raspy / metallic unlike some droney cars), and these cars really come alive on alpine roads (there lies a slight issue - it’s not often in the UK we get to drive those of course!).

I’m not sure I agree about the noise being too much as someone commented - and coming from a 458 it won’t be that loud. Plus with the exhaust off you can be more incognito. Funny as our American friends add sport headers for even more noise!

In answer to the OP’s points. The things to think about in terms of daily driving:

- ground clearance (it’s quite low. Only an issue if you have to pass a lot of speed bumps)
- will having a manual roof bother you (it’s easy and quick, but some will want electric of course)

Other than that I’d say it’s down to depreciation etc and the usual stuff. The ride is firm, but good firm in my book.

Edited by TB303 on Saturday 1st September 03:53
Having sold my 360 Spyder and now driving a Cayman GTS , and being told I will be on list for GT4 I’m thinking of back to a Spyder. I have also been looking at 981 Spyder and Audi R8 Spyder V10 manual. Can you comment on how your Boxster Spyder compares to 360 please.

TB303

1,040 posts

193 months

Saturday 1st September 2018
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gpgts said:
Having sold my 360 Spyder and now driving a Cayman GTS , and being told I will be on list for GT4 I’m thinking of back to a Spyder. I have also been looking at 981 Spyder and Audi R8 Spyder V10 manual. Can you comment on how your Boxster Spyder compares to 360 please.
Well, as you’ve had a 360 spider as well, you’ll know how those are, but some thoughts if it helps:

- 360 feels way bigger on the road (width mainly)

- 360 feels more fragile (true or not, it feels it it). Once you know the quirks of the 360, can work around them and enjoy the car more (5 years for me now). Need £2k/year fund to be safe I think.

- spyder has a little less steering feel at slow speeds, only really an issue in the centre position. Once it loads up it is fine, and on euro trips I love the steering on the mountain passes and am not left wishing for more at all. Pootling around at low speeds I feel that the 360 steering / feel is still more fun but is washier at speed. At speed, on a decent road, I may even prefer the electric spyder steering over the 360 believe it or not.

- despite having electric steering the Spyder chassis overall communicates more to the driver about what the car is doing and confidence to push is way higher in the spyder. It massively flatters the driver.

- 360 has much shorter gearing. I used to value this more than I do now, but it still makes it fun to rev to 8000+. Once you accept first gear as a usable gear in the Spyder, it changes things a little. You can use first on hairpins for example and it’s a lot of fun. The 360 (manual) forces you to think about your gear changes more and to try to be smooth. The spyder is easy.

- I had a stradale exhaust on my 360 which makes it very loud on WOT. Have now installed the stock as I intend to use it a bit more often without making such a scene. I love the sound of the 360 personally - a V8 Ferrari should scream, and it does. Spyder has the perfect sound for the road I think for a modern car - I can’t think of many cars at this price point that sound this good? I like the mechanical clattery sound of the flat 6, and I am not sure it has sounded quite this good in many other water cooled Porsches?

- ride on Spyder believe it or not is harder than 360 spider (but more solid/less wobbly). I’d choose the spyder ride though as it’s a tighter car.

- spyder is lower than the 360 on the road making it harder than the 360 in a few situations. That said the Spyder is net more manageable on the road still and easier to park.

- spyder more incognito than any Ferrari. Sometimes Ferrari is annoying when you just want to get someone as everyone wants a piece of the action

- rear feels a bit washy on the 360, where as with sport plus you can slide the spyder round a hairpin bend if you want and the balance is sublime. I think some of the washiness/understeer of the 360 spider could be dialed out, but spyder is sublime stock.

- 360 feels right on sweeping A roads, Spyder loves tighter bends (perfect for UK roads).

- wind buffeting on the 360 with roof down is 10/10 - you’re wonderfully cocooned. The best convertible I’ve tried in this respect (way better than Hurracan spyder which has a windy cabin!). Spyder is windier with the roof down.

- 360 engine feels more race car/raw, spyder feels a little more subdued but still amazing.

- traction control on 360 not great - cuts in early, and need to run in sport mode really. Traction control on Spyder is genius - Porsche just have this set up right, as per comment about allowing a little controlled slip in sport plus.

- 360 feels an event at any speed somehow, size aside I can even enjoy a journey across town sometimes. Spyder perhaps needs to go out of town to be enjoyed fully. When it does, it’s amazing and feels like such a precision piece of engineering. I suppose I’m saying neither are a town car, nor should they be, but because of the ground clearance of the spyder it’s quite unpractical for a boxster, and you expect a boxster to be practical!

- out on the road the 360 has more presence due to the width and looks more purposeful

I feel like taking the roof off the 981 adds a huge amount of value for me, making the car transform from what could be a “nice sports car” with impeccable engineering into something quite special (extra noise, sensations). As I don’t track my car at the moment, I’m not sure I’d enjoy the GT4 more than a Spyder, wonderful as they clearly are.

Out of the box, the 981 is technically a way better car but I’ve not managed to sell the 360 after all these years as it still does something for me. I may get a 458 one day, but my head says they are too fast for me really as I cannot push any of these cars on UK roads.

I’m curious to hear about your R8. Which year was that? Does the weight spoil the experience at all? That and the lack of luggage space has been what put me off trying one. I tried a V8 original R8 manual years ago and it felt like a big boxster (in a good way!).

Edit: just read you’re looking at R8s and didn’t own one! If anyone does have a manual v10 I’m still curious.

gpgts

143 posts

93 months

Sunday 2nd September 2018
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Wow - thanks for the comprehensive write up. I have had lots of sports cars but as I have said on many occasions if I had only one 2 hour sports drive left in my life and I could only take one car that I have owned, I would chose the 360 Spyder. What a motor! Sound is epic. The gated 6 speed. It is such an occasion car. Awesome car! I’m glad I bought it. I joke even if the Ferrari may only last one hour on that drive before throwing a CEL😊. In all honesty, it gave me very little trouble in the 4 years I owned it.

You summary is bang on all its positive and negative traits. The car felt fragile and I never wanted to track it for that reason. Also it could be a little twitchy when pushed hard. But I do miss it.

I have little to complain about with the Cayman GTS. It is a great car. It isn’t an occasion car like the 360 even though I only use it on weekends and in summer. And doesn’t grab attention but I don’t miss that part. But I want to go back to a Spyder and make this my last true sports car - I’m in my 50’s and my track days are getting less and less and I want to go back to drop top driving to at least give me the feeling of speed. And it has to be manual.

So it’s between the 981 Spyder, 718 Spyder and 2015 Audi R8 V 10 Manual. I recently drove a 2018 R8 Spyder v10 s tronic (same as my S5) and I didn’t find it engaging nor very loud. It was nice but never really drew me in. Perhaps the manual will with a tubi exhaust. So lots to think about.

Thanks again for the very detailed write up.

TB303

1,040 posts

193 months

Wednesday 5th September 2018
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gpgts said:
Wow - thanks for the comprehensive write up. I have had lots of sports cars but as I have said on many occasions if I had only one 2 hour sports drive left in my life and I could only take one car that I have owned, I would chose the 360 Spyder. What a motor! Sound is epic. The gated 6 speed. It is such an occasion car. Awesome car! I’m glad I bought it. I joke even if the Ferrari may only last one hour on that drive before throwing a CEL??. In all honesty, it gave me very little trouble in the 4 years I owned it.

You summary is bang on all its positive and negative traits. The car felt fragile and I never wanted to track it for that reason. Also it could be a little twitchy when pushed hard. But I do miss it.

I have little to complain about with the Cayman GTS. It is a great car. It isn’t an occasion car like the 360 even though I only use it on weekends and in summer. And doesn’t grab attention but I don’t miss that part. But I want to go back to a Spyder and make this my last true sports car - I’m in my 50’s and my track days are getting less and less and I want to go back to drop top driving to at least give me the feeling of speed. And it has to be manual.

So it’s between the 981 Spyder, 718 Spyder and 2015 Audi R8 V 10 Manual. I recently drove a 2018 R8 Spyder v10 s tronic (same as my S5) and I didn’t find it engaging nor very loud. It was nice but never really drew me in. Perhaps the manual will with a tubi exhaust. So lots to think about.

Thanks again for the very detailed write up.
You're welcome, and happy to hear my thoughts on the 360 are similar to yours!

I completely understand about the attention thing - I always say a ferrari brings out both the best and worst in people.

Interesting about the R8 - I wonder how the newer one is. I think the one you drove would have had hydraulic steering too?

The 718 Spyder could end up having a Gas Particular Filter which may mute the sound, but no one seems to know yet....

JayK12

2,321 posts

201 months

Wednesday 5th September 2018
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Having had a 360 Manual Spider previously I'd agree with all the above. I had a Tubi on it and it sounded mega, it revs to 8750 rpm, can't be the sound, or the drama. It's sense of occasion kills the Boxster. But the Boxster feels like a "modern 360". I can drive the Boxster so much hard than the 360, felt like that thing was going to kill me alot of the time. But always gave me a great smile even when cruising, the Boxster doesn't do that for me.

I had a 458 Spider for the day and did about 450 miles in it, again sense of occasion and that engine was amazing. Now the problem is it's auto.....id like to hold on to a manual for as long as possible.

_Superleggera_

2,003 posts

196 months

Monday 10th September 2018
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Hello All, Just a few points regarding the Spyder we have on the market.

JayK12 said:
I like yellow in the Spyder, 18 way seats sit way lower than the buckets. Interior trim can be changed. OPC warranty until Nov 2018. I'd be tempted but it would have to be cheaper.........AC delete is the only thing that bugs me.

Would list be around £65K?
Agree its a bit weird not having AC but when it's hot the roof is off anyway, so AC is then pretty pointless. It's a really nice car so feel free to come a and see it/have a chat. We've just reduced it. smile


tracydeedance said:
That yellow Spyder mentioned was 65 k two weeks ago?
No a/c even though convertible is a no no buckets are Prefered by most but no big deal if you don't need them and can be a pain if ones A little more mature and it's A long term keeper.
Especially if it's priced accordingly without buckets.
Heated seats are A must on cabs.
It wasn't 65K a few weeks ago. We just reduced it last night to 65K. It doesn't have heated seats but it's priced well. The comfort seats may not look as nice as sports buckets or 918 buckets, but they are far more comfortable for long journeys. You definitely sit lower in the Spyder in the comfort seats than you do in the buckets.


Taffy66 said:
Worst spec Spyder in the worst Spyder colour i've seen..Who was daft enough to spec 18 ways with AC delete i wonder.!
Its going to be extremely difficult to sell at any price especially with £16K miles and no OPC warranty..OTOT the Racing yellow interior trim looks ghastly..!
It has OPC warranty until November. Can easily be extended.



Edited by _Superleggera_ on Monday 10th September 17:27

av185

18,433 posts

126 months

Monday 10th September 2018
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You sit higher in the sports seats than either of the bucket seats in the Spyder...the p3 and p11s.

Heated seats in the Spyder are a must have and that is why the older folding gt2 buckets are the best as these can be heated. They were also standard fit in the car when new and were a no brainer spec when new over the newer and more expensive 918 buckets which cannot be heated but you sit slightly lower again and more vertical in these.

Similar to GT Porsche I would consider buckets ate essential on the Spyder and enhance the driving experience greatly.

Expect to pay substantially less for a Spyder without buckets. Ditto one without aircon as this will result in difficulties demisting the interior in colder weather etc. especially afflicting Porsche cabriolets.