Are Spyders Becoming Extinct At OPCs!
- Thread starter daro911
- Start date
That soon? [
]
][ORIGINAL: rob.kellock Don't do us down, surely £40k is a bargain for either car [
] I'll correct myself[] I don't think anyone knows a stable value yet, not even the OPC's I should've said that they seem to sell at around £37K (well, for a 2010 anyway) once the OPC's have crossed a time threshold with their cars and drop the price. I think the do that with all cars but as Spyders are very niche, they do seem to take a while to sell and cross that time threshold. Now that there are so few OPC cars, I wonder what an OPC will put a late 2011 car up for[8|]
as much as they can get I guess !! It will be interesting to see what they are on sale for in 6-12 months when you will be able to pick up a 981S for under 40 kORIGINAL: flat6[ORIGINAL: rob.kellock Don't do us down, surely £40k is a bargain for either car [
as much as they can get I guess !! It will be interesting to see what they are on sale for in 6-12 months when you will be able to pick up a 981S for under 40 k [/quote] With 95 cars on the Porsche Locator the sub 40k 981 may not be that far away at this rate [&o] I think anyone looking at a Spyder is buying into a different concept on the Boxster theme i.e. lightweight, racy looks, sport chassis, something you can go months and months without seeing another one on the road basically a unique vehicle in a mass produced world [
] I really like the look and drive of the 981 but for my 3k dry weekend only miles a year I really love the entire Spyder package including the very positive conversations one has with like minded members of the public eager to ask what it is etc Most daily drivers or frequent users would not be tempted into a Spyder over a 981 irrespective of pricing, so like you can buy a lot of 997 Gen 2 or an older but much racier and rarer GT3 for similar money I think the story could be pretty much the same for 981 v Spyder At the end of the day it's all about supply & demand [8D]
Good post. When flat6 and I were at Wilmslow OPC a couple of weeks ago there was a lovely red 997.2 Carrera S that was a couple of years old. For slightly more money there was a 5/6 year old silver GT3. I really liked the red car but fell a little bit in love with the silver one. It wouldn't have been that long ago that the S was significantly more expensive either. Horses for courses, at the moment at least my circumstances dictate that my Porsche is for weekend use generally and for that I'll take the Spyder over the 981 all day long for the reasons you state.
Dyllan check this add out and the sub 40k 981 S is almost upon us and this one is a heavy spec too[
] If you go 2.7 981 then the sub £40k cars are out there in droves[&o] [link=http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/porsche/boxster-981-12-c/porsche-boxster-981-3-4-s--pcm-3-satnav--19-inch-alloys/917887]http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/porsche/boxster-981-12-c/porsche-boxster-981-3-4-s--pcm-3-satnav--19-inch-alloys/917887[/link]
Thanks Robert,fair comment - I still hanker after a Spyder and still bit brassed off my attempt to get into one didn't come off but heyho As I will be having a twice weekly commute to poole ( new home) of around 130 miles plus hols I think a 981 may be the better bet anyway for a couple of years and perhaps look out for a Spyder when it can be a weekend car.we may even get a 991 S in the spring and then add a Spyder in a couple of years- will decide when I've done the commute for a few weeks .thanks for the link - hadn't realised the 981 price was dropping so quick Cheers Dylan
For 260 miles a week commuting, a Spyder would not be my weapon of choice. 981 would be a miles better prospect although I would consider 997.2 which I think I would personally prefer, dear do though when a year's commuting outlasts a set of tyres. Get a Spyder and lease a diesel commuter snooze mobile?
Not for the price of a Spyder though!
It’s uncanny all this 981 talk as I took my Spyder in for service on Friday and got a 981 S manual as a loaner[]. A great opportunity for a comparison, although, it is not an equivalent match-up to pit the ‘normal’ S ‘set-up’ against the Spyder ‘set-up’. Picked the car up in cold damp weather and took it easy on the short drive to work. Inside the cabin felt well concealed. The modern cabriolet roof is like being in a coupe (especially compared to the Spyder roof, which is completely weather proof but has no sound proofing layers). The interior is a major step forward over the 987. Took a minute or two to work out the electronic parking brake (with assistance from the prompt on the LCD screen next to rev counter!)Drove home from work and went to pick my brother up to run an errand. His first comment was that the Spyder looked more special. From the passenger seat, on the move, his first comment was that the Spyder felt more racy. Now in sub-zero temps and DENSE fog, the 981 couldn’t be given the opportunity to show its other side. But in the poor conditions, it showed how comfortable it was and it was like driving a normal car rather than sports car. It floats over the road with a supple ride, despite riding on 20†wheels. The gear change is slick and easy like a knife through butter. The steering is light, and especially easy when the car is stationary/very low speed, like a Honda in that regard. This is a really polished machine. On Saturday morning the weather was much better and I could drive with less caution. When I picked up the car, the radio was on Classic FM. I don’t listen to classical music but it seemed to suit the ambience in the car, so I kept it on Classic FM throughout and it grew on me. I still had to be cautious but the car steered and handled well. There isn’t much I can say as the conditions were not permitting for me to let the car show more of its sporty side. Porsche is not lying when quoting figures that state that this car is no faster than our Spyder (0–62mph equal at 5.1s, 0-99mph the Spyder is 0.2s quicker at 10.8s, 50-75mph in 5th is 6.1s vs 6.7s in the Spyder’s favour). With a tad extra horsepower, a smidgen more torque and 45Kg less, all in the Spyder’s favour, that is to be expected (That’s progress for you[]. Well, to be fair the 981S produces its peak power at a lower rpm and its peak torque over a wider rev range. So that’s progress. (Although, the Cayman’s peak power is quoted at a much higher 7400rpm than the 981 Boxster’s 6700rpm and higher than the Spyder’s 7200rpm)). The power delivery is linear whereas our cars have an additional surge at 4000rpm. Just an observation. Not to say one is better than the other. Although, it felt as if the 981 engine was working harder when pushed and it didn’t feel as fast. Maybe the linear power delivery contributed to that perception. My Spyder feels like it surges forward with more ease and then at 4000rpm, surges again. I expect that flat-out lap times in the hands of a professional will separate them in the newer car’s favour if it has some of the new handling options installed. The difference between sport mode and normal mode was very very subtle. I’ve not used sport mode on a non-Sport Chrono car before. Is it more pronounced with Sport Chrono? On the journey back to pick up my car, I decided to cruise sedately and see how this car performs as a comfortable daily driver. That is the key to it’s advancement over the 987 I think, to do both things well (sporty and comfort), which is not easy in a sports car. I turned up Classic FM a little (so tranquil is the mood in the cabin) and watched the range meter increased the range more than decreased it on the motorway cruise. With such an easy drive, it made me think that the PDK probably suits this car better and a manual is like hanging onto tradition (although the manual shift was very very good, even with it's longer throw than my short shifter). Taking an idea from daro911 i’ve taken some pictures of the cars together. It helps that they are both in white. The 981’s door design is much cooler. The way they are shaped as part of the air ducting towards the air intake is the major design feature for me. The pinched shape of the 981 rear (pinched toward the spoiler line) has grown on me a little but I think it suits the new Cayman much better and I like it more on that. I prefer the door mirrors on the 987. They look more purposeful as part of the overall design (they were designed to channel air flow). The 981 door mirrors look functional only, enabling them to fold up. Of course l like the rear of the Spyder better and the attachment of the hood at the rear. 981 vs 987, no contest, the 981 looks much better. 981 vs Spyder, the Spyder still has it. Jumped back in the Spyder. The cabin immediately looked inferior, but no less functional. Started to drive. The harder ride is obviously what I noticed first, but then I said it wasn’t an equivalent comparison. The next thing I noticed was the steering. The 981 floated over the tarmac, the Spyder feels like its sticking to it. The resistance you get in the Spyder steering (not heavy) is like it’s proportional to the grip in the front tyres. Any little movement of the wheel you feel in the car’s change of direction. As such it’s like you’re getting feedback of the bite its making onto the road. It was still cold but I felt I could be a bit more assertive in the Spyder as I could instantly sense what grip I had (and the flatter cornering, lower suspension makes you feel that the car is firmly underneath you, under control of the mass by remaining dead flat). That is in no way to make a conclusion about the 981’s handling. That is not in doubt. It takes time to get to know a car and build confidence and in those conditions it would be irresponsible to try to learn more. I tried Classic FM to see if it could calm down my ‘Spyder’ driving style. It didn’t go with this car. You need much punchier music in this car to take on the more airy background noise penetrating the lightweight hood. I did however remember how to drive more calmly. The Spyder has 6 gears and the ‘change up’ indicator tells you how to use them. After a few minutes I found the cabin pretty modern still, with all the features there which I made use of in the 981 (PCM/Nav, phone, climate etc. but my Spyder has cruise and PSE, which this 981 did not). The thing for me with Porsche's is that whilst the new models move the game on, unlike other marques, they do not render the older cars obsolete (as has been shown with the 911 over nearly 50 years, each generation has it's place and something unique to offer). So, the 981 S will not get me out of my Spyder but is a major leap forward over the 987 S and over the 987 as a plaform in general. The Spyder is lighter, faster (to me anyway), sharper and more exclusive, (and I know the Spyder is not the car that the 981 S gen 1 is aiming to eclipse) so it’d need to be 981 Spyder to tempt me[].
]. A great opportunity for a comparison, although, it is not an equivalent match-up to pit the ‘normal’ S ‘set-up’ against the Spyder ‘set-up’. Picked the car up in cold damp weather and took it easy on the short drive to work. Inside the cabin felt well concealed. The modern cabriolet roof is like being in a coupe (especially compared to the Spyder roof, which is completely weather proof but has no sound proofing layers). The interior is a major step forward over the 987. Took a minute or two to work out the electronic parking brake (with assistance from the prompt on the LCD screen next to rev counter!)Drove home from work and went to pick my brother up to run an errand. His first comment was that the Spyder looked more special. From the passenger seat, on the move, his first comment was that the Spyder felt more racy. Now in sub-zero temps and DENSE fog, the 981 couldn’t be given the opportunity to show its other side. But in the poor conditions, it showed how comfortable it was and it was like driving a normal car rather than sports car. It floats over the road with a supple ride, despite riding on 20†wheels. The gear change is slick and easy like a knife through butter. The steering is light, and especially easy when the car is stationary/very low speed, like a Honda in that regard. This is a really polished machine. On Saturday morning the weather was much better and I could drive with less caution. When I picked up the car, the radio was on Classic FM. I don’t listen to classical music but it seemed to suit the ambience in the car, so I kept it on Classic FM throughout and it grew on me. I still had to be cautious but the car steered and handled well. There isn’t much I can say as the conditions were not permitting for me to let the car show more of its sporty side. Porsche is not lying when quoting figures that state that this car is no faster than our Spyder (0–62mph equal at 5.1s, 0-99mph the Spyder is 0.2s quicker at 10.8s, 50-75mph in 5th is 6.1s vs 6.7s in the Spyder’s favour). With a tad extra horsepower, a smidgen more torque and 45Kg less, all in the Spyder’s favour, that is to be expected (That’s progress for you[]. Well, to be fair the 981S produces its peak power at a lower rpm and its peak torque over a wider rev range. So that’s progress. (Although, the Cayman’s peak power is quoted at a much higher 7400rpm than the 981 Boxster’s 6700rpm and higher than the Spyder’s 7200rpm)). The power delivery is linear whereas our cars have an additional surge at 4000rpm. Just an observation. Not to say one is better than the other. Although, it felt as if the 981 engine was working harder when pushed and it didn’t feel as fast. Maybe the linear power delivery contributed to that perception. My Spyder feels like it surges forward with more ease and then at 4000rpm, surges again. I expect that flat-out lap times in the hands of a professional will separate them in the newer car’s favour if it has some of the new handling options installed. The difference between sport mode and normal mode was very very subtle. I’ve not used sport mode on a non-Sport Chrono car before. Is it more pronounced with Sport Chrono? On the journey back to pick up my car, I decided to cruise sedately and see how this car performs as a comfortable daily driver. That is the key to it’s advancement over the 987 I think, to do both things well (sporty and comfort), which is not easy in a sports car. I turned up Classic FM a little (so tranquil is the mood in the cabin) and watched the range meter increased the range more than decreased it on the motorway cruise. With such an easy drive, it made me think that the PDK probably suits this car better and a manual is like hanging onto tradition (although the manual shift was very very good, even with it's longer throw than my short shifter). Taking an idea from daro911 i’ve taken some pictures of the cars together. It helps that they are both in white. The 981’s door design is much cooler. The way they are shaped as part of the air ducting towards the air intake is the major design feature for me. The pinched shape of the 981 rear (pinched toward the spoiler line) has grown on me a little but I think it suits the new Cayman much better and I like it more on that. I prefer the door mirrors on the 987. They look more purposeful as part of the overall design (they were designed to channel air flow). The 981 door mirrors look functional only, enabling them to fold up. Of course l like the rear of the Spyder better and the attachment of the hood at the rear. 981 vs 987, no contest, the 981 looks much better. 981 vs Spyder, the Spyder still has it. Jumped back in the Spyder. The cabin immediately looked inferior, but no less functional. Started to drive. The harder ride is obviously what I noticed first, but then I said it wasn’t an equivalent comparison. The next thing I noticed was the steering. The 981 floated over the tarmac, the Spyder feels like its sticking to it. The resistance you get in the Spyder steering (not heavy) is like it’s proportional to the grip in the front tyres. Any little movement of the wheel you feel in the car’s change of direction. As such it’s like you’re getting feedback of the bite its making onto the road. It was still cold but I felt I could be a bit more assertive in the Spyder as I could instantly sense what grip I had (and the flatter cornering, lower suspension makes you feel that the car is firmly underneath you, under control of the mass by remaining dead flat). That is in no way to make a conclusion about the 981’s handling. That is not in doubt. It takes time to get to know a car and build confidence and in those conditions it would be irresponsible to try to learn more. I tried Classic FM to see if it could calm down my ‘Spyder’ driving style. It didn’t go with this car. You need much punchier music in this car to take on the more airy background noise penetrating the lightweight hood. I did however remember how to drive more calmly. The Spyder has 6 gears and the ‘change up’ indicator tells you how to use them. After a few minutes I found the cabin pretty modern still, with all the features there which I made use of in the 981 (PCM/Nav, phone, climate etc. but my Spyder has cruise and PSE, which this 981 did not). The thing for me with Porsche's is that whilst the new models move the game on, unlike other marques, they do not render the older cars obsolete (as has been shown with the 911 over nearly 50 years, each generation has it's place and something unique to offer). So, the 981 S will not get me out of my Spyder but is a major leap forward over the 987 S and over the 987 as a plaform in general. The Spyder is lighter, faster (to me anyway), sharper and more exclusive, (and I know the Spyder is not the car that the 981 S gen 1 is aiming to eclipse) so it’d need to be 981 Spyder to tempt me[].
EXCELLENT review Flat6 and a back to back report like this will probably never happen in the official press until we maybe! have a 981 Spyder v the original [ORIGINAL: flat6
] I think the pictures you have taken are the best I've seen yet to compare design details especially as you were working with same colours and both with roofs up IMO the 981 has it "side on" because of those fabulous doors and the crease line from front to rear. The rear shot says it all to me as impressive as that new spoiler design is those Spyder humps and the low to ground stance of the Spyder is an instant classic piece of timeless design which will still look dramatic in 20 years from now just like the 1989 Speedster does today. For that reason alone Porsche need to stick to their original game plan and have a 981 Spyder out and about real soon as they said from day one it is not a Limited Edition it's an additional model to the range despite all it's shortcomings as a daily driver there are still around 1800 Spydermen worldwide enjoying something unique for very sensible money especially today[8D] Thanks for sharing your experience Any chance you could pop back and repeat the poses with the two cars as they should be seen "topless" 
Great report and photos. I know what you mean when you describe hoping from one model to another. This I love to-do. [] I can start at either end and drive 1964, 1985, 1997 and 2004 and it really is a delight to feel the different models as they move through the decades. The sun shinning today and I might just do that! Interesting your thoughts on music and transformation to Classic FM in the loan car. Next time I take my car for service I will request loan car radio to be pre tuned to Teenage FM. Who knows perhaps it will knock fifty years of my age![][&:]
] I can start at either end and drive 1964, 1985, 1997 and 2004 and it really is a delight to feel the different models as they move through the decades. The sun shinning today and I might just do that! Interesting your thoughts on music and transformation to Classic FM in the loan car. Next time I take my car for service I will request loan car radio to be pre tuned to Teenage FM. Who knows perhaps it will knock fifty years of my age![][&:]Thanks guys. And sorry if you read it via your email as I then went back and made some additions after posting[] Yeah I agree daro911 the 981 has the better side profile. There was a pic on the 'net I saw that demonstrated the difference in height of the rear. Will try to find it. You're a lucky man John. I hope someday to be a "2 Porsche" man. If I could hang onto the Spyder and also have a 997, that would be my perfect combination in my mind today. No doubt that thought could change over time. I did manage to skim the article you mentioned in 911 & Porsche World. I noted that the author said he'd heard from a few collectors that they intend to get a Spyder into their stable. I hope you do too[]
] Yeah I agree daro911 the 981 has the better side profile. There was a pic on the 'net I saw that demonstrated the difference in height of the rear. Will try to find it. You're a lucky man John. I hope someday to be a "2 Porsche" man. If I could hang onto the Spyder and also have a 997, that would be my perfect combination in my mind today. No doubt that thought could change over time. I did manage to skim the article you mentioned in 911 & Porsche World. I noted that the author said he'd heard from a few collectors that they intend to get a Spyder into their stable. I hope you do too[]
Excellent write up, nor sure about Classic FM, you should have plugged your iPhone into it! Which OPC is that? I thought you were closest to Bolton but you don't get views of trees across the road there!!
Thanks mate. It's Wilmslow. They are much closer to work whereas Bolton is much closer to home, so it's swings and roundabouts. I haven't had much significant dealings with either but warmed to Wilmslow after the club evening & car clinic, so gave them a go. Bolton are dealing with a minor niggle under warranty, we're just waiting for the parts. So i'm giving both a chance[] I sat in this one there (this pic we were looking at the other day from the used car locator). The colour combination really does work. The leather is slightly more grey than in the pic, but those light carpets, you'd need your passengers to bring their house slippers to keep them from quickly looking soiled[]
] I sat in this one there (this pic we were looking at the other day from the used car locator). The colour combination really does work. The leather is slightly more grey than in the pic, but those light carpets, you'd need your passengers to bring their house slippers to keep them from quickly looking soiled[]
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