Are Spyders Becoming Extinct At OPCs!
- Thread starter daro911
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It's a fair price for a low mileage PDK and you can start low and work your way up. If he knows the market or has read this posting he may be hard to crack. If he hasn't then he might feel its time to shift his car along[
] He has had it quite a longtime and it is a great specification too Hope you can do a deal and join our web []Hi Brian It's a fair price and represents a saving over what the OPC's would be asking for it. It has the options that are in keeping with what enhances it as a driver's car such as the carbon bucket seats, sports chrono and sports exhaust. There are no essentials I can see that are missing. Best colour too []
]Robert - Yes I have PSE on my manual 981"S" but it was not on my 986 "S" . I did however take out a PDK 981 "S" for an afternoon without PSE and it did not have the deep howl of my old 3.2, in fact it was a disappointment. There is no doubt in my mind that PSE is awesome especially in sport mode! I also had 2 Spyders for quite long test drives from Guildford and Mid Sussex a while back and loved them. Indeed it was a close run thing, but given the 981 is not our daily drive and quite a bit of the time we are on motorways to get to our favourite places, the roof noise was just too intrusive at 60+. Also given the possible future wetter weather the roof maybe on more than off. I find the ride on standard 19" wheels to be excellent and copes well on all surfaces as Rob K's recent experience showed. It is a pity that he did not get an "S" though to try. I have got used to park brake but although it helps centre console design, is not ideal. Only real gripe is one mentioned by Rob, the fabric windbreak is rubbish, restricts view when reversing as it pixilates vision. Whilst the Spyder and 981 are clearly different drives neither must be underestimated as they both remain two of the finest motors Porsche have delivered.
David - Excellent report on an excellent car and you certainly have the finest £ for £ Porsche made today [] One can only imagine what a brilliant piece of kit a 981R /GTS or Spyder would make to the range I think there is no doubt that the Spyder roof is a heavy price for most people to pay but there are many Boxster owners, like myself, where the roof up is a rare occasion indeed and the beauty in the Spyders rear lid is a far bigger plus than the simplicity of the roof is a minus IMO Roll on Spring time [8D]
] One can only imagine what a brilliant piece of kit a 981R /GTS or Spyder would make to the range I think there is no doubt that the Spyder roof is a heavy price for most people to pay but there are many Boxster owners, like myself, where the roof up is a rare occasion indeed and the beauty in the Spyders rear lid is a far bigger plus than the simplicity of the roof is a minus IMO Roll on Spring time [8D]
Interesting to hear of people going for manual in the 981. I would've thought that PDK was the obvious choice in the new car as it seems not to have the (small number of) shortcomings of 987 PDK. Still, Porsche's figures only split the 981 manual vs PDK by 0.1s to 99mph, without Sports Chrono launch control. (For the Spyder it's 0.1s to 62, 0.1s to 99 and 0.2s at 124) I would expect that Porsche's figures would be equally conservative for both transmissions, or, with PDK being the future, I'd expect the PDK's figures to promote it as much as is truthfully possible. So I guess for general driving there's barely anything between them in terms of speed and the choice is simply down to whether you want a manual or AUTO in your daily driver. Then when you're thinking about if you do a lot of spirited driving or track work, one might consider PDK the better option for faster, 100% successful shifts whilst also enabling to keep both hands on the wheel to steer better. I would go PDK in a 981/991 for my own reasons, but on the road, for general driving, neither is a bad choice IMHO.
Normal service has been resumed. Spyder is back, as is the large grin on my face! Had to clean Bolton's 981 for them, it needed a bit of love! At 2400 miles it was similar to the Spyder for stone chips but my Spyder has done nearly 6 times the mileage. Anyone who likes a 987 would find it hard not to be seriously impressed by the new car. I was a bit unimpressed with its fuel economy and re-set the computer as I pulled on the motorway taking it back this morning. At a steady indicated 80mph cruise and then a couple of miles of 50mph dual carriageway before arriving, it did 32mpg which was a bit better. Then after lusting over the 996 GT3RS currently taking pride of place in the showroom I drove back in the Spyder. I tried replicating the 80 lepton cruise - 28 mpg indicated - but the M61 was empty and I had the roof down and frankly I got a bit bored. I have to say, Rob was right, I have come home grinning like a Cheshire Cat! As my neighbour would say about his 3.2 Carrera, you can drive over a packet of crisps and tell what flavour they are, the steering feel is so good! 981 looks good on the drive:
Wheel shot for Rob now they're clean:
Arty one!
Finally, the money shot:
Rob so glad you got the money shot it's a great reminder of future classic car meets new Pleased to hear the BIG grin is firmly in place Wheels looking like they would pass my inspection test ... well done and good practice for your own Interesting to see that your loaner is running similar rubber to my car Goodyear Eagles ... I hardly ever see these on any 997/987/981/991 Porsches [&o] Finally I think you may agree as great as the 981 is considering a straight swap would take some serious thinking about but having to part with circa £25k too makes it a no brainer IMO[ORIGINAL: rob.kellock Normal service has been resumed. Spyder is back, as is the large grin on my face!Wheel shot for Rob now they're clean:Arty one!Finally, the money shot:
]
Having got home, MrsK asked to go out for a drive as it was such a nice day so we had a stroll down the prom at Lytham. Spyder is on another level as a sports car, it is so involving. 2nd gear, 3000 rpm, half throttle, wow, straighten up then floor it..... 'kin 'ell!!!!! Passenger seat went a bit quiet a couple if times but I generally got away with it! Met a nice gent in Booths who had followed me in in his AMG 6.3 Merc C class. "Is that your Spyder? I nearly bought one" a he had a Cayman before and watched 3 salesmen spending 5 mins putting the roof up and decided it wasn't for him. I suggested he'd made a big mistake!
Guys A few questions to ask ...Been told you cannot hear yourself speak at over 70 with the hood up ....Ride is very harsh to the point you can tell heads or tails if driven over a 50p..... .Roof take 2 to put up and takes around 5mins ,if so no fun if you get caught out in heavy rain and on your own ...Deprecation ??Seems to be a lot less as opposed to a standard 987 like the one i have got at present, recon my car has lost about £18k in deprecation alone in the 5 1/2 years i have had it .I have driven the new 981 both the 2.7 and the S and liked it very comfortable and quite but we are back to the new car scenario loosing around 5k a year .and having to spend around £30K + to upgrade . Any thoughts guys Was going to go down the older car route 912 /356 as i never lost a penny on my recently sold Speedster after 3 years of ownership so deprecation free I like my 987 and has not missed a beat in the time i have had it just fancied a change . Brian
[]Rob did good and got da money shot[] That was a good read and puts into perspective what we've been lucky to get hold of and why there's an increasing number of returnees. When I took my Spyder for a free OPC health check they said my tyres were slightly more worn than expected for the mileage. I do tend to lean on the tyres. (They're consumables, right? I consciously caress the other components like the clutch etc.) The grip and handling is reassuring so I lean on them some more, and some more, and it never seems to get out of hand. If there is a little skip under a brief loss of traction whilst getting over-confident in a corner, in a split second the car is settled again. So controllable.
]Rob did good and got da money shot[] That was a good read and puts into perspective what we've been lucky to get hold of and why there's an increasing number of returnees. When I took my Spyder for a free OPC health check they said my tyres were slightly more worn than expected for the mileage. I do tend to lean on the tyres. (They're consumables, right? I consciously caress the other components like the clutch etc.) The grip and handling is reassuring so I lean on them some more, and some more, and it never seems to get out of hand. If there is a little skip under a brief loss of traction whilst getting over-confident in a corner, in a split second the car is settled again. So controllable."And that roof, does it actually work? The engineers and designers at Porsche decided to give the Spyder a tent-like canvas roof. Setting up the two pieces of fabric is easy enough, provided you follow the steps in the right order. After installing it under supervision once or twice, even a five year old could do it alone in three minutes! Overall, despite its appearance, this roof is a lot sturdier than it looks." http://www.guideautoweb.com/en/articles/6446/ "Meanwhile, gray skies are shaping up nicely. As we roll off the scales, a cold December day turns rainy. More luck: It’s a perfect chance to test the two-piece top in real weather. Since Mrs. Stout has no idea she’s about to partake in the test, I decide to check things out in light rain before committing her to a 200-mile soaking. On the recon run, sealing at the windshield proves every bit as good as in a normal Boxster. More surprising is the way water streams along the side windows. Rather than spraying in where the top covers but doesn’t seal against each pane’s upper edge, the stream traces the upper arc but stays an inch below it and dribbles down the trailing edge. Clever. During after-dinner demonstrations of this Erector Set — with practice, it takes us 1:35 to stow it, 2:30 to erect it " http://www.excellence-mag.com/issues/182/articles/spyder-sense?page=3#.UQ2mJHryTIc I'd say that you'd be putting the roof on in under 2 minutes if you own the car. Yes there's wind noise and you notice it most profoundly on a quick test drive. You'd have to consider whether you could tolerate some extra noise which is a tad more intrusive than 987 tyre roar. Only you could decide that. But, whilst i'm not going to sell it to you as a tranquil environment, you can hold a conversation no problem on the PCM phone at motorway speed. This instructor puts the roof up AND down within the 5 minute video, in his slow motion. So, it's clearly a 1 man job & clearly under 2 minutes at normal speed. Nearer 1 minute if you're going for a the world record and have had some practice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny8qcnhrkBs The suspension was tuned in conjuction with the lighter weight. They even said they reduced the tyre pressures in conjunction with the reduced weight. The ride is firm but certainly not harsh IMHO. It's like the brilliant communication you get through the steering is not due an unbearably stiff set-up. It's something else and it does tell you exactly what's going on at the wheels and transfers your input very accurately. I couldn't tell you what that is though. Sorry I can't answer your other questions.
Brian I have owned my car exactly 2years and 2 days. Until Christmas this year the roof had never been on the car since taking delivery! I put the roof up purely to see if it was all OK and for a bit of fun to experience the differences. I have probably now done 100 miles plus in this mode and around town it's fine. On my blasts to 70 mph absolutely fine still. It took me under 5 minutes to put up on my own and basically reading the instructions as I went. As flat6 and RK are more heavy users of the tent their comments on noise and time to erect are far more valuable than my ramblings here I should add as you can see in my picture I didn't fit the rear scarf so I am not sure if that would increase the road/wind noise into the cabin. As a topless driver only I left the rear scarf off and can confirm a wonderful gentle breeze in the cabin at speed and an even more musical and slighly louder tune from the PSE which I have defaulted to "on" 24/7 and would say is an essential piece of kit on a Spyder Suspension is a lot firmer than a 987 S but not firm enough to be annoying or a concern. It is a million miles better than my 1989 Speedsters unforgiving efforts. It is something you could easily decide by a good hours test drive Depreciation on new Porsche today is far higher than your figures quoted here. Only the other day there was close to a 100 981's on the Porsche locator many POA but you would be looking at far more than £5k p.a. IMO How many miles a year do you do How many miles with roof up Is it your main car or weekend car Whilst flat6 uses his as a daily driver I would guess the majority are used on dry weekends mainly If you want something unique, limited production, rarely seen on the roads and when seen appreciated in a positive fashion by all walks of life from white van man to exotic car owner then the Spyder won't disappoint [
] If you want refined smooth all round excellence with hardly a single flaw to be found then the 981 would work for you as it is without doubt the best convertible Porsche £ for £ false stop. It will depreciate wickedly as all cars are currently doing and will continue to do for the austere future deecades we are promised [] so buying one of these Boxsters used is really the only sensible financial option To sum up if you want something unique 237 UK examples in total and can live with the various minor short comings and hopefully low depreciation from now on in then go for a Spyder If you want the best and easiest to live with mid engined sports car out there today go for a used 981 and forget about depreciation just enjoy the drive 
Guys First of all thanks to all who have spent considerable time answering my questions it is appreciated . I will do no more than 4k miles a year based on 6 years ownership of the 987 . Will be a weekend car going to events shows etc with the occasional weekday use Scottish weather permitting. Depreciation is a factor as i have stated as now retired.I know there are no pockets in shrouds but one has to be sensible with the kids money[] The hood looks to be a comparative easy one man job, used to the Speedster so no problems. Is it really watertight in your opinion .I have never driven one so in the end i will down to that .I am also awaiting a PX price so what will also have a bearing which way i go. Brian
] The hood looks to be a comparative easy one man job, used to the Speedster so no problems. Is it really watertight in your opinion .I have never driven one so in the end i will down to that .I am also awaiting a PX price so what will also have a bearing which way i go. Brian
Brian for 4k miles p.a. mainly on weekends too then I personally can highly recommend suffering a few "minor" roof short comings but enjoy the rarity factor, the wow factor, the superb driver feel good factor and hopefully very low depreciation too flat6 our daily Spyderman driver here [ORIGINAL: kitchens Guys First of all thanks to all who have spent considerable time answering my questions it is appreciated . I will do no more than 4k miles a year based on 6 years ownership of the 987 . Will be a weekend car going to events shows etc with the occasional weekday use Scottish weather permitting. Depreciation is a factor as i have stated as now retired.I know there are no pockets in shrouds but one has to be sensible with the kids money[
] and others on pistonheads forum can confirm once the suncap and scarf are in situ it's all very watertight indeed Hope you join the Spyder section real soon and good luck with the haggling a deal [link=http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=48&t=1243583&mid=23691&i=185&nmt=Bloody+Spyder+Addiction%21&mid=23691]http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=48&t=1243583&mid=23691&i=185&nmt=Bloody+Spyder+Addiction%21&mid=23691[/link]
Good luck securing one! I endorse everything my Spydermen brethren say! In complete storm conditions the odd drip of water can creep in to the cabin with the roof on but mine has never let any in parked. The flaw of the hood design is the lack of seal between the top of the side windows and the roof. It's what causes excessive wind noise on the motorway above certain speeds which genuinely depend on the prevailing wind direction! Some days at 70 - 75, it is nearly as civilised as a normal Boxster. Some days at 85 you curse the day you first set eyes on it. If you are an outside lane, never do less than 90 merchant it's not the weapon of choice! I went to Le mans in mine this summer and would go back in a heartbeat, it was brilliant. What is hard to express is how different they are to drive, you need to have a good go in one. A hundred or so miles in to the 981 and I was really impressed, 5 minutes back in the Spyder and, wow, the "seat of the pants" is just so different. I couldn't help but ponder that in pride of place at the OPC (you can just see it in my photo) is a gorgeous 996 GT3RS, say 9 or 10 years old. When that car was 3 years old a salesman somewhere would have been trying to persuade its owner to buy a then new 997S. In 10 years time, Spyders will be displayed in the prime spot and OPCs won't sell used 981 Boxsters any more as they will be too old. I'm not for a moment saying it is as iconic as the RS but Porsche haven't sold an as interesting a car as the Spyder without a GT badge on the back of it for years. At mid £30s it is as safe a place to invest in a modern car as any.
Rob has hit the nail well and truly on the head and with his recent 981 experience you are really going to have too bite the bullet and go drive the proposed Spyder you are contemplating Another point that is popping up on other forums here and in the USA are the number of owners now on there 2nd & 3rd Spyders! Considering the oldest cars are just about to turn 3 says an awful lot about the character and charms of owning this future modern classic Porsche Here is a quote from a former owner that I received only yesterday after sending him some pictures of my beast and I would say this statement isn't unique to just him [] "Lovely....wish I still had mine...still the best driving experience I ever had See you again soon"
] "Lovely....wish I still had mine...still the best driving experience I ever had See you again soon"You're welcome Brian At the end of the day, a manual roof can't compete with a electric roof that can be operated on the move. But then you knew that. I guess people who go for the Spyder see the benefits hugely outweighing that one invconvenience. Those that don't value those benefits over electric roof convenience, rightly should not go for it. The benefits of a brilliant drive, exclusivity and exotic looks (roof up or down generates much intrigue), far outweigh the fact that the roof is manual, for those who side with the Spyder. Mine as a daily driver has the roof on more than off simply because, if the weather looks iffy before I start my journey, i'm not going to take the roof down and run the risk having to pull over to put the roof up. However, in the summer, I left the roof off a lot as the car is garaged. With you using it as a weekend car, a lot of your journeys will be of choice when the Spyder is what you prefer and then no doubt your roof will be off for a much high proportion of your miles. So, i've tested the roof in the worst weather. Anyone who remembers the Boxster & Beyond event will remember that most of the country was suffering from hurricane winds and rain. I drove the Spyder 200 miles to PEC. Only when suffering severe crosswinds around Birmingham did some rain blow up into the rear of the window where the rear scarf (I like that name daro) ends. I have heard of other people who have traditional convertibles who get water ingress under one circumstance or another, so I was still impressed even though this is my first convertible. The car sat at PEC all day in a downpour and then I drove home again. The roof is watertight as most other convertibles are from rain. The roof doesn't have a frame over the windows like a conventional roof, so if you jet wash upwards, you really aren't discovering any revelation to achieve getting water in that way. Whilst driving, the aero flow path doesn't sent water up there. Here's my previous description after a few months of ownership.
I should have finished that new-to-me article before posting earlier. Notice now another bit that sums up well why the Spyder is such a good driver's car if you just want to get on and drive like you think you are a pro. You don't need to be an expert or have to nurture the car through any handling shortcomings. For me it has become like a reference tool and I measure other cars I drive against it and so far they have all come up short. Again, I guess that it why there are a few returnees now. Looks like it's up there with Porsches with a GTx badge, in that regard, but I haven't driven one of those to be fair. "Being lighter and having a lower centre of gravity make the Spyder incredibly agile and easy to drive. After heading into a tight turn too quickly (Hey, how else am I going to test the car’s limits?) I was able to correct the trajectory without any trouble at all. Had the car been heavier and higher, the weight transfer would have been significant and would have pulled the vehicle to the other side of the road. The Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires stuck to the road like potatoes to the bottom of a pot (when I’m cooking, that is). The suspension is firm and, much to my surprise, relatively comfortable. It gives the car a slight understeer, which is easily controlled with the accelerator. http://www.guideautoweb.com/en/articles/6446/ORIGINAL: flat6 I'm no doubt in the minority, running a Spyder as a daily driver and so will struggle to keep my car as clean as yours, despite regularly cleaning it[
Just going back to this for a moment, and as you quote above, my Bridgestones are now on almost 14k and loads of life left. V impressed as they grip well too! I did 23mpg in the 981 over 120 or so mixed miles. I have done 205 in the Spyder since yesterday morning, generally went quicker and the computer has it at 28.2!
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