Are Spyders Becoming Extinct At OPCs!

MrDemon · Jul 1, 2015

daro911 said:
[]Anyone who thinks the 981 Spyder is just a Boxster GTS with a 3.8L engine needs to speak to these guys from Porsche [link=https://www.youtube.com/w...A&feature=youtu.be]https://www.youtube.com/w...A&feature=youtu.be[/link]

I thought the vid made it more GTS , o well, only 6 kg weight saving over a GTS(with buckets) if you omit the roof but still 35kgs over the old car but with all the new tech and materials !

then the driven review quoted, NONE OF MY WORDS REMEMBER

just quoting the review !

"In contrast, the Spyder merely tweaks the underlying whole of the Boxster GTS" "The chassis, however, is more GTS than GT3" "No, this Porsche is not everybody's darling. For a start, it does not quite match the even costlier GT4 for poise and panache" "Those who seek a decontented, lightweight, no-frills driving machine are perhaps better off with the GT4 or the rumored GT4 RS. Those who enjoy open-top motoring and are not track-day regulars should probably zoom in on the Boxster S/GTS."

It's still a great car ;-) I wish it was that little bit more in every way esp in the weight and roof area. Still the fastest Boxster ever made and may be even more fun to drive than the GT4 due to the smaller tyre patch on the road.

I think what sold the old one to me and in fact a few people one here looking at people past cars like Exiges, Atoms, Caterhams etc was the stripped out lightweight format as a fun car, but with age, not wanting to go back to an exige.

I have never wanted a Boxster, always had Caymans and coupes, The new car does not fit into my own personal remit that's all, it's too nice and grown up if that how people put it. I would say sales are low on this, they have reduced the 150 cars, and if there were a GTS 3.8 it would have sold even less, A lot of people I have spoken to at PEC meets and clubs who have ordered a Spyder also wanted PDK and did not buy the 1st one due to the roof. And sadly a few others I have spoken too only ordered a 981 because they failed to get a Gt4 slot. Seems a lot of people have ordered a car they don't really want !

flat6 · Jul 1, 2015

Flight cases and fully loaded car on every drive you do in the car. Some would say you've bought the wrong car... But it's not about right or wrong otherwise if when Porsche gets this feedback on the 981 Spyder they might just seal off the rear boot for the 982. I do get what you mean MrD but I do think that people who want the car will work around its foibles. Take for instance my move to the 911 turbo. I have lost a boot from the rear and the front boot is smaller because of the AWD. The kind of things I would put in the rear of a 987 I wouldn't put in the 911's rear seats or would want on display in the rear window, so the car is less practical than the Spyder in that regard but I can't say i've noticed until writing this post because I wanted the car and just work around it.

If Porsche make a hybrid 981 and fill the rear boot with batteries, some people will buy it and some people won't. It's just the way it goes.

daro911 · Jul 1, 2015

Mr D if you watch the video again please note the reason why there is a 981 Spyder

For pure driving pleasure for the purists[8D]

That will be me then as - I don't do tracks and I no longer do regular production Porsche models either otherwise I would have been tempted by a GTS with X73 option

Headlines from the video tick all my wish list just like the GT4 does for you

30 kg lighter than a GTS savings made through Buckets:Roof materials & construction:Less insulation whilst still allowing the car to be car wash proof[

] and maxed out to 180 mph with top on!

Oily bits - 375 bhp: 10% more direct steering ratio than any other Boxster including GTS[

]

Styling - Front & rear GT style PU's: Spyder signature roof shape & humps aka streamliners

So whilst you will be suited & booted helmet on and lapping the tracks in your GT4 I shall be creamed up, top down as opposed to "off" cruising the highways and byways

Both of us equally happy with our chosen 981's

MrDemon · Jul 1, 2015

flat6 said:
Flight cases and fully loaded car on every drive you do in the car. Some would say you've bought the wrong car... But it's not about right or wrong otherwise if when Porsche gets this feedback on the 981 Spyder they might just seal off the rear boot for the 982. I do get what you mean MrD but I do think that people who want the car will work around its foibles. Take for instance my move to the 911 turbo. I have lost a boot from the rear and the front boot is smaller because of the AWD. The kind of things I would put in the rear of a 987 I wouldn't put in the 911's rear seats or would want on display in the rear window, so the car is less practical than the Spyder in that regard but I can't say i've noticed until writing this post because I wanted the car and just work around it.

If Porsche make a hybrid 981 and fill the rear boot with batteries, some people will buy it and some people won't. It's just the way it goes.

I did NOT say every drive ! I said every trip

98% of driving is nothing in it, every trip though, I need to get luggage to the Hotel where ever that may be.

A trip with the GF is not a hoon with your mates

she has a lot of stuff to pack lol

MrDemon · Jul 1, 2015

daro911 said:
Mr D if you watch the video again please note the reason why there is a 981 Spyder

For

That will be me then as - I don't do tracks and I no longer do regular production Porsche models either otherwise I would have been tempted by a GTS with X73 option

Headlines from the video tick all my wish list just like the GT4 does for you

30 kg lighter than a GTS savings made through Buckets:Roof materials & construction:Less insulation whilst still allowing the car to be car wash proof[] and maxed out to 180 mph with top on!

Oily bits - 375 bhp: 10% more direct steering ratio than any other Boxster including GTS[]

Styling - Front & rear GT style PU's: Spyder signature roof shape & humps aka streamliners

So whilst you will be suited & booted helmet on and lapping the tracks in your GT4 I shall be creamed up, top down as opposed to "off" cruising the highways and byways

Both of us equally happy with our chosen 981's

I am lost on the 1st 2 lines then as the 987.2 car seems more pure/lighter/raw so why buy a softer less pure car (with electric steering) for fun esp one which is rising in price ! you def don't need the performance the 3.8 will bring, the 3.4 is way to fast already to keep your foot in. 180mph again a moot point if you don't plan to visit a track.

I hope we are both happy, but I for one am keeping my 3 cars till I get a chance to drive them all and decide what goes next spring, I prob sell the R and GT4 as it happens as I think the Gt4RS will be available and my OPC has stated I can have one.

As for selling the 987.2 Spyder, still not really to let that car go, (pure driving pleasure for the purists[8D])

flat6 · Jul 1, 2015

I don't think there is any end to a debate about suitability of a specific car for one's own particular needs as everyone's needs and wants are different.

MrDemon · Jul 1, 2015

I agree, so why don't people just say because I like it, and not pretend it's because it's a purer car !

I am very happy for people just to say "I want it because I like it" then I would have nothing to say or comment on ;-)

Boxster7 · Jul 1, 2015

"I want it because I like it [

]"

The sun is shining, the roof will be off, I will be enjoying the 375 hp, I will be enjoying that sweet exhaust note and I will be enjoying the super duper handling !!!

I very much like it [

]

flat6 · Jul 1, 2015

I think people have been saying how much they like it, how much it is a driver's car, for them, based on what they want the car for. But every time they say they like it there is a reply that the car is not this, that and the other and it goes round and around. Anyone who has driven X.73 and says yep, that's enough of a driver's car for me, (or indeed has driven a 981 and is happy with it and decided a 981 with 20mm lowering will be fine even if they haven't driven X.73) can be left alone to be satisfied. They don't need educating about all the things the car is not. Anything its not they aren't bothered about, otherwise they would buy something else. I do agree that anyone who buys a 981 Spyder because they didn't secure an order for the GT4 is missing the point of these cars. They are not sister cars like the 987 Spyder and R.

It's a natural tendency of forums. If someone says they like something, someone else says why they don't like it, but it never seems to end there. The person who is buying the car will naturally keep posting about updates as their dream comes closer, like in the GT4 thread, but those who are not particularly into the car seem to feel the need to keep replying back to the ones who are buying into the car. The GT4 thread would be equally frustrating if for every post about the GT4 there was the same response from someone who is not buying one and why they are not buying one, over and over again.

I think the last few pages on here haven't really moved on from "It's a GTS", "No it isn't", "Yes it is", "No it isn't". Maybe everyone should just agree to disagree and let the guys ordering one or wishing they could order one get on with sharing what they are doing. But no-one can dictate what people can and can't contribute to a debate, so that's not for me to try to influence either. I'll drop off now until someone takes delivery of one - that's more what i'd like to read about[

]

MrDemon · Jul 1, 2015

Boxster7 said:
"I want it because I like it []"

The sun is shining, the roof will be off, I will be enjoying the 375 hp, I will be enjoying that sweet exhaust note and I will be enjoying the super duper handling !!!

I very much like it []

best reason you see, cannot fault it

jdpef356 · Jul 1, 2015

Any car has to have the four 'S' for me to be interested.

1-Sight - It has to look good - would I look out of the my window and still be proud to own it in a years time

2-Sound - It has to sound good

3-Speed - It has to go well, fast or slow!

4-She - yes the misses has to like, it will need to have the RSA 'Royal Seal of Approval'

So far we have approval for 1 and 4 - I guess using my scale none of have a full house![:-]

daro911 · Jul 1, 2015

[

]

flat6 said:
I think people have been saying how much they like it, how much it is a driver's car, for them, based on what they want the car for. But every time they say they like it there is a reply that the car is not this, that and the other and it goes round and around. Anyone who has driven X.73 and says yep, that's enough of a driver's car for me, (or indeed has driven a 981 and is happy with it and decided a 981 with 20mm lowering will be fine even if they haven't driven X.73) can be left alone to be satisfied. They don't need educating about all the things the car is not. Anything its not they aren't bothered about, otherwise they would buy something else. I do agree that anyone who buys a 981 Spyder because they didn't secure an order for the GT4 is missing the point of these cars. They are not sister cars like the 987 Spyder and R.

It's a natural tendency of forums. If someone says they like something, someone else says why they don't like it, but it never seems to end there. The person who is buying the car will naturally keep posting about updates as their dream comes closer, like in the GT4 thread, but those who are not particularly into the car seem to feel the need to keep replying back to the ones who are buying into the car. The GT4 thread would be equally frustrating if for every post about the GT4 there was the same response from someone who is not buying one and why they are not buying one, over and over again.

I think the last few pages on here haven't really moved on from "It's a GTS", "No it isn't", "Yes it is", "No it isn't". Maybe everyone should just agree to disagree and let the guys ordering one or wishing they could order one get on with sharing what they are doing. But no-one can dictate what people can and can't contribute to a debate, so that's not for me to try to influence either. I'll drop off now until someone takes delivery of one - that's more what i'd like to read about

One of our founding Spydermen flat6 has once again nailed it on the head [

]

I will now await some road reviews and youtubes before cancelling my order

daro911 · Jul 1, 2015

daro911 · Jul 2, 2015

Boxster7 · Jul 2, 2015

Thanks for posting Daro.

Good to have the Editor-in-chief back with something factual to report.

(As much as I was enjoying all the banter !!)

I think you may be a busy chap over the next few days.

The cars are looking great.... Bring on the videos [

]

GinT44 · Jul 2, 2015

Can I point out that if anyone gets a new one, and doesn't like it, I am more than happy to help you out and swap mine for yours ...

daro911 · Jul 2, 2015

Looks like our man Mr Demon was right about the 981 GTS 3.8L after all

Porsche has taken the already excellent Boxster roadster to new heights with the thrilling Boxster Spyder

[h3]Once again Porsche has managed to identify and fill yet another a niche in the market that no one previously thought existed. Apart from its poor over the shoulder visibility with the hood up, the Spyder is hard to find fault with. And very, very easy to like. Clever car, is the Boxster Spyder, from an increasingly clever car company.[/h3] The car you are looking at, [link=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/porsche]Porsche's[/link] new £60,459 Boxster Spyder, could well be the most exciting sports car we've driven this year.

Powered by the same sensational 3.8-litre flat six that you'll find in a [link=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/porsche/cayman/90790/porsche-cayman-gt4-2015-review]Cayman GT4[/link], and boasting the kind of sound track and performance that will make grown men go weak at the knees, the Spyder also happens to look 100% gorgeous in the metal. And[link=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/porsche/boxster-spyder/92084/porsche-boxster-spyder-2015-review]on the road

[/link] it is nothing less than brilliant to drive.

But it's not a car that will appeal to everyone, the Boxster Spyder, and nor is it intended to be. Its suspension is both lower and stiffer than that of a regular [link=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/porsche/boxster]Boxster[/link]. There is just one transmission option; a six speed manual. And the roof must be raised or lowered using not merely your fingers, as per a regular Boxster, but your hands as well - because in the name of weight saving the hood is manual and takes a fair bit more effort to raise and lower than in the standard car.

[link=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/porsche/boxster-spyder/92083/porsche-boxster-spyder-2015-review-pictures#1]

[/link] Image 2 of 14

The trade off comes, however, on the road. Tickling the scales at just 1315kg the Spyder is lighter, even, than the Cayman GT4. So although it isn't meant to be quite so focused as the bewinged coupe, in many ways it's the more desirable of the two to drive, with fractionally less weight to carry, providing it with even more agility than the GT4.

And then there's the not inconsiderable additional advantage of being able to lower the hood and enjoy the sunshine, which in turn allows you to listen to the machinations of the 3.8-litre flat six that much more readily, too.

The things you notice about the Spyder the most are its ride quality (surprisingly good beside that of Porsche's other sportier models), the clarity of response from its steering, the lovely feel underfoot from its brakes, and the extra shove that arrives courtesy of having an extra 400cc of engine capacity beneath your right foot. The Spyder's extra torque enables it to pull its long gearing a fair bit more effectively than in the 3.4-litre Boxster GTS. Yet at the same time it sounds and feels more energetic than ever up near the 7800rpm cut out.

[link=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/porsche/boxster-spyder/92083/porsche-boxster-spyder-2015-review-pictures#2]

[/link] Image 3 of 14

Dynamically, you really do get the best of both worlds with the Boxster Spyder; greater ease of driving and more of a thrill factor at the top end to go with it.

And it's quick, the Spyder, no mistake about that. Zero to 62mph is quoted at 4.5sec with a top speed of 180mph, while at the other end of the scale emissions and economy are both significantly improved over the previous generation model at 230g/km and 28.5mpg combined.

[link=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/porsche/boxster-spyder/92083/porsche-boxster-spyder-2015-review-pictures#7]

[/link] Image 8 of 14

It even has the same decent size front boot as the regular Boxster plus a slightly shallower affair at the back into which the remains of the roof get tucked away.

The only issue I had with the Spyder was its poor over-the-shoulder visibility with the roof up. And in the left hand drive version I drove it was quite some issue, especially when blending in to traffic coming from the right. But then you can solve this problem by dropping the hood, at which point visibility becomes the opposite; excellent all round.

daro911 · Jul 2, 2015

[link=http://www.telegraph.co.u...orsche/boxster/spyder/]http://www.telegraph.co.u...orsche/boxster/spyder/[/link]

Verdict: So much better than its predecessor: sharper, better looking and a pleasure to drive in any circumstance. The standard Boxster is such a great all-rounder, but the Spyder nudges towards five-star territory, let down only by its less practical roof

MrDemon · Jul 2, 2015

Every new car gets a great review these days. none tell you want you want to know, like gear ratios, clutch weight, real mpg which will prob be sub 20 mpg etc

what the steering feel is like, not what % it is faster.

All marketing **** imo , not worth the paper it written on in fact. :-(

230co2 is lazy for the GT4 and the SPyder, quite annoying when the Evora 400 has a sub 225 co2 now when the lesser evora did not.

As for the "market that no one previously thought existed." I think we have all been waiting for a 3.8 Boxster for ages lol what a joke line.

daro911 · Jul 2, 2015

[h1]First drive: 2015 Porsche Boxster Spyder[/h1]Less weight, more power, bonkers roof. Jason Barlow takes a drive in the Fifties-inspired roadster[/h2]

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[/link][/ul] Another new Porsche?

Yes, and if we were being immediately judgemental we might write the Boxster Spyder off as the Californian poser's Porsche.

On the other hand, this is the one that references the beautiful 1953 550 Spyder, while the double bubble - streamliners, in Porsche parlance - behind the headrests is a nod to the 1960s 718 Spyder. Roof off, you've got to admit, it's a serious looker.

And how do you get the roof off?

By hand. In a world of instant gratification, it's actually quite refreshing to do a bit of manual labour. In any case, the new Spyder's roof is almost as ingenious as the one on the latest 911 Targa.

A button on the centre console releases it by the windscreen header, you get out - sorry about that, traffic light show-offs - detach the end ‘fins' on the rear lid and clip them into little apertures, open the rear lid, stow hood, close cover flaps...

It's easier and faster than it sounds, honest.

I'll take your word for it.

Thanks. For some reason, the Spyder instantly feels more special than the regular Boxster. It's also only available with a six-speed manual gearbox, so it's a bit like plonking the needle down on a vinyl record as opposed to streaming or wrapping your ears round some horrible compressed MP3 file.

We don't want to wheel out the ‘analogue' cliche, but Porsche reckons that, following the Cayman GT4 and 911 GT3 RS, 2015 is the year of the ‘rigorous' Porsche.

Is it?

Well the Spyder's certainly got the tools, though it's worth pointing out that Porsche's Motorsport arm has had nothing to do with it, and it contains none of their fancy unobtanium.

Never mind. Porsche has become adept at mixing and matching different bits from its vast armoury so, like the Cayman GT4, the Spyder uses the 3.8-litre direct injection six-cylinder from the 911 Carrera S.

In this guise, it produces 370bhp at 6700rpm, 45 more than the Boxster GTS, and there are 37 more torques at 309lb ft overall. It'll do 180mph - with the roof up - and accelerate to 62mph in 4.5 seconds.

The combined fuel consumption figure is 28.5mpg. Bracing stuff.

Has it lost weight?

Of course. The Spyder weighs 1315kg, 30 less then the GTS, and if you want air con or an audio system you have to raid the options list (the air con weighs 9kg, fact fans).

That swooping rear lid is made of aluminium, and the hood has an unheated polymer rear window. The seats are skinny bucket jobs, there's less sound insulation, and you open the doors using straps rather than handles.

All good for a late-night blast up California's Highway One, but with the mercury pushing 40 degrees centigrade on our Italian test drive, we'd live with the air con's extra bulk.

What's it like to drive?

It's fantastic. The Spyder gets Porsche's ‘Sport Chrono' package as standard, and has dynamic transmission mounts for extra stability as you fang through a corner.

The rear wheels are wider (at 10.5in), it sits 20mm lower, and there's a mechanical differential and torque vectoring. The fully electric steering is borrowed from the 911 Turbo, and turns in with more intensity than lesser Boxsters.

It also brakes with more ferocity: there are 340mm diameter front discs, and the overall set-up is from the 911 Carrera S. It has sublime feel.

Is it a proper modern Clubsport?

Not quite, depending on your interpretation of that classic Porsche idiom, but it's pretty hard to fault overall.

Nothing sounds like a Porsche and while it doesn't have the induction roar of a 911, the Boxster Spyder has its own distinctive soundtrack. There's a fantastic burble and crackle on the over-run from the exhaust, and the engine piles on the revs in a sonorous, addictive flow.

You might want to cut that short by changing gear every now and then, because the (shorter) shift action is about as good as it gets. And even on 20-inch rims the Spyder rides beautifully, too.

Turn all the electronics off and push really hard and you can unstick it, but it's so well balanced that any impending waywardness is well flagged up. An Olympic-level nitpicker might possibly suggest that it's almost too compliant, and could do with being a teensy bit stiffer, but hey, it's not a track day car.

How much does it cost?

It's not a bargain -£60,459 before options. But it's destined to be a rare car, and if its predecessor is anything to go by, a good investment, too. Porsche only made 2000 of those, and they're appreciating assets.

No word on the production run this time out, but when everyone's tooling about in automonous EVs in 30 years' time, and downloading information directly to their cerebrum, this'll remain a reminder of what a world class driver's car really feels like.