Are Spyders Becoming Extinct At OPCs!
- Thread starter daro911
- Start date
I'm looking for the collective wisdom of Spyder owners:
My 987 is due a new set of tyres in Spring. For better or worse, I am keeping the car covered by the Porsche extended warranty (I know!) so am stuck with N rated options, these being Bridgestone Potenza RE050A, Michelin PS2, Goodyear Eagle F1, Pirelli PZero. The car is used for high days / holidays in reasonable weather, and is currently on PS2. Accepting that there are better non N rated options, which ones on the approved list would you go with? My initial thinking is PS2 have been OK, Goodyear and Pirelli not great, and I don't know much about the Bridgestones.
My 987 is due a new set of tyres in Spring. For better or worse, I am keeping the car covered by the Porsche extended warranty (I know!) so am stuck with N rated options, these being Bridgestone Potenza RE050A, Michelin PS2, Goodyear Eagle F1, Pirelli PZero. The car is used for high days / holidays in reasonable weather, and is currently on PS2. Accepting that there are better non N rated options, which ones on the approved list would you go with? My initial thinking is PS2 have been OK, Goodyear and Pirelli not great, and I don't know much about the Bridgestones.
Thanks all - looks like Michelins again.
718 GT4/Spyder Now its a 3.8L and its going to be expensive [&:]
[link=https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/spy-shots/porsche/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-spy-photos-specs-and-info/]https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/spy-shots/porsche/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-spy-photos-specs-and-info/[/link]
► Latest Cayman GT4 spotted ► Set to be another classic ► 3.8-litre flat-six
Nothing sticks around forever. The base 718 Cayman models have lost their six-cylinder engines, the Porsche 911 has gained turbochargers across the board and the manual gearbox is an endangered species throughout the car world. But when the second-generation 718 Cayman GT4 is released into the wild at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, it will contain no turbochargers and – at first – no automatic gearbox option. The ultimate pure driver’s car remains just that.
‘The current formula is too convincing to change it for the sake of changing,’ says Frank-Steffen Walliser, who on 1 January took over R&D responsibility for sports cars from Gustl Achleitner (the famous ‘Mister 911’, retiring after nearly two decades in charge of the 911 model series). ‘Instead, we concentrated on making a very good car even better.’
While the manual gearbox is the transmission of choice for the first year of production, the second wave scheduled to arrive in late 2020 can indeed also be ordered with the slicker, quicker-shifting PDK twin-clutch auto. But it will be an option, not mandatory
[h2]Tell me about the engine[/h2]The revised GT4 engine receives a significant power boost from 375 to 420bhp, give or take a couple of horses. In addition to the extra muscle, the 3.8-litre flat-six comes equipped with the latest de-smogging kit which typically affects fuel economy and power output – but not in this case. The performance data is not yet confirmed, but the Weissach grapevine suggests that the hottest Porsche 718 can sprint from zero to 62mph in four seconds flat and reach a maximum speed of over 185mph.
Is it still a bargain?
Likely to be priced in excess of £90,000 (its predecessor’s original £64k list price really was a bargain), the ultimate Cayman loses 50kg thanks to an extensive substitution of materials, thinner glass, fewer electrically operated aids and hollow-spoke wheels.
[link=https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/porsche/porsche-718-cayman-2016-review/]Read our full review on the basic Porsche 718 Cayman[/link]
Visual distinctions include even bigger nasal air intakes, flared lateral nostrils, a wider rear air dam with deep winglets, air breathers in the front bumper and a pronounced rear diffuser, which accommodates two giant tailpipes set farther apart than before. Over the last few months we've had spyshots which confirm the look of the new car, and you can see more of them in the gallery above, too.
The fixed rear air deflector goes up in size and angle, the already svelte supports for the rear wing and the door mirrors have slimmed down even further, and the daytime running lights are piercing LEDs. Rims and tyres, wheelarches, front splitter, sill extensions, springs, dampers and anti-roll bars are bigger, stiffer and tuned for speed, not comfort. Inside, we find optional 918-style buckets, GT4-specific digital instruments and upgraded infotainment.
That's also all confirmed by some pretty serious prototypes we've seen: check out the full-width rear wing and diffuser on our spy photos (above). Twin exhuasts complete the look. Other telltale giveaways that this is a protoype is a GT-series Porsche are the lightweight alloy wheels wrapped in liquorice-thin, track-focused tyres, the lower ride height and Porsche's composite brake discs the size of brass band cymbals.
It’s just as well the GT4 remains loyal to its charming old-school concept considering the fact that by 2022 the 718 replacement is due to jump on the all-electric bandwagon, suggesting that the four-cylinder combustion engine will die together with the current-generation Boxster/Cayman twins at the end of 2023 if not before. High-revving naturally aspirated sports cars with three pedals in the footwell are a dying breed – let’s enjoy them while we can.
[link=https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/spy-shots/porsche/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-spy-photos-specs-and-info/]https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/spy-shots/porsche/porsche-718-cayman-gt4-spy-photos-specs-and-info/[/link]
► Latest Cayman GT4 spotted ► Set to be another classic ► 3.8-litre flat-six
Nothing sticks around forever. The base 718 Cayman models have lost their six-cylinder engines, the Porsche 911 has gained turbochargers across the board and the manual gearbox is an endangered species throughout the car world. But when the second-generation 718 Cayman GT4 is released into the wild at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, it will contain no turbochargers and – at first – no automatic gearbox option. The ultimate pure driver’s car remains just that.
‘The current formula is too convincing to change it for the sake of changing,’ says Frank-Steffen Walliser, who on 1 January took over R&D responsibility for sports cars from Gustl Achleitner (the famous ‘Mister 911’, retiring after nearly two decades in charge of the 911 model series). ‘Instead, we concentrated on making a very good car even better.’
While the manual gearbox is the transmission of choice for the first year of production, the second wave scheduled to arrive in late 2020 can indeed also be ordered with the slicker, quicker-shifting PDK twin-clutch auto. But it will be an option, not mandatory
[h2]Tell me about the engine[/h2]The revised GT4 engine receives a significant power boost from 375 to 420bhp, give or take a couple of horses. In addition to the extra muscle, the 3.8-litre flat-six comes equipped with the latest de-smogging kit which typically affects fuel economy and power output – but not in this case. The performance data is not yet confirmed, but the Weissach grapevine suggests that the hottest Porsche 718 can sprint from zero to 62mph in four seconds flat and reach a maximum speed of over 185mph.
Is it still a bargain?
Likely to be priced in excess of £90,000 (its predecessor’s original £64k list price really was a bargain), the ultimate Cayman loses 50kg thanks to an extensive substitution of materials, thinner glass, fewer electrically operated aids and hollow-spoke wheels.
[link=https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/porsche/porsche-718-cayman-2016-review/]Read our full review on the basic Porsche 718 Cayman[/link]
Visual distinctions include even bigger nasal air intakes, flared lateral nostrils, a wider rear air dam with deep winglets, air breathers in the front bumper and a pronounced rear diffuser, which accommodates two giant tailpipes set farther apart than before. Over the last few months we've had spyshots which confirm the look of the new car, and you can see more of them in the gallery above, too.
The fixed rear air deflector goes up in size and angle, the already svelte supports for the rear wing and the door mirrors have slimmed down even further, and the daytime running lights are piercing LEDs. Rims and tyres, wheelarches, front splitter, sill extensions, springs, dampers and anti-roll bars are bigger, stiffer and tuned for speed, not comfort. Inside, we find optional 918-style buckets, GT4-specific digital instruments and upgraded infotainment.
That's also all confirmed by some pretty serious prototypes we've seen: check out the full-width rear wing and diffuser on our spy photos (above). Twin exhuasts complete the look. Other telltale giveaways that this is a protoype is a GT-series Porsche are the lightweight alloy wheels wrapped in liquorice-thin, track-focused tyres, the lower ride height and Porsche's composite brake discs the size of brass band cymbals.
It’s just as well the GT4 remains loyal to its charming old-school concept considering the fact that by 2022 the 718 replacement is due to jump on the all-electric bandwagon, suggesting that the four-cylinder combustion engine will die together with the current-generation Boxster/Cayman twins at the end of 2023 if not before. High-revving naturally aspirated sports cars with three pedals in the footwell are a dying breed – let’s enjoy them while we can.
...and the next instalment in the saga..
[link=https://www.automobilemag.com/news/porsche-718-cayman-boxster-flat-six-cylinder-engine-gts/]https://www.automobilemag.com/news/porsche-718-cayman-boxster-flat-six-cylinder-engine-gts/[/link]
[link=https://www.automobilemag.com/news/porsche-718-cayman-boxster-flat-six-cylinder-engine-gts/]https://www.automobilemag.com/news/porsche-718-cayman-boxster-flat-six-cylinder-engine-gts/[/link]
Looks like for once 
Mr D is right in his prediction of a Goodwood launch for the GT4 ..It also comes with a hefty price tag . So those current models for sale look like a good buy against the rumoured £94k.
Wonder if the Spyder will be launched at the same time ,time will tell.
Mr D is right in his prediction of a Goodwood launch for the GT4 ..It also comes with a hefty price tag . So those current models for sale look like a good buy against the rumoured £94k.Wonder if the Spyder will be launched at the same time ,time will tell.
£90k? Pie in the sky thinking - where do these journos get their ideas?
The last GT4 was ~£64k base price, although I'm sure most buyers added at least £10k in options. On that basis you'd have to expect the 718 GT4 to retail around £70k-£72k, although with the Boxster now being more expensive than the equivalent Cayman and, depending on the spec for the Spyder (i.e, will it just be a ragtop GT4?), it's possible that the Spyder could be more expensive than the GT4.
The latest thinking for the GT4 is that following an announcement in May the hardware will make an appearance at the Goodwood FoS in July. Whether or not the Spyder will also make it's appearance then (in the sunshine..??) is open to question.
The word is that the inital batch of GT4s will have manual transmissions with a PDK transmission being an option for the second batch in 2020. There's no reason that the Spyder shouldn't follow suit.
Jeff
The last GT4 was ~£64k base price, although I'm sure most buyers added at least £10k in options. On that basis you'd have to expect the 718 GT4 to retail around £70k-£72k, although with the Boxster now being more expensive than the equivalent Cayman and, depending on the spec for the Spyder (i.e, will it just be a ragtop GT4?), it's possible that the Spyder could be more expensive than the GT4.
The latest thinking for the GT4 is that following an announcement in May the hardware will make an appearance at the Goodwood FoS in July. Whether or not the Spyder will also make it's appearance then (in the sunshine..??) is open to question.
The word is that the inital batch of GT4s will have manual transmissions with a PDK transmission being an option for the second batch in 2020. There's no reason that the Spyder shouldn't follow suit.
Jeff
Porsche Might be Working on a 718 Cayman GT4 Touring Package
Porsche sells a wing-less 911 GT3 offering serious performance in a subtle package. It might do the same with the 718 Cayman GT4.
BY CHRIS PERKINS FEB 7, 2019
A few months ago, we showed you video of a Porsche 718 Cayman testing on the Nürburgring sporting an unusual exhaust/diffuser setup, with an exhaust note very different from that of the normal 718's turbo flat-four. Many—including YouTube's Automotive Mike, who uploaded the video—speculated that this was the soon-to-be-revealed 718 Cayman T. But around a week later, the 718 T arrived with a flat-four and the same rear exhaust/diffuser design as the base 718
We think what we're seeing here is sort of 718 Cayman GT4. Check out those exhaust tips and diffuser again—they appear identical to those on the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport race car, shown below. They certainly look the same as those on other 718 Cayman GT4 road-car prototypes, too.
This prototype definitely sounds like it's got a flat-six, too, and we know that the upcoming GT4 will ditch the regular 718's turbo flat-four for a naturally aspirated six. It'll likely be a version of the 4.0-liter used in the 911 GT3, which is Porsche's only naturally aspirated motor certified for road-car use right now.
But, this car appears to have the same retractable wing as the regular 718 Cayman—not a big fixed wing like the previous GT4, or the new race car. To us, that seems to mimic the 911 GT3 Touring Package, which eschews the regular GT3's fixed wing for a retractable spoiler. This could mean Porsche is working on a 718 Cayman GT4 Touring Package—or perhaps this Cayman is just a test mule that doesn't reflect a car headed to production.
We've been going down the 718 rabbit hole as a result of an Automobile story that claims Porsche will use a flat-six in some additional models beyond the upcoming 718 Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder. There's good reason for Porsche to do this—718 sales have been down lately, possibly due to their turbo flat-fours, which haven't been warmly received. The company is looking to boost sales with the new GT4, which will likely offer an optional dual-clutch automatic transmission for the first time, to broaden its appeal.
The 911 GT3 Touring has been a success for Porsche. Perhaps a Touring variant of the 718 GT4 could be a similar hit.
Both Automobile and England's Car magazine speculate that the Cayman and Boxster will see the revival of the old 3.8-liter flat-six, best known from the 2012-2015 911 Carrera S and the previous Cayman GT4. While that engine currently appears in the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport racer, we doubt it will be used in a new road car. It was put back into (limited) production for the new GT4 race car mainly because it was competition-proven, and familiar to the teams that ran the old Cayman GT4. But a knowledgeable source tells us that using this engine in a new road car would require significant re-engineering to meet current emissions regulations.
And finally, the twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six in the current 911 won't fit in the 718's tiny engine bay. In our estimation, the 4.0-liter is likely the only street-legal flat-six that can work in the current-generation 718.
What we know for certain is that Porsche has some plans for the 718 Cayman and Boxster. Last time I spoke with him, August Achleitner, Porsche's soon-to-retire sports car chief engineer, said there are multiple exciting 718 variants coming later this year. We'll just have to wait to find out how many of them have six cylinders.
Porsche sells a wing-less 911 GT3 offering serious performance in a subtle package. It might do the same with the 718 Cayman GT4.
BY CHRIS PERKINS FEB 7, 2019
A few months ago, we showed you video of a Porsche 718 Cayman testing on the Nürburgring sporting an unusual exhaust/diffuser setup, with an exhaust note very different from that of the normal 718's turbo flat-four. Many—including YouTube's Automotive Mike, who uploaded the video—speculated that this was the soon-to-be-revealed 718 Cayman T. But around a week later, the 718 T arrived with a flat-four and the same rear exhaust/diffuser design as the base 718
We think what we're seeing here is sort of 718 Cayman GT4. Check out those exhaust tips and diffuser again—they appear identical to those on the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport race car, shown below. They certainly look the same as those on other 718 Cayman GT4 road-car prototypes, too.
This prototype definitely sounds like it's got a flat-six, too, and we know that the upcoming GT4 will ditch the regular 718's turbo flat-four for a naturally aspirated six. It'll likely be a version of the 4.0-liter used in the 911 GT3, which is Porsche's only naturally aspirated motor certified for road-car use right now.
But, this car appears to have the same retractable wing as the regular 718 Cayman—not a big fixed wing like the previous GT4, or the new race car. To us, that seems to mimic the 911 GT3 Touring Package, which eschews the regular GT3's fixed wing for a retractable spoiler. This could mean Porsche is working on a 718 Cayman GT4 Touring Package—or perhaps this Cayman is just a test mule that doesn't reflect a car headed to production.
We've been going down the 718 rabbit hole as a result of an Automobile story that claims Porsche will use a flat-six in some additional models beyond the upcoming 718 Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder. There's good reason for Porsche to do this—718 sales have been down lately, possibly due to their turbo flat-fours, which haven't been warmly received. The company is looking to boost sales with the new GT4, which will likely offer an optional dual-clutch automatic transmission for the first time, to broaden its appeal.
The 911 GT3 Touring has been a success for Porsche. Perhaps a Touring variant of the 718 GT4 could be a similar hit.
Both Automobile and England's Car magazine speculate that the Cayman and Boxster will see the revival of the old 3.8-liter flat-six, best known from the 2012-2015 911 Carrera S and the previous Cayman GT4. While that engine currently appears in the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport racer, we doubt it will be used in a new road car. It was put back into (limited) production for the new GT4 race car mainly because it was competition-proven, and familiar to the teams that ran the old Cayman GT4. But a knowledgeable source tells us that using this engine in a new road car would require significant re-engineering to meet current emissions regulations.
And finally, the twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six in the current 911 won't fit in the 718's tiny engine bay. In our estimation, the 4.0-liter is likely the only street-legal flat-six that can work in the current-generation 718.
What we know for certain is that Porsche has some plans for the 718 Cayman and Boxster. Last time I spoke with him, August Achleitner, Porsche's soon-to-retire sports car chief engineer, said there are multiple exciting 718 variants coming later this year. We'll just have to wait to find out how many of them have six cylinders.
daro911 said:
Here you go, 3.8L, 415PS, touring spec
PH Preview: 2019 Geneva Motor Show It's possible that Porsche will simply rock up to Geneva with the new 911 Cabriolet and 718 Boxster/Cayman T and leave it at that. However, given that we know the new GT4 is due for reveal ahead of its dynamic debut at the Festival of Speed, and the manufacturer chose Switzerland for the last model's premiere in 2015, it's also perfectly possible that next month will see the covers removed from one of the industry's most desirable sports cars. [link=https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/next-porsche-cayman-gt4-due-this-spring/39569]What are we expecting?[/link] Nothing less than that 4.0-litre flat-six plumbed into the 718, with a manual 'box and all the lightweight trimmings. Pinch us.
I blooming hope so - i’ve had my trip out there planned and booked for ages on the hope that there‘ll be something good to look at!
Boxster7 said:
We’re going on the 2nd Saturday- 16th. It’s the only day we could make, but know from previous years that the weekends are mega busy. My advice is to plan to be there for the early and later hours as it is quieter then than the middle of the day when it can be difficult to move around the halls in any direction other than the prevailing flow!
Most of the good stuff is together in one hall with Porsche, so head straight there first thing. McLaren are then at the other end of the show. Enjoy the trip and the skiing.
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