Egan70

Just joined the forum to aid in research on a 2011/12 Boxster Spyder.

I've found 2 so far in my state. Both white. One debadged and with Carrera S II wheels (red) from the factory and one that appears more standard. Both have AC and radios. Both have the adjustable seats.

And of course, both are 6MT's.

I toyed with the idea of the PDK so my wife could drive it too, but I've never owned a non-manual sports car and I don't think I could do it.

I had looked at an Elise as well, but it was too tough for my wife to get in and out of and the pedals were just too close together for me. I wanted some of the rawness of that car but without the "toy" feel. More storage space would be helpful on weekend trips too. That's how I got here. I am still considering the dress shop Evora S, but something about the top on the Spyder calls to me.

Anyway, I'll be searching through all of the old posts in the 987 sub-forum while I decide.

9872SpeedYellowCS

I was briefly looking at the white spyder with red wheels and interior. I briefly talked to the owner and he sent some pictures over easily.

Good luck!

Egan70

Yes, he sent over a video he had made for another potential buyer. The wheels are a bit much for me, but I guess I could always change them out. Why did you choose to pass? Price seems good, although I imagine it would be weeks before the roads are in a condition where he could get to a dealer for a PPI.

squid42

FWIW, all the 987 spyders that were on Porsche's official used car site disappeared since November. Somebody is hoarding.

f4 plt

I'm not hoarding, but I also have no desire to sell mine. Great vehicle, I have 29.000 plus miles and have enjoyed every one. PDK for the wife but some other goodies for me

Marine Blue

Welcome to Rennlist! As you start researching definitely don't be shy about asking questions. There's a white one with black interior here on Rennlist that would be the ultimate raw experience as far as Spyders go. It has the Carbon Brakes, PSE, Manual, Buckets and no AC. It's not very far from you either. I believe he's asking $59K for the car assuming he still has it.

Years ago I was on the waiting list for the Elise but I never did pull the trigger. Like you I wanted something raw and focused with minimal bells and whistle electronics. The issue I had with the Elise was the kit car feel and very few dealers to support the car. I started looking at 993's as an option until I stumbled on the Spyder at a concours. Until then I had given up on modern Porsches, but the Spyder seemed to be the exception and my hunch was right.

christallon

I've owned longhoods, SC's, Carreras, many 964's, A 996 TTS, several 996 GT3's and now a 2011 Spyder. I do love the 996 GT3 for its rawness and purity, but I admit to finding the 11 Spyder a true Porsche gem. I love driving it, my wife completely adores it (she hates being in the GT3), and it's such a unique and purposeful car. It's hard to describe until you actually drive one, then you understand what it's about. It's much greater than the some of Its parts. Porsche refined it, boiled it down to the essence of open car motoring, the joyful lightness of being and yes, even the top is a piece of engineering art. It's an incredible experience! I'm not suprized there are so few available. Enjoy the hunt.

Egan70

I'll look for that one in the classifieds section.

I'll ask questions, but I am certainly using the search feature of the forum. Of course a lot of the 987 specific stuff is farther back and a simple "spyder" search yields mostly 981 posts. I did read through a couple dozen this morning and subscribed to a few for future reference. I loved your video showing just how quick it is to take the top down!

Biggest question for me is the transmission. I find a lot more PDK's for sale than 6MT's. Some complaints of the 6MT having too long of gearing, which seems odd for a 6 speed.

I can live without the carbon brakes. The seats are a toss up for me. A/C delete is not a problem although it does get over 100 here for a few weeks in the summer. I would like the radio. Anything else I figure I can add later (PSE, SSK, etc.) Car is going to be a weekend road trip kind of car with occasional commutes (no traffic, 12 miles each way on surface streets).

Here are the two cars I found within 500 miles with 6MT. They are both white, although I am color agnostic at this point. I'd probably shy away from black after owning 3 black sports cars previously, but beggars can't be choosers:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...searchRadius=0

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...ting=166031532

Marine Blue

The white with red interior looks a little rough from the pictures, I would definitely ask for high resolution pictures.

As far as transmissions go, that really becomes a matter of personal preference. Personally if you're looking for a raw experience the manual would make more sense but that's just me. The red wheels could be considered a negative also, not just for their color but the fact that they weigh more which goes against the cars purpose.

As far as the seats go, you should definitely try both. For some the LWB are a must for their support/reduced weight/connection with the car, for others the additional effort to get into and out of them is a non starter.

Egan70

What things look rough? Understanding what guys like you see will help me with what to look out for as I hunt.

Marine Blue

The pictures aren't great but from what I can tell the leather on the shifter and dash look dark which leads me to believe they haven't been well maintained. It could just be the lighting but to me it definitely warrants getting higher resolution pictures in proper lighting.

DaveGee

I think the red wheels are a little too "pimp" for my tastes, and the car looks naked without the Spyder stripe on the side. But the price is right, so it should be considered.

The other car in SJC is not far from me, so let me know if you want a set of eyes on it. Feel free to PM me if I can help

Good luck with the hunt.

DaveGee

Egan70

Thanks Dave - I'll keep that in mind. That owner has been less than forthcoming with details - maybe he's just not tech savvy, but it seems odd. Only one picture online doesn't help much.

And yes, on the car in Tahoe, the wheels don't look right, although I guess I could change that pretty easily. The missing stripe and rear badge doesn't look right either, but again, I guess they could be replaced inexpensively.

Egan70

I sent Phil a PM.

christallon

6 Speed, and buckets are a must IMHO. This is what Porsche intended. AC is personal taste, but I find 90% want it, so,when it comes time to sell, it becomes problematic without. I love the AC.