German Road Test: Porsche Spyder RS Outshines GT4 RS and GT3 RS on the Road
Is the Spyder RS worth the price, the hype, and the fight for an allocation? Only if you want the best Porsche road car ever.
When Porsche took the wraps off the new Spyder RS back in May I said that I was so enamored with it that I reached out to dealers in an attempt to buy one. I have not had any luck in doing so, and I don’t expect that luck to change. However, that is not the fault of the car. Based on the information that was available at the time it seemed like the Spyder RS could be the best Porsche model for sale today. And it will likely be the final internal combustion Boxster ever. As such, demand for the car is through the roof. Dealer markups are outrageous, and only the hand-picked Porsche collectors will ever get an allocation. So, the odds of me ever giving you my firsthand impressions of the car are not good.
But there is some good news. There are folks out there that have a much larger following than I do. The type of folks with millions of YouTube subscribers that Porsche is happy to fly across the globe in order to test their latest cars. Matt Farah from The Smoking Tire YouTube channel is one of those people. And he has recently posted a video with his driving impressions of the Spyder RS. His feedback is especially interesting because he has driven all of the recent Porsche sports car models and he owns a 718 Spyder with a Deman motor. He compares the Spyder RS to his own car as well as the GT4 RS and GT3 RS models that he recently drove. So, how does the Spyder RS stack up?
The Spyder RS Hassle
There are two main hassles with the Spyder RS. The first is the top. It is not the traditional power electric top that you get in a regular Boxster. This top is manual and fiddlier than those. But it is also lighter and looks more distinctive. After some practice Farah was able to get the lid off in less than two minutes.
The other hassle is more substantial. And that is actually being able to buy one of these. It is not as simple as configuring one and calling your local dealer. Demand will outstrip supply and most of these cars will go to collectors that already own every other RS model Porsche ever made. And if you are lucky enough to get an allocation you will probably pay $50K – $100K or more over MSRP. So, if the thought of a $300K Boxster makes you sick, stop reading now.
Spyder RS’ Wins
Farah ranks the Spyder RS above the also brilliant GT3 RS and GT4 RS when it comes down to how most people will use these cars, which is on the street. The GT4 RS has a harsher ride than the Spyder RS. The GT4 RS also suffers from a resonance inside the cabin that can be annoying.
The open Spyder RS has no such issue. The GT3 RS is just a bigger and less practical car. Sure, it is faster around the track but does that really matter? The GT3 RS also has no truck space. So, the Spyder is more practical and would make for a more comfortable cruiser.
Spyder RS’ Loses
The one thing that holds Farah back from calling the Spyder RS a perfect car is the PDK transmission. Not that it is bad. In fact, it is brilliant. But in a car like this having a real manual transmission would be ideal. Farah has a manual transmission in his 718 Spyder and for that main reason, he would not trade in his car for this one.
The Spyder RS is as brilliant as we thought it would be. The sound, the speed, the handling, the responsiveness, it all comes together to form a nearly unbeatable package.
It is sad to see the internal combustion engine die in the Boxster. But for the few people who are able to actually buy one of these cars, know that you are getting the best of the breed. Just do us (and yourself) a favor, and actually drive it.
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