Towski1

Hey all, Long time member, very rarely a poster. Just wanted to send a couple pics of my new Spyder. I picked it up on Friday and have only had the chance to do about 50 miles. Coming out of an AMG GTS. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to make the move. I love this car!

SpeedySpidey

Nice!
Similar build to what I’ll be getting.

masti99

Congrats, enjoy in good health!

wizee

I’m trading my AMG GT S for a Spyder too (incoming soon). What are your impressions on how it compares to the AMG?

I like the moderate torque and minimal turbo lag of my AMG GTS, the DCT shifts great, it’s very fast, very distinctive and pretty when specced right, and has super sharp/responsive steering and chassis when in stiffer suspension modes. I would note however that its width and long bonnet make it a bit difficult to judge the corners in tight courses (eg. autocross), the suspension is a little brittle (I have the AMG Track Package, aka. Dynamic Plus Package), it could use more traction at low speeds, and the seat bottoms are a bit narrow for my liking. The AMG exhaust is loud, and sounds nice, but I actually liked the tone of my old 987 Boxster better at high RPM. I do have various intermittent interior creaks and rattles on the AMG that I didn’t have in my old Porsche 987 Boxster.

With the Spyder, I’m hoping to get:

• More agility, tossability, and sense of control from the lower size, weight, and chassis tuning
• More traction due to mid engine layout giving more rear weight bias, coupled with reduced and more controllable torque from a naturally aspirated engine
• More engagement from a manual transmission, and no delay when skipping gears in downshifts
• Open top experience (sometimes; I’ll likely keep the top closed other times)
• More exciting high RPM sound
• Sharper/quicker engine response
• Better build quality with fewer creaks and rattles
• More compliance over bumpy roads

I’ll get to see how my Spyder is soon

Towski1

We are in the same boat in terms of expectations moving from the AMG. I wanted a manual and a convertible again...so that was step 1 for me. I also disliked the brittle/rough ride of the AMG. Turn in was great and it was a blast to drive...just couldn’t get over how unnecessarily rough it rode. I didn’t have the track package. And yes, lots of creaks and rattles.

The Spyder isn’t as quick in a straight line, but the steering feel and suspension compliance are far better than the AMG. I know the intake/exhaust sound is a hot button here, but I was done with the loud AMG bark and much prefer the Spyder (at least for now &#128519. I don’t have enough seat time yet to know if it’s more tossable than the AMG, but I suspect you won’t be disappointed.

I missed my AMG for about 30 seconds.

Cheers!

JPMD

Congrats
Great spec

JAhmed

Congrats!!! Good looking car!

wizee

Below 80 km/h, the Spyder would be in first gear, and the AMG is traction limited with an inferior weight distribution, so I’d expect the Spyder to be quicker.

I did some acceleration calculations going by official torque and gearing numbers for the Spyder and AMG. I think the AMG’s power and torque are a little underrated, though on paper the AMG’s power to weight ratio is only 2% better. However, the 718’s tall second gear, and AMG’s turbo torque, mean that the AMG should pull 25% harder at 80 km/h than the Spyder. From 110-136 km/h, the acceleration of the two should be almost equal.

The long second gear is why I was previously planning to get a PDK (ie. avoiding a downgrade in acceleration), but I decided last minute to switch to a manual car that was incoming to my dealer, since the car has enough torque that it shouldn’t feel slow in second gear, and I currently don’t have any manual sports cars in my fleet.

You’re still in the break-in phase, but I’m curious how the perceived second gear acceleration above 110 km/h would compare to the AMG. On paper, they should be almost equal, and I’d expect the Spyder to actually feel faster due to the higher pitched sound and naturally aspirated response.

Archimedes

The AMG GT S does 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and the quarter mile in 11.6. I think it’s a fair bit quicker than the Spyder.

wizee

Peak acceleration when they’re in the constant peak power RPM range should be the same (if Mercedes isn’t underrating the power, and dynos have suggested the AMG power is probably underrated by around 5%) . The AMG is quicker in the quarter mile mainly because the DCT shifts and launches better, and the gearing and turbo torque work together so that it is always operating near constant power while accelerating.

I expect a PDK GT4/Spyder to do the quarter mile in around 11.4 or 11.5 seconds depending on whether it gets GT3-like gearing, or standard 718 gearing.

Car and Driver already did an 11.9 second quarter mile in the 718 GT4 manual transmission version.

P.S. On a prepped drag strip with sticky tires, multiple testers have shown the AMG can do a quarter mile in 11.3 seconds at 126-127 mph, which is just as fast as a C7 Z06, so that’s also evidence Mercedes has understated the power output.

Anyway, I don’t drag race my cars, so I don’t really care about 0-60 or quarter mile numbers. However, I do enjoy a good shove from behind in second gear, hence why I was previously considering a PDK with a shorter second gear.

DFW01TT

Boom! There you go, first things first.

alexk79

Congrats! Love the spec. Enjoy your baby!

sonicworld

Nice! Very close to the spec I'm considering. The base headlights work well with GT Silver and silver rims; a cleaner look without the washer nubs. Hope you post more pics, would love to see the interior as well.

Towski1

Thanks all for the compliments.

I would have upgraded the headlights if I could have avoided the nubs. I liked the silver base lights with the wheels anyway, so just went with it. I won’t drive much at night, so not too worried about performance. I’ll snap some interior shots once I get a chance to get the car out again.