GTS/GT4/Spyder ownership feedback
06-13-2021 | 03:20 AM
#16
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 154
Likes: 56
It's overall an execellent little mid engine p-car, mine is Spyder. The exciment really depneds on the level perceived from previous cars.
With that, there is only one disappointment from my personal experiences... I feel the enigne could be more powerful (both low & high-end) to give me a real thrill~
With that, there is only one disappointment from my personal experiences... I feel the enigne could be more powerful (both low & high-end) to give me a real thrill~
06-13-2021 | 10:44 AM
#17
Racer
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 298
Likes: 297
From: OK
GT4 manual!
All the options.
What a dream! Weekend toy. Canyon and track machine. Date night. Stress reliever. You name it. Makes me feel special. Haven’t gone to track yet. Coming from track cars, I think it’s too pretty to take on track. But that’s ridiculous to say in a car built with this purpose. I have been tracking for 25 years and I can’t wait to take this car. It’s just so great on the road I’m getting tons of smiles. Porsche has a way of making the whole experience special everytime.
I have become a Rennlist nerd. Wash and detailed a few times in first 1000 miles and keep looking at it. It grows on me every time. That paint! Wow!
Exhaust on the way!
All the options.
What a dream! Weekend toy. Canyon and track machine. Date night. Stress reliever. You name it. Makes me feel special. Haven’t gone to track yet. Coming from track cars, I think it’s too pretty to take on track. But that’s ridiculous to say in a car built with this purpose. I have been tracking for 25 years and I can’t wait to take this car. It’s just so great on the road I’m getting tons of smiles. Porsche has a way of making the whole experience special everytime.
I have become a Rennlist nerd. Wash and detailed a few times in first 1000 miles and keep looking at it. It grows on me every time. That paint! Wow!
Exhaust on the way!
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Zeus993 (06-13-2021)
06-13-2021 | 11:19 AM
#18
Rennlist Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,230
Likes: 1,287
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
It's overall an execellent little mid engine p-car, mine is Spyder. The exciment really depneds on the level perceived from previous cars.
With that, there is only one disappointment from my personal experiences... I feel the enigne could be more powerful (both low & high-end) to give me a real thrill~
With that, there is only one disappointment from my personal experiences... I feel the enigne could be more powerful (both low & high-end) to give me a real thrill~
I don't know your driving style or how many Porsches you've owned etc... and please no offence if I've got this wrong, but many people new to Porsche tend to drive them in the lower rev bands, shifting early below the full power is reached. You can see in the graph below of the 718 4.0 engine that full torque is not reached until 4500 RPMs and full HP not until a screaming 7500 rpms. So if like many, a driver shifts at 3000 (common) as the engine makes more noise, then the engine would appear to be sluggish.
And thus the anecdotal piece of advice "Drive your Porsche like you stole it!" is fitting. You've got to squeeze out the torgue and power.
Release your inner outlaw! WOT!
P.s. If you re-examine the graph, perhaps the "sweet spot" is just shy of 7000 RPM where both torque and hp are high. I can't say for sure but I'll find out in a month.
Last edited by Zeus993; 06-13-2021 at 12:49 PM.
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DFW01TT (06-14-2021)
06-13-2021 | 11:48 AM
#19
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 983
From: A far away galaxy, CA
Spyder. Raucous and raw, the polar opposite of the 992 polished gentleman's sports car, GT3 excluded. Sounds good with the top up, better with the top down, no reason to have bluetooth for your phone because all you'll ever say is let me call you back.
It's the rebellious choice compared to all the others. You may be tempted to buy a pack of Lucky Strikes and roll them up in your t shirt sleeve and hit the road with no care of the speed limits because dammit the engine sings best when you're breaking the law and you're a rebel driving a rebel's car so who cares anyway. It looks good enough to be a poser's car if that's your thing, but it's better as a driver's car because every time you push it hard it makes you feel that life will be way too short. I like mine.
It's the rebellious choice compared to all the others. You may be tempted to buy a pack of Lucky Strikes and roll them up in your t shirt sleeve and hit the road with no care of the speed limits because dammit the engine sings best when you're breaking the law and you're a rebel driving a rebel's car so who cares anyway. It looks good enough to be a poser's car if that's your thing, but it's better as a driver's car because every time you push it hard it makes you feel that life will be way too short. I like mine.
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06-13-2021 | 09:24 PM
#20
Rennlist Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,230
Likes: 1,287
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Spyder. Raucous and raw, the polar opposite of the 992 polished gentleman's sports car, GT3 excluded. Sounds good with the top up, better with the top down, no reason to have bluetooth for your phone because all you'll ever say is let me call you back.
It's the rebellious choice compared to all the others. You may be tempted to buy a pack of Lucky Strikes and roll them up in your t shirt sleeve and hit the road with no care of the speed limits because dammit the engine sings best when you're breaking the law and you're a rebel driving a rebel's car so who cares anyway. It looks good enough to be a poser's car if that's your thing, but it's better as a driver's car because every time you push it hard it makes you feel that life will be way too short. I like mine.
It's the rebellious choice compared to all the others. You may be tempted to buy a pack of Lucky Strikes and roll them up in your t shirt sleeve and hit the road with no care of the speed limits because dammit the engine sings best when you're breaking the law and you're a rebel driving a rebel's car so who cares anyway. It looks good enough to be a poser's car if that's your thing, but it's better as a driver's car because every time you push it hard it makes you feel that life will be way too short. I like mine.
06-13-2021 | 10:21 PM
#21
Pro
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 556
Likes: 181
From: Texas
Couldn't agree more
Spyder. Raucous and raw, the polar opposite of the 992 polished gentleman's sports car, GT3 excluded. Sounds good with the top up, better with the top down, no reason to have bluetooth for your phone because all you'll ever say is let me call you back.
It's the rebellious choice compared to all the others. You may be tempted to buy a pack of Lucky Strikes and roll them up in your t shirt sleeve and hit the road with no care of the speed limits because dammit the engine sings best when you're breaking the law and you're a rebel driving a rebel's car so who cares anyway. It looks good enough to be a poser's car if that's your thing, but it's better as a driver's car because every time you push it hard it makes you feel that life will be way too short. I like mine.
It's the rebellious choice compared to all the others. You may be tempted to buy a pack of Lucky Strikes and roll them up in your t shirt sleeve and hit the road with no care of the speed limits because dammit the engine sings best when you're breaking the law and you're a rebel driving a rebel's car so who cares anyway. It looks good enough to be a poser's car if that's your thing, but it's better as a driver's car because every time you push it hard it makes you feel that life will be way too short. I like mine.
$0.02 input: Heel toe when you want to and rev-match when you feel like it.
06-14-2021 | 12:42 AM
#22
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 141
Likes: 88
From: Melbourne, Australia
There really is no new car like the 718 Spyder. It's a cheap, reliable supercar which has peers from 20 years ago like the Ferrari F360 and Honda NSX. If that's your kind of car, you should try and get one.
Get the manual, turn off the nannies. Get leather. Get carbon-ceramic brakes. Get the seats that fit you best. Get the LED headlights if you drive at night. Other options to taste. That is all.
Get the manual, turn off the nannies. Get leather. Get carbon-ceramic brakes. Get the seats that fit you best. Get the LED headlights if you drive at night. Other options to taste. That is all.
06-14-2021 | 02:29 AM
#23
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 2,036
Likes: 1,143
From: Santa Monica
Awful car. Gearing’s too long, exhaust isn’t loud enough to wake the dead, gearbox grinds when all you do is try to shift without fully depressing the clutch pedal, and the handling is ‘horrible’ unless you spend major coin bolting on some pure awesomeness from the JC Whitney catalog. Oh, and drag your brakes all day in the canyons like a student driver and the brake fluid will apparently boil. Don’t even get me started on those cheap fixed seats. All that money and Porsche couldn’t have made them recline? Seriously, what’s up with that?
Hate my GT4. If the market for used cars wasn’t so dead, I’d sell it tomorrow.
Hate my GT4. If the market for used cars wasn’t so dead, I’d sell it tomorrow.
06-14-2021 | 03:20 AM
#24
Racer
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 210
From: SF Bay Area, CA
CGTS 4.0 - Exceptional all around sports car. Most of my driving is unfortunately in the city although I try to get out to some country and back roads once a month or so. Don’t really do track days regularly anymore but plan on doing a few upcoming. Previously had a GT car with buckets and the road noise, stiffness, and ground clearance I didn’t quite like except on the track where it was sublime and where I still miss it. GTS with SPASM (probably my only must have feature which is thankfully standard) and 4 way seats is perfect for my current use. Very Comfortable and quiet enough for long trips or daily driving and zero problems with ground clearance. Extremely capable spiritied driver. The engine is the best part - smooth, progressive, powerful, and rewarding to rev out. The suspension is agile and versatile yet sporty and adequately stiff at the same time without being overbearing for the road. Manual transmission + clutch combo is the best I have ever experienced and highly addictive. Don’t really mind the gearing but as others have said you have to use 1st gear as an actual working gear that you wind out and regularly downshift into which is kind of cool and unique. I now think the exhaust sound is good and appreciate it more after about close to 2000 miles but I did order an aftermarket exhaust months ago because I was initially underwhelmed. My only gripe with the car is not being able to turn off auto rev match - I hate that feature and it is not defeatable in sport or sport plus mode so I just drive in normal mode. All in all I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these cars or seats or transmissions - each combo or variation is subjectively better depending on the individual and their personal preferences or usage. You don’t need many options either just the essence of the car is more than enough.l
06-14-2021 | 11:15 AM
#25
Racer
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 416
Likes: 282
06-14-2021 | 12:26 PM
#26
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,076
Likes: 536
'21 Spyder, 2,500 miles in 7 months and very likely a dead man's car for me. I was thrilled for 5 years with my 981BS with the Soul valved exhaust until I read about the Spyder. It is exactly what I hoped the Boxster would become since my 986BS.
The ride quality is fantastic for a traditional sports car, these things have come so far. Comfort is wonderful, it fits like a glove. Noise with the top up, I don't care, it never becomes noticeable to me.
I love the Classic interior, it's not for everyone though. LED lights if you drive at night, smokers package for the trickle charger lighter/ash tray. Supplemental safety bars in body color unless your car is black.
Power delivery is great, sometimes after dinner I just go out for some 3rd gear highway pulls and the torque will nauseate me after a time.
I could only imagine that the latest Speedster is better, but it's ugly when compared to the Spyder, and stupidly expensive. YMMV
The ride quality is fantastic for a traditional sports car, these things have come so far. Comfort is wonderful, it fits like a glove. Noise with the top up, I don't care, it never becomes noticeable to me.
I love the Classic interior, it's not for everyone though. LED lights if you drive at night, smokers package for the trickle charger lighter/ash tray. Supplemental safety bars in body color unless your car is black.
Power delivery is great, sometimes after dinner I just go out for some 3rd gear highway pulls and the torque will nauseate me after a time.
I could only imagine that the latest Speedster is better, but it's ugly when compared to the Spyder, and stupidly expensive. YMMV
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P-car-Vancouver (06-15-2021)
06-14-2021 | 02:53 PM
#27
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 65
Likes: 47
From: New York
'21 Spyder, 2200 miles. I have owned about 40 cars in the last 20 years and this is by far the best one. I haven't really ever just looked for reasons to go driving, do an errand, or just be in the car. I look forward in the morning to taking it to work, I look forward in the afternoon to driving it home, I look forward to Saturday mornings when I can open it up on the back roads, I look forward to detailing it. It is a very special car and you are reminded of it every time you drive it or around it (even when putting the top down). Power is great, drive is fantastic (especially in the 45-75 range), quality is top notch, feel is top notch, styling is one of the best Porsche has done IMO, exhaust is sufficient above 4k RPMs (could be louder for my taste below this). I get stopped anytime I take it out to ask questions about it. It has good street presence but not over the top.
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