The 718 Spyder RS Discussion Thread
#1774
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From: Victoria, BC, Canada
With the weather out of the 100degF+ range lately, and a tantalizing run of low 60 degree mornings coming up this week, I have been driving my car more lately. With the possibility of 100K ADM (or more) spyder rs' on the horizon (pdk only, and ungraceful 4rs vents in the front), I am starting to wonder if an SRS would be worth it. Even without ADM, it'll start at about +$50k over a standard spyder, right? Minimum. And our 4L, even at a "mere" 414HP, pulls so strong and so smoothly up to 8k. Sure, 9k RPM is fun, and I am sure 493HP is hella fun, but...50% (or more) more fun? It'll be rare and it'll be "special" and it'll be the best (ICE) boxster they ever build (with a pdk - cough cough), and as a collectible, it absolutely will be worth it. But as a car, which gets driven?
EV has made NA ICE acceleration non-competitive, so top honors for ICE acceleration/speed is an Honorable Mention, anyway. And the 9A2 Evo pulls damn hard already. The 4rs is a race car and assaults your senses in a way few (no?) other cars do, for a singularly unique experience. But the SRS isn't a race car (despite it being devastatingly capable anyway).
So...worth it?
(bump, my favorite subject )
EV has made NA ICE acceleration non-competitive, so top honors for ICE acceleration/speed is an Honorable Mention, anyway. And the 9A2 Evo pulls damn hard already. The 4rs is a race car and assaults your senses in a way few (no?) other cars do, for a singularly unique experience. But the SRS isn't a race car (despite it being devastatingly capable anyway).
So...worth it?
(bump, my favorite subject )
The SRS will be special, no doubt, it will have that GT3 engine with 9K RPM redline, nearly 500HP and perhaps some interesting styling cues for a car that might be considered over the top for the back road carver as opposed to track toy, will these things elevate the experience to a point where it is a 'must have' over the Spyder? This is hard to say, we all have our own wants and trigger points for styling, power and indeed price points, I find it tough to use the term 'worth it'. Why, because it will have some pretty serious upgrades from the regular Spyder, but it is a question if these differences make it so different and so compelling that it is a must have car with the price premium and yes, some sacrifices that go along with it. Until we see, hear and feel, it might be a slight step down in overall usability then the Spyder, sure it will have higher capabilities but only usable in certain circumstances, certainly not during a regular drive on a city street.
So if I acknowledge that I don't 'need' a more capable Spyder, will the SRS and it GT3 engine and edgy aero bits catch my ears and eyes in such a way that I just need to have it? I simply don't know, I am extremely happy with my Spyder, it has all of the options I want, it delivers fun and excitement on the road and the track, it has the 6MT that I love so much and makes me feel part of the car when I drive. Sadly it will be impossible to actually drive a SRS back-to-back with my own Spyder, you know an actual test drive that we used to do when we were unsure or unfamiliar with the new car, these days and for quite some time now we rely on the reports and experiences of others to help make the decision on what would be a big and should I say one-way change up.
At least for now, no decision is required, the SRS is not yet official, and there is no guarantee that most mortals will even get the chance to own one, it is like waiting for Christmas as a kid, there are a few more sleeps yet!
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UncleDude (09-26-2022)
#1775
This past weekend saw some addtitonal gratuitous miles on the Spyder, I only say that because it seems like after 2 years of ownership, I still make excuses to go for a drive... according to my wife! This alone tells the story of a car that can't be left alone even for a moment in the garage, it begs you to take it out into the sunlight and let it shine, not only by showing off its impeccable handling and power but visual lines that draw the admiration of car people and pedestrians on the side of the road, even in a subdued colour like Chalk the amount of attention the Spyder gets is insane. So is the Spyder enough...?
The SRS will be special, no doubt, it will have that GT3 engine with 9K RPM redline, nearly 500HP and perhaps some interesting styling cues for a car that might be considered over the top for the back road carver as opposed to track toy, will these things elevate the experience to a point where it is a 'must have' over the Spyder? This is hard to say, we all have our own wants and trigger points for styling, power and indeed price points, I find it tough to use the term 'worth it'. Why, because it will have some pretty serious upgrades from the regular Spyder, but it is a question if these differences make it so different and so compelling that it is a must have car with the price premium and yes, some sacrifices that go along with it. Until we see, hear and feel, it might be a slight step down in overall usability then the Spyder, sure it will have higher capabilities but only usable in certain circumstances, certainly not during a regular drive on a city street.
So if I acknowledge that I don't 'need' a more capable Spyder, will the SRS and it GT3 engine and edgy aero bits catch my ears and eyes in such a way that I just need to have it? I simply don't know, I am extremely happy with my Spyder, it has all of the options I want, it delivers fun and excitement on the road and the track, it has the 6MT that I love so much and makes me feel part of the car when I drive. Sadly it will be impossible to actually drive a SRS back-to-back with my own Spyder, you know an actual test drive that we used to do when we were unsure or unfamiliar with the new car, these days and for quite some time now we rely on the reports and experiences of others to help make the decision on what would be a big and should I say one-way change up.
At least for now, no decision is required, the SRS is not yet official, and there is no guarantee that most mortals will even get the chance to own one, it is like waiting for Christmas as a kid, there are a few more sleeps yet!
The SRS will be special, no doubt, it will have that GT3 engine with 9K RPM redline, nearly 500HP and perhaps some interesting styling cues for a car that might be considered over the top for the back road carver as opposed to track toy, will these things elevate the experience to a point where it is a 'must have' over the Spyder? This is hard to say, we all have our own wants and trigger points for styling, power and indeed price points, I find it tough to use the term 'worth it'. Why, because it will have some pretty serious upgrades from the regular Spyder, but it is a question if these differences make it so different and so compelling that it is a must have car with the price premium and yes, some sacrifices that go along with it. Until we see, hear and feel, it might be a slight step down in overall usability then the Spyder, sure it will have higher capabilities but only usable in certain circumstances, certainly not during a regular drive on a city street.
So if I acknowledge that I don't 'need' a more capable Spyder, will the SRS and it GT3 engine and edgy aero bits catch my ears and eyes in such a way that I just need to have it? I simply don't know, I am extremely happy with my Spyder, it has all of the options I want, it delivers fun and excitement on the road and the track, it has the 6MT that I love so much and makes me feel part of the car when I drive. Sadly it will be impossible to actually drive a SRS back-to-back with my own Spyder, you know an actual test drive that we used to do when we were unsure or unfamiliar with the new car, these days and for quite some time now we rely on the reports and experiences of others to help make the decision on what would be a big and should I say one-way change up.
At least for now, no decision is required, the SRS is not yet official, and there is no guarantee that most mortals will even get the chance to own one, it is like waiting for Christmas as a kid, there are a few more sleeps yet!
As written in the other topic about my Ring laptimes … I felt the dinamics of the two cars extremely similar (despite the lack of wings on the Spyder), except a noticeable better damping on the 4RS (you feel there’s more hydraulic brake in the dampers in both directions).
The 4RS feels faster by just a bit, the crazy interior sound probably enhancing it.
Really fast corners, and fast ondulated sections is where driving a Spyder flatout you wish you had a Gt3 (and I previously owned a 991.2)… and the Gt4RS rear end moves exactly in the same way the Spyder’s does.
So the handling is very very similar … and I immediately missed the manual gearbox involvement on the 4RS.
I still think that I will try to get a SRS as it really thickes all my boxes: wonderful looking car, central engine, convertible, huge fun on mountain road —would be even greater with a stick— and more or less as capable as a 991.2 Gt3 (that wasn’t a slow car) on track … but my current manual Spyder will remain unbeatable in price/performance/fun/old school driving factor!
Last edited by Mr.Brick; 09-26-2022 at 05:06 PM.
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#1776
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From: Victoria, BC, Canada
Having been recently put “off the list” for the Gt3RS I was dreaming (no chance for me at least in the first round of allocations) and actually loving my manual 718 Spyder under every aspect in road and track use … I recently had the chance to drive a Gt4RS on the Nordschleife back to back with my car.
As written in the other topic about my Ring laptimes … I felt the dinamics of the two cars extremely similar (despite the lack of wings on the Spyder), except a noticeable better damping on the 4RS (you feel there’s more hydraulic brake in the dampers in both directions).
The 4RS feels faster by just a bit, the crazy interior sound probably enhancing it.
Really fast corners, and fast ondulated sections is where driving a Spyder flatout you wish you had a Gt3 (and I previously owned a 991.2)… and the Gt4RS rear end moves exactly in the same way the Spyder’s does.
So the handling is very very similar … and I immediately missed the manual gearbox involvement on the 4RS.
I still think that I will try to get a SRS as it really thickes all my boxes: wonderful looking car, central engine, convertible, huge fun on mountain road —would be even greater with a stick— and more or less as capable as a 991.2 Gt3 (that wasn’t a slow car) on track … but my current manual Spyder will remain unbeatable in price/performance/fun/old school driving factor!
As written in the other topic about my Ring laptimes … I felt the dinamics of the two cars extremely similar (despite the lack of wings on the Spyder), except a noticeable better damping on the 4RS (you feel there’s more hydraulic brake in the dampers in both directions).
The 4RS feels faster by just a bit, the crazy interior sound probably enhancing it.
Really fast corners, and fast ondulated sections is where driving a Spyder flatout you wish you had a Gt3 (and I previously owned a 991.2)… and the Gt4RS rear end moves exactly in the same way the Spyder’s does.
So the handling is very very similar … and I immediately missed the manual gearbox involvement on the 4RS.
I still think that I will try to get a SRS as it really thickes all my boxes: wonderful looking car, central engine, convertible, huge fun on mountain road —would be even greater with a stick— and more or less as capable as a 991.2 Gt3 (that wasn’t a slow car) on track … but my current manual Spyder will remain unbeatable in price/performance/fun/old school driving factor!
Regarding the bolded sections, this only serves to make my decision even more difficult... I can only have one.
#1777
Mr.Brick's ring times and observations just point to how (nearly?) perfect the spyder already is, for a convertible, at least given the rear-suspension restrictions of this platform. Further emphasizing the question: would an SRS be worth the almost certainly exorbitant price it will command?
For those that have a chance, it may be a HAVE TO purchase, based on its place in history (and the engine), but is it really a worthwhile improvement? Unclear.
I kind of wish they weren't making it.
For those that have a chance, it may be a HAVE TO purchase, based on its place in history (and the engine), but is it really a worthwhile improvement? Unclear.
I kind of wish they weren't making it.
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theEnd (10-16-2022)
#1780
Yes I agree… and also on everything I read above.
Spyder totally overshadowed by the SRS I really think not as it’s not by Gt4 RS.
Also a Spyder manual maintains it’s peculiarity of pure old school driving tool.
If I could get a SRS I would end by driving it much more on track than B roads… that would be a partial nonsense.
Maybe with those 500 hp it would make more sense to have more rear downforce on the Ring but it seems all Gt4RS are now sold/booked and also I love top down driving in general and the Spyder look since 2016…
The stock Gt4 aero seems to remove really few cents from laptimes in the real world.
That difference should theorically be bigger between Gt4RS and SRS…we will see it if they will declare a Ring time for the second.
But my guess is we won’t be informed about that time.
Uh and still hope the roof will be top speed approved…
For sure a manual Spyder with just a full exhaust and remap, 450 real hp or more as it seems you can get would be a mega tool and for some reason even better than SRS. Yes if I can’t get the SRS I will probably go that route…
Spyder totally overshadowed by the SRS I really think not as it’s not by Gt4 RS.
Also a Spyder manual maintains it’s peculiarity of pure old school driving tool.
If I could get a SRS I would end by driving it much more on track than B roads… that would be a partial nonsense.
Maybe with those 500 hp it would make more sense to have more rear downforce on the Ring but it seems all Gt4RS are now sold/booked and also I love top down driving in general and the Spyder look since 2016…
The stock Gt4 aero seems to remove really few cents from laptimes in the real world.
That difference should theorically be bigger between Gt4RS and SRS…we will see it if they will declare a Ring time for the second.
But my guess is we won’t be informed about that time.
Uh and still hope the roof will be top speed approved…
For sure a manual Spyder with just a full exhaust and remap, 450 real hp or more as it seems you can get would be a mega tool and for some reason even better than SRS. Yes if I can’t get the SRS I will probably go that route…
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propulc (09-27-2022)
#1782
I kind of don't want Nov to get here. lol Despite my chances being little better than 0%, I dread having to answer the question, likely on the spot, of whether I am willing to drop +$100k to get an allocation. Even +$50k. Heck, even at sticker, I'd be crying in my beer over losing my manual and having the front end all boogered up with gritty aero.
Even if I wanted my car more...what are the chances a limited edition spyder goes 911-R like in resale? Even at +100k adm, if actually limited production, as the last and best ICE boxster it could be worth a bit of change more, seems like.
Good thing I have no chance.
Even if I wanted my car more...what are the chances a limited edition spyder goes 911-R like in resale? Even at +100k adm, if actually limited production, as the last and best ICE boxster it could be worth a bit of change more, seems like.
Good thing I have no chance.
Last edited by Adrift; 09-27-2022 at 12:45 PM.
#1783
I kind of don't want Nov to get here. lol Despite my chances being little better than 0%, I dread having to answer the question, likely on the spot, of whether I am willing to drop +$100k to get an allocation. Even +$50k. Heck, even at sticker, I'd be crying in my beer over losing my manual and having the front end all boogered up with gritty aero.
Even if I wanted my car more...what are the chances a limited edition spyder goes 911-R like in resale? Even at +100k adm, if actually limited production, as the last and best ICE boxster it could be worth a bit of change more, seems like.
Good thing I have no chance.
Even if I wanted my car more...what are the chances a limited edition spyder goes 911-R like in resale? Even at +100k adm, if actually limited production, as the last and best ICE boxster it could be worth a bit of change more, seems like.
Good thing I have no chance.
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Odin (10-06-2022)
#1784
And Frank wins "Award for Understatement of the Decade"... and we're only two years in....
I think it's kind of not appropriate that Porsche allows it's US dealers to apply these mark ups. Why having a sticker price when the actual price is like 30% more??? Here in Germany there is no selling of new cars above sticker price by the official dealers. Of course, the Porsche dealers also look to their advantage in selling the "rare" cars such as a GT3 RS or GT4 RS to their best customers, but i think that is still reasonable compared to the situation in the US.