Larson E. Rapp

Every time somebody struggles with that roof, they laugh. Every time somebody gets rained on, they laugh. Every time somebody leaves the car at home because they're concerned that it might rain, they ... make a long face and deliver a solemn lecture about how "Our cars are meant to be driven." Then they crack up and laugh some more.

Manifold

In the main SRS thread, someone made a point along the lines that having to deal with the top can make one bond with the car more and savor the driving experience more. Sort of like how a car which is more challenging to drive can be more rewarding to drive. For me, I'm just too lazy and impatient to deal with the top.

mwar99

Not that you couldn't deal with the roof, you just don't want to, which is fine. But you don't strike me as someone who would knock someone who are ok with dealing with the top and recognize they have a really great car. I just find it comical when there are comments about the car being ruined because of the top. If that's all it takes to ruin a car I don't know how these folks find any car they like to drive/own.

TXshaggy

I’ll say it again, top best feature.

No additional time than regular Spyder, without weather protector.

Ksdaoski

Who said the top ruins anything? I just did a search for "ruin" and nothing came up about the top. 🤔

Manifold

Certainly not! I can imagine that, for some people, the top is a feature rather than a deterrent. Even for myself, I can imagine that on some days I'd like dealing with the top, but other days I wouldn't. It's very myopic to think that because we like or don't like a car or some aspect of it, that everyone else should have the same responses to it, and are 'wrong' if they don't.

Discussions in car forums are as much about comparing our subjective perceptions, expectations, experience, preferences, etc. as they are about objective characteristics of the cars, but the two categories are frequently mixed up. "The car is too loud" is NOT the same thing as "the sound level measures X dB at this location when the car is at redline"; we can't disagree about the latter, but we can disagree about the former and there's no right or wrong about it.

ipse dixit

Camaro ZL1 1LE

mwar99

Not on RL, but elsewhere. A lot of criticism about the roof from people who won't/don't own the car. Comments about how can a roof like this be put on a car in 2024, etc. I guess it's really just the internet effect where everyone has an opinion and needs to voice it.

Larson E. Rapp

The problem I have with the top is that they know how to build an automatic top for Boxster-derived cars that is basically perfect. It looks just fine, it has proven reliable over 10+ years (a few glitchy microswitches notwithstanding), and it weighs inconsequentially more than the manual top. Yet to get the best engine and the best chassis tuning, you are required to get the worst top.

Disagree? Imagine if the configurator offered both tops as options. How many people would check the manual top option to save 10 pounds or whatever?

OK, now fast forward 10 years. What is the average odometer reading on those cars versus the ones that got the automatic tops?

Which cars actually got driven, as opposed to parked at Cars & Coffee?

You don't have to condemn the whole car, or rant about how it is "ruined," in order to criticize the triumph of marketing over engineering, of fashion over substance, of form over function.

lilbza

We get it bro, you don't like the roof, the car isn't for you. Soooooo, what were we talking about again, oh yeah GT4RS driving impressions.....

TRZ06

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Alpha platform.

One of (if not the best) efforts by GM

mwar99

Yes I do disagree. My understanding was the regular roof doesn't fit because of the engine so there is no chance that the normal boxster roof could even be offered. My car will be driven regardless of the roof that you think is so poor.

manouk

Also how would you keep the beauty of buttresses on trunk with automatic top.

Drifting

My Spyder RS finishes production next week and I am truly ok with the top. Several reasons for that in comparison with my first ever Porsche, a 987.2 Boxster S.

1- Blind spot visibility. I never felt completely safe driving in heavy freeway traffic with the Boxster top up. The Spyder Bimini top provides weather protection for non winter/hurricaine drives without limiting visibility.
1b- I’ve had similar experiences in other ragtop two seat roadsters. Blind spot visibility is terrible with the roof up.

2- A Bimini top gives you many more chances/ways to enjoy a convertible car by providing shelter from the sun and light-moderate rain, but you can still take in all the sights, sounds, and smells of the experience.

3- It saves real weight. If you live in a reliable climate, then driving a Spyder RS (with the top left at home) saves you 55lbs compared to the powered top in a Boxster.
I have several friends who spent many thousands to just drop 15 lbs from their porsche. Here the Spyder RS drops triple that weight while improving visibility/safety, and driving dynamics.

4- the Spyder RS is damn sexy, 10x sexier than a regular Boxster. I choose sexy over convenience when driving a 2 seat roadster.
Also from a practical standpoint, there truly isn’t space for a powered top with the 4.0L GT3 engine, and the beautiful double bubble tonneau cover.

Adrift

It’s amazing how little people think before they start whining.

Not only do the gt3 engine intakes take up more space, but the motorized boxster roofs have a huge cutout behind the seat where the top stows. Are you going to sacrifice the absolutely sublime spyder humps so the top can plop down and stow behind you?

Or maybe you want a full on targa / MC-20 setup?

If this top is a non-starter for you, then relax; they didn’t build this for you.