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I think this just might be the grow old with me Porsche
I have to say, the more I drive my 718 Spyder, the more I find it the perfect balance of old and new school Porsche goodness. I’ve been fortunate to have owned Porsche sports cars for close to 30 years with my first Porsche, an air cooled 911 Targa. Boy did I have fun with that car. And I was young enough to put up with the ambivalent climate control, harsh ride, heavy steering and transmission. Many Porsches have come and gone since and most were wonderful rides
Thankfully, the AC, heat and defroster work perfectly on my 718 Spyder. The steering is precise and heavy enough under load. The transmission is about as slick shifting as you could want and the ride while compliant enough to take off the harsh edges, gives you plenty of feedback -both through the LWBS and the steering wheel. The car handles brilliantly although it never feels complacent. It moves with you, and where the 991 and later 911s are a bit more refined, the 718 Spyder is a touch more raw. It’s still significantly more damped and composed than my 981 Spyder which was possibly the least comfortable Porsche I ever owned.
Bottom line with the soft tyranny of mandated electrification seemingly inevitable and the eventual demise of the MT along with it. Cars like the 718 Spyder and GT4 will continue to provide glimpses into a world where high revving loud ICE engines and 3 pedals once rule the road. While my 718 Spyder is not perfect, I’m not quite sure I could conceive of a more engaging ride to blast down a windy back country or canyon road.
I have to say, the more I drive my 718 Spyder, the more I find it the perfect balance of old and new school Porsche goodness. I’ve been fortunate to have owned Porsche sports cars for close to 30 years with my first Porsche, an air cooled 911 Targa. Boy did I have fun with that car. And I was young enough to put up with the ambivalent climate control, harsh ride, heavy steering and transmission. Many Porsches have come and gone since and most were wonderful rides
Thankfully, the AC, heat and defroster work perfectly on my 718 Spyder. The steering is precise and heavy enough under load. The transmission is about as slick shifting as you could want and the ride while compliant enough to take off the harsh edges, gives you plenty of feedback -both through the LWBS and the steering wheel. The car handles brilliantly although it never feels complacent. It moves with you, and where the 991 and later 911s are a bit more refined, the 718 Spyder is a touch more raw. It’s still significantly more damped and composed than my 981 Spyder which was possibly the least comfortable Porsche I ever owned.
Bottom line with the soft tyranny of mandated electrification seemingly inevitable and the eventual demise of the MT along with it. Cars like the 718 Spyder and GT4 will continue to provide glimpses into a world where high revving loud ICE engines and 3 pedals once rule the road. While my 718 Spyder is not perfect, I’m not quite sure I could conceive of a more engaging ride to blast down a windy back country or canyon road.
If one can overcome that periodic need just to get something different, I think I agree that this is really as good as it gets as an enthusiast driving experience for a real road car. The only car itch that is left unscratched for me is a Lamborghini Huracan Spyder, but I actually love to drive, and I fear that, in my circumstances, such a car would be serious garage queen. Honestly, in the US, outside of SoCal and SoFlo, I have yet to see these cars really being driven anywhere. And it wouldn't be wise for me to spend that kind of money on a piece of garage art.
I agree with the OP. So far, my spirit isn't "save it for the next guy". My 718 Spyder is almost paid off and I have no problem putting miles on it. Let's go!!!!
Thanks for sharing this. My BGTS was my first Porsche, and I love all the same things you do. I spec’s mine as a car I would keep forever.
But not having had any other experience with Porsches, and only one other sports car, I sometimes wonder if I am missing out by not trying other cars. I talked to another Spyder owner this summer who had owned 8 Porsches, and he said almost the same thing you did: the older cars were more raw, and something has been lost, but this generation Spyder is really something special. He too said with the impending end of ICE, he would be very reluctant to let it go.
That kind of comment makes me think sometimes the grass just isn’t greener anywhere else.
Mine's Porsche number 13 with most being 911's. While the older 911's unweighted through the corners with a little more elegance, and the Spyder corners more like a stiff slot car, there's nothing I've owned I would trade it for. It's one of the best cars Porsche has made. My original plan was to enjoy it until the value hit $50,000 so it may in the garage for awhile.
Thanks for sharing this. My BGTS was my first Porsche, and I love all the same things you do. I spec’s mine as a car I would keep forever.
But not having had any other experience with Porsches, and only one other sports car, I sometimes wonder if I am missing out by not trying other cars. I talked to another Spyder owner this summer who had owned 8 Porsches, and he said almost the same thing you did: the older cars were more raw, and something has been lost, but this generation Spyder is really something special. He too said with the impending end of ICE, he would be very reluctant to let it go.
That kind of comment makes me think sometimes the grass just isn’t greener anywhere else.
As someone who has owned multiple sports cars ranging from the Subaru BRZ and Miatas, up to the new Supra and an M2 Competition. In some ways yes you are kind of missing out. However there is a reason why Porsche seems to be the brand that most (including myself) land on. I haven't driven my GT4 yet as I pick it up next week, but I can already tell its going to be my favorite out of all the sports cars I've owned. My favorite, up until now was my 2005 Honda S2000. When I drove a 981 GTS, that car basically felt like the grown-up version of the S2000. More power, but also more comfortable while also offering the same handling and thrill you get from a pure drivers car.
In the end, I def agree with the person you talked to. These cars are something special and while there are a lot of new cars coming out that might seem like they could be better (new M2 has almost 40 more hp than the GT4 for less than half the price), Porsche really know what they are doing. And even without driving it, I'd choose a naturally aspirated, 6 cyl, lower power Porsche over the new M2 anyday.
I'll have had mine for 1 month tomorrow and am closing in on 1,500 miles already. The platform is truly incredible. I bought it with the intent of holding for a few years until I could secure a configurable 992.2 GT3 allocation at sticker, but already I've got the feeling that this car isn't going away from me anytime soon, maybe not ever.
I'm thrilled to pieces with it, though I can definitely see where the 'geared too shortlong ' complaints come from, and maybe with some more seat and road time that begins to bother me too. But, the likely solution will be a visit to Rick at Deman, not selling it for a different platform.
Last edited by DreiPedals; 01-03-2023 at 06:07 PM.
I'll have had mine for 1 month tomorrow and am closing in on 1,500 miles already. The platform is truly incredible. I bought it with the intent of holding for a few years until I could secure a configurable 992.2 GT3 allocation at sticker, but already I've got the feeling that this car isn't going away from me anytime soon, maybe not ever.
I'm thrilled to pieces with it, though I can definitely see where the 'geared too short' complaints come from, and maybe with some more seat and road time that begins to bother me too. But, the likely solution will be a visit to Rick at Deman, not selling it for a different platform.
^Gears too long*
And I fully agree. I am also considering parlaying it into a 992.2 GT3, but when I think of the huge price delta and how much of the car I will actually be able to have fun with on public roads, it becomes impossible to justify and the Spyder cements itself as my potential forever car. As for the gearing, nothing $10k can't fix and that's a small price to pay considering what it would cost to "upgrade" from a Spyder/GT4.
And I fully agree. I am also considering parlaying it into a 992.2 GT3, but when I think of the huge price delta and how much of the car I will actually be able to have fun with on public roads, it becomes impossible to justify and the Spyder cements itself as my potential forever car. As for the gearing, nothing $10k can't fix and that's a small price to pay considering what it would cost to "upgrade" from a Spyder/GT4.
good call!
I've never had a manual car before this one - a few people have given kudos and others have judged me kind-of, with comments like 'you should have gotten the pdk' or 'I hope you're ready to replace a clutch soon' wise-cracks. I ordered the 3 pedal car confident in my abilities to figure it out quickly, and also with one eye on 'Well, if all that's between me and driving bliss is a 5k clutch job in a couple years to ensure I have a manual keeper, I'm ok with the arrangement'. So, long and short, I'm fine with a few small spends to get motoring nirvana, which I think this platform is ready to serve up decades of for me.
The only downside I find with a clutch is if you do lots of city driving, with heavy traffic. The clutch comment is nonsense, unless you are terrible with a manual, or put LOTS of miles on it. PDK is certainly quicker, and better for traffic, but MT all day long every day in a car like the spyder.
I went with the PDK myself, but honestly more for medical reasons than anything else. If I didn't have to worry about my left ankle, I honestly probably would have gotten the MT. I drove my friends 981 GT4 and honestly it was fantastic. As Adrift stated above, those comments only apply if you really suck at it or you put on more miles than anyone else. And even then a lot of those miles need to be a specific type of driving. City cars with MT easily suffer the most. But if you live where there are wide open roads, expect that transmission to last you quite a long time.
01-03-2023, 06:27 AM
I think this just might be the grow old with me Porsche
good call!