SRS all day long as a stripper if you can get one and want that kinda car (which I definitely would if I had a normal car to drive the rest of the time). Strawberry short cake is just OK for me but I think it doesnt sound like a Porsche which kinda kills it.

 

Seemed pretty much as expected. For those questioning Matt's sincerity, I reached out to him years ago, after the 4.5 test car had been wrung out and before any customer deliveries, to see if he wanted to give it a go since he had just released his V8 Cayman video. He was pretty much a thanks but no thanks, Cayman's are boring, I've driven them all, I can tell you exactly what it will drive like without even seeing it and it won't be better than the V8 swap. Eventually he did get out to drive it and that he did a full 180 from no thanks to take my money says a ton. He didn't go into the car as a fanboi, he was converted by the drive.

I've driven a GT3 and 4.5 back to back, different cars, I think the 4.5 is more fun more of the time. It's cool living gear to gear from 7k-9k on the GT3 but the other 90% of the time the 4.5 insta torque is more impactful to the driving experience. All that torque everywhere all the time makes the whole car feel lighter because the it just goes, the engine feels like it's pulling nothing and you're measuring out throttle based on what the tires can handle vs flat footing a wave of revs. I test drove my friend's 981 Spyder build before it got shipped back to the west coast. It was still on the OEM tires and that thing was wild, spinning the wheels in 2nd and 3rd at only partial throttle, 4th if you matted it. No losers here and certainly the GT3 engine is and feels an engineering masterpiece but the 4.5 is flat out fun. Wine vs beer, dry aged steak vs a cheeseburger, the GT3 is more technically proficient and feels it but you might have more fun with the big 4.5.

 

Matt’s Deman build sounds like air cooled to me. Doesn’t wail like a modern GT3 but I still like it.

Before I picked up my GT4 I was expecting to hate the sound and was pleasantly surprised by it.

 

Yes, but you have a warranty for at least 4 years. Matt's warranty was gone when he picked the car up because he converted day 1. These days I'd rather have the warranty for a while with a potential goodwill fix if possible.

 

I am not seeing $240k in the SRS. Maybe that included ADM and/or Cali sales tax and fees? Looks to be closer to $210k sticker to me.

Good video though. I enjoyed watching it.

 

It was actually better than I thought it would be - I think he made a genuine effort to point out the positive aspects of the stock Spyder and SRS, respectively, all the while comparing them to the obvious favorite, the DeMan.

California Hot Rod still doesn't go with a Porsche in my opinion, but to each their own...

 

“The RS is a pure, distilled fizz machine.”

Agreed.

if it ain’t about the fizz, what’s it (sports car driving) about? For my money, anyway.



I thought he was fair to all 3 exceptional cars. My one issue was the claim his car was a better canyon carver. Since when is it better to come out of a corner at 4k than 7k? I’ll take 7k, please.

 

Along the same lines, didn’t he mention that the DeMan redlines “at 8” thousand RPM?

I thought it was in the 7600 or 7800 range, but maybe I’m wrong.

My point being is that the GT3 engine’s magic is in that last 1000-1500 RPM, which he was somewhat discounting. I also noticed that he really never got all the way to 9k (based on the sound) for any of the SRS time in the video. Not criticism, but we wasn’t necessarily driving the SRS as God intended.

 

Matt likes midrange punch and for whatever reason clearly doesn't like hanging out at high revs. Case in point, in all his prior GT3 / RS videos, Matt keeps saying that it's really really hard to hit 9k rpm in the canyons. Not true. That's only because he's winding out 3rd gear starting at 4k rpm, which is not the way to drive the car. It's not any harder to hit 9k in the GT3 engined cars than it is in any other Cayman. Just have to be in one lower gear than perhaps his brain in calibrated. And it will not hurt the car whatsoever.

 

I thought that I read the redline for the Deman was 8k RPM but max HP is made before that 7600 RPM? Actually, both the stock 4.0l GT engine (7600) and the GT3 engine (8400) also make peak HP before redline. Notice that is only an 800 RPM difference...

Finally, not all roads and experiences require or benefit from hitting redline...

 

SRS owners love their cars, I have no problem with that, but the continuous assertion that the SRS version is the only combination with fizz, and the only way to enjoy the 718 platform is between 7-9k RPM with abrupt overly noisy shifts is self centered and narrow sighted, come on man give it a rest!

Each of these versions have strengths and yes even weaknesses, add to that there are many personal driving styles and roads, not every corner or situation requires 7000+ RPM to nail it, or possibly even serve to set you up for a quick transition, sometimes it is buttery smooth shift backed by torque and rhythm from corner to corner that brings on the big smiles.

These cars are like music, we all may listen to it, but I am sure there are variety of styles and favorite songs, working to convince the other that their choice was wrong is absurd, pick what you want but stop trying to tell me what I should be listening too!

 

The gt3 engine in SRS will always be remembered as a great. The regular 4liter will be remembered as nothing that special. Previous spyders have arguably more emotional engines. Have never driven a deman so no comment but on sound alone no thanks.

 

What I would have found more entertaining - because let's be honest, this is all about that - would have been a track comparison, or drag race (yes not very creative)... Having all three cars on track together, or at least him drive them back to back on track with some timed laps... That at least would have been a fun highlight of the video vs the 7 minutes wasted comparing the roofs...

 

Yeah, it was basically a compilation of all the same stuff he’s said previously. Some new angle was needed, imo.

 

Anyone here get an SRS for $185k or less? It's a different equation for those lucky enough to have done so.