When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
It only makes sense that 981 values would have received a boost from their already lofty perch if the 982 Spyder was announced with forced induction. As you say, the car should still nicely maintain its value despite this announcement ruling out turbo power.
I'm still anticipating a healthy jump in price for the 982 Spyder, another factor which may impact on 981 prices.
Originally Posted by 63A 981510
I've only counted 2 other 981 Spyders here at the Parade.
Wow. That surprises me for an event of this magnitude. A testament to their rarity perhaps?
Curious as to how the 987 Spyder turnout is.
Originally Posted by itsujack
Now for a return to the two piece top of the 987...
+1
Originally Posted by MagicRat
Hope they make enough of them so that everyone who wants can get.
Based on history and 987/981 production numbers, I don't think you'll see large numbers.
Originally Posted by elp_jc
But would it be called a '718', when there's no 4 banger in there?
My guess is it will simply be called a "Spyder" as is the 981, with no reference to 718.
Also of note, Boxster designer Grant Larson spoke on the development of the Boxster on Tuesday afternoon. Great, very frank, talk that took us through the sketches, to clay, and the final model that they pushed down a hill to get some press shots. Fantastic.
Of note, I was able to query a bit about the upcoming roof design features. He was not forthcoming with much other than the car is too small to accommodate a Targa style two-piece roof. There's just not room for it. Bummer. I think the car would be brilliant with that. The 918 being larger can accommodate it.
As for Spyders at parade? Only the two 981's and my buddy's red 987.2 (not in the Concurs but should have been!). Rare.
Porsche | Audi | Ferrari | Lamborghini | McLaren
Performance Tuning | Motorsport | Factory Service
Pirelli World Challege Race Team GT/GTA/GTS/TC
Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA
Porsche Motorsport — Audi Sport Customer Racing — Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series
I asked Grant during Q&A session about the 987.2 roof style versus the 981 roof and whether the function sunshade function would make a comeback. Got the "we will see answer". My gut says no... he discussed the importance of the roof line being smooth for design esthetics. Said that the original 911 Targas had a unpopular angled kink where the roll bar meets the rear window that disrupted the clean coupes lines. Mentioned the 987.2 Spyder had the same issue and it was somewhat fixed with the 981. I mentioned the advantage of the original and how it was one of the best features of the roof to run only the sunshade. I recorded the presentation and will share in the coming days after the Parade.
Welcome back to monsoon season!!
Have to get our 914's together when it cools off a little...
Looking forward to that Stu...if it ever cools down in Arizona!
Originally Posted by skl
(I'm assuming that is Wolfgang third from the left...)
Yes, Dr. Wolfgang Porsche is in 'Blue' hat!
***
In my original posted photo (below), from left to right seated are:
1) Paul Gregor (manager of Porsche Clubs North America at PCNA)
2) Detlev von Platen (PAG Board member & former CEO of PCNA)
3) Dr. Wolfgang Porsche (PAG & VW Group Board member)
4) Geeky 14 year old (President of the rather exclusive 'Panamera US Fan Club', which boasts 13 members at last count!)
*************
Originally Posted by Zeus993
Excellent news.
Great to see you in person Eduardo.
Thanks! Nice meeting you too!
***
Originally Posted by 63A 981510
Good news indeed!
...It was great to finally meet you, Eduardo.
Are you still in Spokane?
Same Donavan! And congratulations on your Class Win
(PP14F - Full Boxster/Cayman) at Parade Concours with
your beautiful PTS 'Sport Classic Grey' 981 Spyder!
Originally Posted by 63A 981510
Are you still in Spokane?
No, I left Spokane on Tuesday. I am now in Colorado for
balance of July to avoid the frigid summer air in Scottsdale.
Hope you & Zeuss enjoy rest of Parade!
I asked Grant during Q&A session about the 987.2 roof style versus the 981 roof and whether the function sunshade function would make a comeback. Got the "we will see answer". My gut says no... he discussed the importance of the roof line being smooth for design esthetics. Said that the original 911 Targas had a unpopular angled kink where the roll bar meets the rear window that disrupted the clean coupes lines. Mentioned the 987.2 Spyder had the same issue and it was somewhat fixed with the 981. I mentioned the advantage of the original and how it was one of the best features of the roof to run only the sunshade. I recorded the presentation and will share in the coming days after the Parade.
Yessssss...the two-piece 987.2 Spyder top will be making a comeback! /sarc
excellent news! Thanks for asking (and sharing!).
Kind of surprised you didn't ask about PTS though
I have been around long enough to know what to ask at these Q & A
sessions with Porsche 'dignitaries'. The objective is to have a narrow &
focused question that will elicit 'news' in their response. I did it with a
question on PDK for the not-yet-announced .1 991 gt3 at Rennsport IV
back in October 2011:
"I just returned from the track at Rennsport IV. At two separate talks
by Porsche AG and PCNA officials at the PCA Hospitality tent, I asked
about PDK in the next gt3 and gt3 RS. As you know, the press had
quoted the current CEO of Porsche as saying that PDK will not be
available on the next gt3/gt3 RS. Today, that was all taken back. In
front of Wolfgang Porsche, Detlev von Platen and others in attendance,
I asked the question of PDK on the next gt3 version. The answer I
received was 'YES'. And it was made in an open forum, in front of
cameras and the press.
Earlier in the day, I had asked the same question to August Achleitner,
head of the 991 development project. He answered the same way. Yes,
there will be a PDK in the next gt3/gt3 RS. He did mentioned they are
working on a lighter version to save weight. But there will be a PDK
version...Bottom line - we are getting PDK in the next gt3!"
****
Or a question I asked of Detlev von Platen re: LWB seats for the US 991 gt3
in April of 2013 when that was a hot topic:
"I ran this morning into Detlev von Platen, CEO of PCNA, at the Le Meridien
Hotel in Stuttgart where we were both staying. I was there for the start of
my 10 day '2013 Guys Only Tour' - I visited the Audi R8 assembly plant at
Neckarsulm yesterday and went to the Porsche Museum today - and Detlev
was there on one of his regular visits to headquarters! I have met Detlev
three times before - at the 2009 & 2012 PCA Parade and IV Rennsport at
Laguna! He specifically remembered my 'Crystal Blue' 1970 911E Targa,
which won the coveted 'Honorary Judges Choice' trophy at the '12 Parade.
He was one of three judges that made that selection among all cars entered
at the Concours. The other two judges were Dr. Wolfgang Porsche and Hans
Peter Porsche who were also attending the Parade! So my Porsche enthusiast
'bona fides' established, I proceeded to go from pleasant small talk to the
question that many on this & other Rennlist forums have been concerned
for a long time!
I asked him point blank about the lack of a sport bucket seat option on the
US 991 gt3. He said they are working on it and will be providing a seat in
approx. one year's time for our market! I asked if it would coincide with the
introduction of the gt3 RS in the US. He smiled and said 'yes' and 'don't tell
anyone'. So I want you all to keep it 'secret', ok!
I asked why PCNA didn't get the bucket seat certified for the MY2014 gt3.
He said that there were some issues re: folding aspect of the 'gt2' sport
bucket seat that was causing problems. To make sure he understood I was
not an easy mark, I told him that my 2012 Spyder had a folding 'gt2' seat
that was fully certified for the US and it looked identical to the European 'gt2'
sport bucket seats I had seen last week on a MY2013 German 991 at Zuffenhausen.
He quickly had a comeback - US regulations had changed and that seat
(as was optioned in MY2012 in the US) could not be offered on the 991/
981 without modification. And that is what they were working on! I report
...you decide!"
***
And I asked Andreas Preuninger a question at Rennsport V that led to this
summary report that I wrote for Rennlist back in 2015:
1) Natural aspirated engines will continue for all the gt3 &
gt4 products into the foreseeable future.
2) There will not be a PDK version of the Cayman GT4 in this generation.
The current GT4 is scheduled to continue for the duration of at least the
MY2016 model year (so production until late Spring 2016 for sure).
Reports to the effect that PDK would be offered soon on the GT4 were
posted here on Rennlist and Andreas Preuninger went out of this way
to say that he was not quoted correctly when words to that effect were
attributed to him. I think he was referring to this thread:
Thus I want to make sure we correctly report what he told us today
at the PCA tent!
3) The success of the GT4 in a manual version has helped make the
case that there is a market demand for that type of transmission in
the GT product line. And he hinted that the next base gt3 might well
have a manual transmission as an alternative (option) to PDK. That
manual transmission option might come as early as the .2 991 gt3,
but that is only speculation on my part.
4) There will NOT be a manual offered on any future version of the
gt3 RS. That is considered by Porsche as a track-oriented product
whose mission is best served by a PDK transmission.
5) He hinted that there will be a .2 991 GT2 version coming...so there
will be a turbo engine soon again in the Porsche gt product line (like it
was in the 997 era)!
6) The .2 991 gt3 and gt3 RS will not be as different (or improved, if
you preferred that word) from the current versions. The gains in performance
will be less that from the .1 997 to the .2 997 because the already great
advances made in the current version. Expect more differentiation to
come in the interior (design & materials) to separate the gt models from
the series production .2 991s.
***
PTS is not a subject matter that Dr. Oliver Blume, CEO of
Porsche, is very familiar with or is responsible for! And it's
certainly not something that Dr. Wolfgang Porsche is involved
with!
PTS is also NOT controlled by 'Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur',
who indeed had two junior staff members (Yana & Florian) in
attendance at the 2017 Parade. So it's pointless asking any
of these individuals about PTS because they don't know much
about the subject matter (e.g. dates for the openning of the
'PTS Window' or the # of PTS slots to be allocated to the .2
991 gt3).
PTS is run by faceless bureaucrats in Zuffenhausen affiliated
with production & the paint department. They are not too keen
in being interviewed & asked questions. Ask me how I know! So rather than waste my time on the subject of PTS, I
instead asked a question on something that I knew Dr. Blume
would know much about & perhaps be willing to respond for
the record! And sure enough, I caught a fish on the line I cast!
Same Donavan! And congratulations on your Class Win
(PP14F - Full Boxster/Cayman) at Parade Concours with
your beautiful PTS 'Sport Classic Grey' 981 Spyder!
No, I left Spokane on Tuesday. I am now in Colorado for
balance of July to avoid the frigid summer air in Scottsdale.
Hope you & Zeuss enjoy rest of Parade!
Thanks, Eduardo. I was going to buy you a beer if you were still here... next time!
Am I a "believer" or what?? Like many others, this isn't a news per se, as we have seen a ton of anecdotal evidences. Yet, it is good to hear a confirmation from the only source that matters. Thanks Eduardo.
However, here is the real question: will it be a GT car? Boxster now sits above Cayman. So, the Spyder needs to be at least on parity with GT4. Spyder "needs" to be a GT car! Porsche, don't screw us on this!!
Hasn't AP repeatedly said that the Motorsport/GT dept doesn't do open cars?
07-12-2017, 04:02 PM
