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It was a lovely day and I was off, so I took the Targa for a long drive (my wife politely declined my offer to join me) to Porsche North Olmsted.
The real surprise(s) were the ‘18 Signal Green MT GT3 (for sale ex 918 VIP) and the Golf Blue ‘18 GT3 Touring (sold and covered) in the showroom. Yikes.
Great drive in spite of Ohio’s crappy roads and (required) construction (its either winter or construction here). The Targa never fails to amaze me. It’s almost too fast with the Powerkit. Apple car play works very well (I don’t drive it much so the controls are always a learning curve for me but was shocked to have it read me a text from work and be able to reply with voice to text without a single error). Always happy to be in it.
Impressions:
1. The Spyder is a boatload of fun to drive. Certainly not as fast as the Targa, but who cares?
2. The top was a lot easier to use than I imagined. After a quick tutorial, I was able to put it up and down alone without difficulty. Probably takes a minute or so with practice, but of course requires running back and forth, etc. I would have bought one at issue if it had a power top and I still feel that way. I’m not saying it’s a deal breaker for me, but close to it. 22 pounds? Really? I don’t live in SoCal. It’s bad enough the Targa has to be stopped to put the top up or down after two Boxsters with SmartTOP.
3. My wife wouldn’t like it. We went to Treffen Asheville last year (1300 miles in 3 days) and had a great time. Yeah, not in this car.
4. I’m on a self imposed one fun car at a time point in my life. The Targa is perfect for us, for now. It was a relief to feel that way on the drive home.
5. I still really dislike the feel of Alcantara.
6. Of course, everything is for sale at some point. If they felt they simply had to have a Viper Green Targa sitting next to a Signal Green GT3 (both MTs!) and offered me tons of money to take the Spyder off their hands, I would listen carefully. Great car.
4300 miles, some hits in zone 1 (and nothing else) plus a reversing camera. Doesn’t have buckets but I prefer 18s (yes, I’ve tried both).
I’m around #7 on their list for a 718 Spyder. I really wanted to see if I could deal with the top, since I assume it won’t change much. If it’s a 4.0, yep. Just no long trips with the Mrs....
I am surprised about your comments on ride quality
I have owned several Porsche cars and found my 2016 Spyder to be the most comfortable for long drives . Never done a 1300 mile trip , but have done 250 miles round trip , interestingly enough round trip to Cleveland from Pittsburgh , to Beachwood cars and coffee.
the top can be testy and annoying at times. but I will be getting the 718 Spyder even with the same top , but prefer the automatic roof top if available
I am surprised about your comments on ride quality
I have owned several Porsche cars and found my 2016 Spyder to be the most comfortable for long drives . Never done a 1300 mile trip , but have done 250 miles round trip , interestingly enough round trip to Cleveland from Pittsburgh , to Beachwood cars and coffee.
the top can be testy and annoying at times. but I will be getting the 718 Spyder even with the same top , but prefer the automatic roof top if available
It was a noticeably harsher ride than our Targa. Remember, you can't get sport suspension with the Targa. It's a very capable car, but much more plush riding than the Spyder. Not plush like our S550, but my wife was comfortable the entire time going to and from NC. I'm positive she wouldn't like riding 1000+ miles in the Spyder over a couple days.
I would go to Beachwood cars and coffee, but I have a long hatred of I-271 after decades of suffering on it. Nice guys at both places.
The Spyder top can be raised or lowered in approx. 25 secs once you get good at it. The biggest time saving trick is that, when you're putting the top down, you can flip the little side flaps closed from within the cabin by reaching across the passenger seat instead of walking around the car again, after stowing the top in the trunk. And, with some practice, it's easy to get the flying buttress flaps in place on the first try. That being said, I can understand how the entire ethos of the Spyder doesn't really work for someone who values the convenience of sitting on their behind while the top is raised or lowered for them, by a machine. There are definitely better packages from Porsche, if that's your sports car philosophy.
I agree on ride-quality. I've put about 7000 miles on my Spyder over the past two years, and never really considered it a harsh ride. However, we just did a euro-delivery road trip of approx 3000 km in my husband's new Targa GTS, and it is considerably more comfortable than the Spyder, likely due to the multi-mode suspension setup provided by SPASM and PDCC.
as far as roof top, it only is annoying when it has to be done quickly
for example: driving and enjoying the roof down , but the cloud cover is increasing, I found my self debating to stop and put the roof top up or keep going until you feel rain drops and hope you don't get stuck in the fast approaching storm, then you have to find an overpass if on highway
it happened to me several times , not a huge deal vs an automatic mechanism, you slow down to whatever speed needed, and deploy mechanism and you are good to go
The Spyder top can be raised or lowered in approx. 25 secs once you get good at it. The biggest time saving trick is that, when you're putting the top down, you can flip the little side flaps closed from within the cabin by reaching across the passenger seat instead of walking around the car again, after stowing the top in the trunk. And, with some practice, it's easy to get the flying buttress flaps in place on the first try. That being said, I can understand how the entire ethos of the Spyder doesn't really work for someone who values the convenience of sitting on their behind while the top is raised or lowered for them, by a machine. There are definitely better packages from Porsche, if that's your sports car philosophy.
I agree on ride-quality. I've put about 7000 miles on my Spyder over the past two years, and never really considered it a harsh ride. However, we just did a euro-delivery road trip of approx 3000 km in my husband's new Targa GTS, and it is considerably more comfortable than the Spyder, likely due to the multi-mode suspension setup provided by SPASM and PDCC.
991.2 GTS Targa's come equipped with PASM not SPASM (sport suspension). Hence the more comfortable ride.
The local dealer has just put a 981 Spyder up for sale. Sapphire blue with red leather interior - beautiful!! I dare not stop by to see it as the temptation might just be too much.
Love my Spyder, but have to agree, for me at least, it would not be a great long distance tourer for two reasons. First, I find the road noise to really get tiring after a few hours in that car. Doesn't seem to bother the wife, but it does me. Second, and more importantly, at least out here in CA with all the road crown, the alignment on an X73 suspension is just too aggressive for heavily crowned highways and it gets old fast. This is my third X73 car and I've dealt with this issue before, but since I really like that aggressiveness in my typical usage of the car, I'm not willing to change it. If I were buying one of these for long cruises, I would have the alignment/camber relaxed on it. And actually, third, while I love the 6 speed, cruising at 75+ really could use a 7th/overdrive gear.
What I don't have any problem with over long distances are the LWBs. They support my lower back so well, I have zero back/hip/leg issues that I've had in my other Porsche seats after an hour plus of driving.
991.2 GTS Targa's come equipped with PASM not SPASM (sport suspension). Hence the more comfortable ride.
The local dealer has just put a 981 Spyder up for sale. Sapphire blue with red leather interior - beautiful!! I dare not stop by to see it as the temptation might just be too much.
It was a noticeably harsher ride than our Targa. Remember, you can't get sport suspension with the Targa. It's a very capable car, but much more plush riding than the Spyder. Not plush like our S550, but my wife was comfortable the entire time going to and from NC. I'm positive she wouldn't like riding 1000+ miles in the Spyder over a couple days.
I would go to Beachwood cars and coffee, but I have a long hatred of I-271 after decades of suffering on it. Nice guys at both places.
Sounds right to me. The spyder is harsher than a 911. Hands down no comparison. That said, I found it perfectly fine for my drive from Phoenix to Vegas and back. Also, there is more storage space than a 911. But yeah, totally feel you. Also, easier to see out of the 911 =) I am out of garage space but would like to eventually add a 991.2 TTS for splitting daily duty at some point in the future.
Colorado 141 just south of Gateway on a perfect day
After over two years, 3500 miles in Europe, thousands of miles and many long road trips I still consider the 981 Spyder one of the best Porsche's in recent memory. I may never equal the top close record of 25 seconds but under 1 minute is no problem. I hope the Speedster top is as good. And, of course, the 420 hp Spyder is coming...
Colorado 141 just south of Gateway on a perfect day
And, of course, the 420 hp Spyder is coming...
I'm #7 on the list at my dealer. I went primarily to see if I could live with the top. I much prefer a power top and +22 pounds, but I could live with it. I'm not willing to pay current market pricing for a pre owned 2 year old one. Of course, if the 718 is a 4, then I guessed wrong and I'll keep the Targa.
Sounds right to me. The spyder is harsher than a 911. Hands down no comparison.
The 981 Spyder has the sport suspension (X73). This is the same suspension I had in my previous Cayman GTS. My current 911 (991.2 GTS) has SPASM. This differs from PASM by having harder and shorter springs and stiffer front and rear anti-roll bars. With the SPASM button pushed to the "Sport Chassis" mode it provides a ride almost identical to my Cayman GTS with the sport suspension (i.e.: same as the Spyder).
The Spyder wasn’t really built to be a long distance cruiser and it will never match the comfort of a new Targa. I do think your overall assessment is spot on.
Then again the Targa driving experience once you get into the canyons also isn’t going to be the same as the Spyder, yes it’s likely very capable but it won’t be nearly as immersive and focused.
Personally I think Porsche needs to go a bit more extreme with lightweight focus and par down the electronics and gadgets on the next Spyder. I know I’m in the minority with that opinion as the 981 does seem to be more popular than the 987 which IMHO is more focused and raw.
The 981 Spyder has the sport suspension (X73). This is the same suspension I had in my previous Cayman GTS. My current 911 (991.2 GTS) has SPASM. This differs from PASM by having harder and shorter springs and stiffer front and rear anti-roll bars. With the SPASM button pushed to the "Sport Chassis" mode it provides a ride almost identical to my Cayman GTS with the sport suspension (i.e.: same as the Spyder).
SPASM on a 911 is a magnitude firmer than the X73 in a Spyder. I owned both at the same time and there was no comparison. SPASM in normal mode is much closer to the Spyder’s X73.
However, I think the X73 in the Spyder is softer than the X73 that was in my Cayman S.
07-11-2018, 08:33 PM
Drove a ‘16 Spyder today
