Gdub

Hi all i have been viewing all 2015 and 2016 Spyders on you tube trying to gain more knowledge on these p cars. One thing that is brought up over and over is gearing is long and most are not happy with it. Now i get it if you were tracking your car mabey shorter gears are better. My question is with weekend use where even your hardest driving which is in very short burst's is it something to be concerned about. I can't imagine porsche would get this wrong. I think the gearing in my 1979 911SC was nicer than my 1998 carrera 2S now we are talking five speed and six speed. Anyway i would like your take and knowledge. Thank's.

Phil T

The gearing might only be of concern if you like to row gears just for the "cool factor".......if not drive and enjoy the flat 6 symphony from second gear ...........Phil

Boxster7

bvanlieu

But that is the crux of the problem if you will: it is harder to hear the symphony above 6500 MPH as you are waaay too illegal.

To me this is done so its not quicker then the halo car, pure and simple. There is no reason 2nd needs to redline > 70 MPH. #NotaVette

Doesn't make it less fun: we do enjoy the 981 and what are you going to do, change it? Nope.

Just have to be more careful when opening it up.

- b

MidEngineRules

In the US there was only the 2016 Spyder. Nonetheless I owned one. The tall gearing did take away from some of the fun. It makes the car a little less perfect. Aesthetically the car is perfect. In sound and visceral sensations none better. In driving, I actually preferred the Cayman R I traded for it. Not to mention the 987 R's steering had loads more feel.

spyderphile

Yes, the gearing IS tall! It frustrates the hell out because when you wind it up, the soundtrack is super cool! But, winding up means, you're at 82 (mph) in 2nd! The third tops at 116. If you get busted, you'll be facing one pissed off cop! Been there!

However, the tall gearing is the ONLY blemish in otherwise perfect package! I mean, it is perfect! So, I make some adjustments in my expectations and choose the right occasions to hit the redline. Luckily, it is fun to drive at street-legal speeds as well. And, no, Porsche didn't get this wrong. The gearing is by design. Depending on your viewpoint, that reasoning could be regulations or restraining the model's performance, etc. In case you were wondering, 987 Spyder isn't much different. I believe the 2nd tops around 77; hardly any different, practically.

In summary, I would say, don't let this only negative (granted, a big one) stop you from getting one. With subtle tweaks in your expectations and execution, the Spyder is the one to have!

Suicide Jockey

Tall gearing was a frequent complaint heard often when the car first debuted. Now, three years on, you don't hear as many gripes about it. Not sure if this is because folks have simply become used to it or feel it's unnecessary to keep raising the same concern. Sometimes things that bug us initially eventually turn into positives -- or at least become non-negatives -- once we give the product a chance. The majority of my miles are spirited canyon drives and short road trips. It's never been an issue for me and I have no complaints about the gearing, but there's no doubt that many did, especially early on, and still do.

As Shaun indicated, some time behind the wheel will tell you if it's a factor for you (although it can understandably be difficult to find a car to drive).

Suicide Jockey

OP, to add some perspective to Henry's post above, note that Henry is on record here as someone who redlines every shift. Yep. He's our resident mad man when it comes to shifting . . . or, more appropriately, not shifting!

If your are like the rest of us and routinely shift in the 4000 - 6,500 range or thereabouts, you won't reach the extreme speeds Henry notes and I think you will be less inclined to find the gearing unbearably tall.

Jamie140

Sure the gearing is tall and there's a soft spot in midrange before the vtec cuts in yo!. All designed to make claims relative to the 911.

Doesn't bug me, the spyder is the last car I'd sell in a catastrophe. Both issues easily remedied if they bug you enough.

Spyerx

Heres the real deal if you do canyons: it's 2-3, mostly 2, since you an do near 80. yeah, the gears are long. On track the gearing works OK (depends on the track).

spyderphile

I take that as a compliment, Nick!!

That's quite a statement, Jamie, considering your collection! Though I don't have such a collection, I share the same sentiments that the Spyder can be the last and the only sports car I'll ever need!

2XIPA

Pretty much the same speed in gears as my 6GT3 was so I skipped it. Hoping for PDK this time around to get the lower gearing.

spyderphile

It is badly twisted that the PDK has lower gearing than the MT! If anything, MT should have tightly stacked (at least lower 3), short throw setup. Sometimes, I fail to understand the rational, if any, of otherwise smart people!!

Schmidts Cat

Spyerx

Re-reading my response I didn't really complete my thought.

I agree that its pretty good for most canyons. You won't find yourself doing a lot of 2-3 shifting though, but, the torque and power band are really nice with this car, and with the top down, well the noise is awesome.