spyderphile

Spyder is fundamentally targeting a different driver group. 'Ring times are completely irrelevant. If that matters to someone, Spyder isn't the car for him/her.

Pokerhobo

If I did my math right, assuming it sustained 160 MPH for 7s (I've hit 140 MPH on a local straight with much shorter straights in my CGTS), that's about a third of a mile difference. The 2s between the 718S and GT4 is an even tinier difference...

skuplist

Manual and more of a road car so when the Spyder came around I was interested. This is my first open top but since I ride motorcycles it seemed the right way to go. Living in Houston I constantly see people driving with their top up which always made me nervous about getting one. If they make the next GT3 a manual as an option I might be interested but with the new 911 GTR hitting $200,000 makes me wonder about the next GT3. I'm tempted to look for a nice 997GT3 and keep the Spyder.

Archimedes

And again you're comparing an internal unverified time leaked for marketing purposes with actually verified times. Until this car turns a fast lap in public, there's nothing of substance to discuss.

zanwar

My 997.2 GT3 had a ring time of 7:40 so 7:42 out of the new Boxster is amazing. It seems just about believable. With the wider front end, the turn-in performance of the 981 (and the 991) is a lot better than the 997 series GT3. The longer wheelbase also helps with mid-corner stability.

But if I had a spyder allocation right now, I would take it.

Underblu

Thanks for the feedback. I've owned every iteration of the Boxster, my first being the very first 986 I bought new in 1998, and as an opened top guy I have really bonded with the platform. While the 911 is brilliant and iconic, in convertible form, I've always preferred the Boxster.

When I got my 981S in 2012, it was far and away the best car I had ever owned. PASM, PDK, heated steering wheel, ventilated and heated seats, etc, it felt like a luxury ride that was also a brilliant sports car. And it clearly felt a generation ahead of my previous 987S, a far more dramatic difference than say the difference between my 987S and 986S.

A Boxster with the 3.8L Carrera engine for me as I'm sure for many here was like a dream come true. Finally the 981 platform was getting the engine it deserved. However, this engine was only available in the Spyder. So that means no option for a power top, pdk, PASM or many of the other goodies that made the 981S a very practical sports car without diminishing its performance.

Yeah I get it, the uncompromising nature of the Spyder makes it special. Hell, I even ordered mine with the LWBS, figured I might as well go all in. But the thing that got me initially was that glorious engine and the numbers it could produce.

The 718S ( I would imagine the 718GTS will get a 15hp bump) provides similar horsepower greater torque albeit in a completely different package with a very different response. So to me I could enjoy all the comforts of my 981S in a car that could offer similar performance to the raw uncompromising Spyder.

At the end of the day I think I'll stick with the Spyder, partly due to its specialness, it's limited production and the possibility that it will be the last convertible with the glorious NA 3.8L flat 6.

Underblu

I disagree with this completely. A performance car is ultimately about performance. The Spyder is unequivocally a performance car. Ring times are a good indication of a cars performance envelop and therefore very relevant. Unless Spyder buyers are not interested in performance.

Frankly, If performance wasn't a factor, Porsche would only sell base 981 and 991 models. And this comparison is between two like cars, a 718S and Spyder, both midengine sport cars derived from the 981 platform. I'm buying a Spyder and also interested in its performance especially how it compares to it siblings. Therefore, ring times are very relevant to me and I would imagine many others as well

Spyder Man

The Spyder is about the feel...the sound and the instant response from the Carrera S derived 3.8 NA cannot be equalled by a 2.5L turbo engine.


Doesn't matter about the 0-60 or 0-100 figures. It is the raw feeling of sound, instant power on demand and handling that makes you think how great a sports car is.


I have been in low 11s (1/4 mile) twin turbo cars that feels uninspiring (you don't feel its doing fast, too quiet and too refined) under acceleration when compared to a 13s car that stimulate my senses with great sounds and a rev happy engine.