Hi folks from the forum, after a couple long years of looking for a special Boxster I finally have a deposit down on a 987.2 Spyder in Aqua Blue (Pdk, Sport seats). It popped up local to me and checks most of my boxes, I was sure I wanted this car from the moment it was listed. However the test drive has left me with less confidence than I expected in the PDK. I thought for sure this car would blow me away in all categories driving (Like it does visually) but that wasn't entirely the case. Here are my thoughts:

Engine was an absolute sweetheart, doesn't get much better than this. Perfect amount of power, revs nicely, sounded way too quiet since the car doesn't have PSE but that is fixable. The looks are simply incredible, this car is a looker from every angle whether top up or down. Driving position is spectacular and field of view is great with top down. Suspension is great for sporty driving and soft enough for driving with a picky passenger. Top mechanism was actually quite straightforward and I loved keeping the sightlines open by only putting on the sunshade.

Main concern is the PDK did not seem as sophisticated as the other PDK's I've driven (981 Boxster S, 970 Panamera Turbo/GTS, Macan). The manual shifts felt very unprotected, in the sense that the car was not optimizing the shifts at all and they were frequently jerky. In a manual you can feel out the shift through the clutch, in this car it seems like one has to intuitively learn the spots at which the PDK shifts most effectively. Finally the software for the PDK when left to its own devices didn't impress me too much. Maybe I've been spoiled by the later generations PDK and their magic, but it didn't seem to be especially smooth.

My question to the PDK spyder owners is: What has your ownership experience been like so far? I really like this car but I certainly understand the price gap between the manuals and the PDK now.

 

Did you drive in Sport or Sport Plus? In the standard mode the PDK is very boring. I do agree though, that the 9x7 generation is a bit rougher than later versions.

I love driving mine in Sport Plus shifting with the paddles!

 

This car didn't have Sport Chrono (How could anyone option like this!) from factory but was later retro-fitted at the dealer by the original owner. As with all test drives I didn't get nearly enough seat time to experience the full personality, basically 15 minutes driving on congested local roads and some on the highway. Sport and Sport plus definitely brought the heat, I suspect on an empty backroad at 8/10s+ the transmission would be perfect

 

There's another 987 spyder pdk at Response Motors - you can test drive that too to compare.

 

I have circa 10,000 miles in my PDK Spyder. My thoughts.

1. It works best in Sports mode or manual. I have paddles. Standard mode drives me nuts as it upshifts way too early.

2. These cars are getting to the point where engine mounts etc should be checked.

3. The PDK needs a service every six years, I think. This is an oil change and a PWIS adaptation. My changes were noticeably smoother when I had mine done.

4. The car and transmission come into their own when driven hard on B roads. It’s not a cafe cruiser for me, It’s a canyon carver. At full noise, it’s brilliant. No money shifts.

 

I would suggest you explain your concerns and get more seat time in the car before you decide to buy or not.

 

At low gears / low rpm’s, the throttle is very sensitive and the gears can feel a little clunky. I don’t have other PDK cars to compare it to, but as you get used to driving it you will get a feel for how to keep it running smoothly.

 

Were you seeking out a PDK or manual car?

I test drove both and the PDK didn’t sing to me, I had a much more engaging experience in the manual. I’m looking for an ‘experience’ 1-4 times a month, not semi daily and the manual delivered that for me.

So I bought the manual, and the decision was not even close.

Everyones use case and desire is different though, but if the PDK left you cold try a manual.

 

Using it in auto-mode is no fun, on any PDK in my opinion. Sport mode is the sweetspot - sport + in my opinion is a little too jarring. I love the pdk after having manual my entire life - but have factory sport chrono so perhaps that makes a difference.

 

You can add Sport/Sport plus as a Porsche installed option - around $2K - makes a huge difference

 

That's a great, relatively inexpensive, option.

To the OP, if you other wise like the build, go for it!

 

The subject car is the sixth of only 17 Aqua Blue Metallic Spyders sold in North America for MY2011, a rather rare arachnid!
And looking at a (fuzzy) photo on the dealer's website, it looks like the Sport and Sport+ buttons *are* on the lower center stack. If so, it looks like the car had Sports Chrono (without the "wart") retro-fitted by Porsche at some point?

 

To those still interested, I ended up passing on the car. I realized that my hunt for the right car P-car has taken so long I built the rarest models up to hero status in my mind before even getting behind the wheel. I'm really looking for a car that would either be an especially impressive mix of smooth and sporty for a perfect daily, or a sporty car so good to drive I didn't mind the drawbacks (rough suspension, brake squeal, the usual stuff). Because of this I was aware the 981 is a much better fit, but have been truly struggling to find a great 981 spec and wanted to give the Spyder a shot. I think getting a ride along in a GT4RS at the Porsche Experience Center has ruined my bar for PDK cars. I'll go back to waiting for the right 981 S/GTS to come along (Agonizing over this one-in-a-million S on the wrong side of the Atlantic https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/...81-boxster-s-2)

 

Beware the "dead" electric steering of the 981. I've owned a 981, albeit a super pretty Tony Hatter well designed ride, and the steering left me unexcited.

Note: Many of us here in the forum are either long term 987.2 Spyder owners or repeat owners. I'm on my 3rd (and I suspect final). There's a reason for that. See my long list below.

Good luck on your hunt!

JP

 

The 981 has the worst steering of all modern Boxster/Cayman models. Porsche greatly improved it for the 982, although I still prefer any of the hydraulic systems over either of the electric systems.

The bigger issue for me was the longer wheelbase. 60mm doesn't sound like much but it changes the car's feel dramatically. Yes, it provides smoothness over rougher roads and enhances mid-corner stability, but there are some downsides. The 981 is not heavier than the 987, but it feels that way. It feels less agile, less responsive. For those that have had both, they describe the 981 as feeling more grown up, and the 987 feeling more fun. I believe this comes down to the wheelbase more than any other single item.