blake

I am looking for my next DD, and it is down to two cars that I am passionate about: 987 Spyder, and a 997.1 GT3 RS. Anyone own or driven both? Could you share any comparisons as a street car?

As a background, I currently own 3 911s and prefer the "visceral" old world feel of the new throw-back Porsches. For this reason, my favorite "driver's 911" is my 996 GT3 that has been transformed into an ROW Club Sport. I find the 997.1 GT3 RS to be more compliant, and perfect as a DD. I have extensive time in one on both the street and track. For me, it would be the perfect DD. However, I keep hearing how great the Spyder is but I have yet to drive one. What do you guys think? What would you do?

Thanks,
-B

4forme

Personally, have owned a spyder and now a .2 RS. .2 RS is better on the street and on the track. No comparison. I found the spyder suspension to be too harsh on the street and the car to be under-powered on the track given the sublime chassis.

fast1

Personally I believe the Spyder is the perfect sports car for the street, but coming from a GT3, I suspect that you will be disappointed with the Spyder's lack of power. If you are comfortable with the 997 GT3RS as a DD, the choice is clear.

medtech

Blake,

Sorry, I can't really answer your question. But I do have a little different perspective to share as far as DD Pcars are concerned.

IMHO, your geographic location, traffic patterns, and road conditions are the most important factors in considering a DD.

Here's what I mean by that: I live and work in the heart of Los Angeles. There is tons of traffic, cops are everywhere, and the freeways are congested even at night, on a Sunday. There is virtually NO place to WOT of a GT3, or a Turbo, etc. The only place to really get any kind of "spirited" driving is in the canyons. Where I live, the Spyder suspension is PERFECT. The suspension and steering are so well set-up, that driving Laurel Canyon at ONLY 25-35mph is a blast. Even driving in traffic is fun. But, because of traffic, I rarely even get a chance to use the "Sport-Plus" button, yet the car has more than enough torque to navigate through congestion with ease in "normal" mode. Where I live, any more HP would be a waste.

Plus, you gotta love the versatility of the top. It makes a HUGE difference in the "driving experience". Go test drive one, you should know the answer in about 5 minutes or less.

Just my 2 cents...

n4v4nod

I totally agree with medtech with all of the above. Test drive both and you, yourself will know the answer.


BTW Medtech... when you going to register your Spyder on www.dspyda.com ?

ADias

I agree with those correlating a DD with geography, and weather conditions. I do not see a Spyder as DD in most areas, as it is a warm weather, sunshine, car.

stevecolletti

I test drove a Spyder for 40 minutes over some very familiar roads. It is the best sports car I've ever driven, and I have a pretty good resume/history of sports cars owned/driven.

Since I wanted a hard roof with the Spyder's 'magical' suspension, I ordered a CaymanR.

I have daily-driven my 997.1 RS for months at a time and my only gripe with with it (regarding DD) is the need to buy Cup front splitters in 3-packs and hope they last me a year. If I didn't live in SoCal, with it's intersection ditches (to deal with our non-existent flooding?), I doubt this would be an issue - it only rubbed once (in a Hotel parking garage) on the entire trip from Houston to LA... including sightseeing sidelines.

Spyders are only 'slow' when compared to GT-cars or TTs. Road & Track test show the car's 0-60 in the low-mid 4 second range, with 0-100 in the low-to mid 10-seconds -- about 10-14% slower than a GT3. The Spyder feels slower because it's suspension and chassis work so well that it's obvious it can utilize far more power than Porsche has given it.

You really should drive a Spyder.

medtech

Ok, Ok, you want me to post pics too?

n4v4nod

Why of course!

n4v4nod

Ha... just checked my mail and notice your info... Thanks.
I'm uploading it now

Update-
Here's your profile:
http://dspyda.com/Owner_Profiles/Pages/Medtech.html
Thanks for contributing!

Marine Blue

I concur with others, go for a test drive before deciding.

mooty

both sucks.
get a cayenne turbo.
i like my DD to be BIG. carries ppl and stuff.
comfy.
too old for sports car. i keep those on track.

khooni

you answered your own question there. As long as it is legally streetable, you can DD anything you find acceptable. The only compromise on the spyder is the "weather cap" and the need to put it up and down manually. If it stays up all the time, a GT3 RS is actually less hardcore than the spyder due to the wind and noise generated (if the rear piece is in place all the time).

There is a reason why porsche only made circa/guesstimated 2000 spyders worldwide instead of 2000 per year in it's short 2.5 year run. That's less than half it's projected run which may mean the next boxster spyder will prolly either not happen or come with a higher price tag to justify the exclusivity. Other than hardcore fanatics here and PH in the UK, it's a strange hardcore car that isn't homologated for motorsport, isn't comfortable/practical for daily use and seems destined as a 2nd or 3rd car to be enjoyed in weekends. Even then, there are other cars that fit the bill better especially in wetter climates. It's a strange one the spyder........... I can understand the Cayman R a lot better since it is way more practical.

blake

Thanks for all the comments guys - much appreciated (except for Mooty - who continues to try to get me to buy a Cadillac! And btw - my wife has a Land Rover LR4 so we've got big SUVs covered!)

I think medtech nailed it with his comments around selecting the street car based on geography. I agree 100% that a GT3 is not much fun on the streets - especially after one takes it on the track. What attracts me to the Spyder is the sleek look plus the driving fun that can be had at low speeds on twisty roads. I really like visceral cars, and want to be reminded of racing lineage when driving a Porsche. To be blunt, I find my '06 911 S Cab to be boring. It does not put the smile on my face that a GT3 or an older 911 does...

My ONLY concern about the Spyder is that I live in an environment where we get 350 inches of snow, and it will need snow tires. I am NOT worried about driving it (no problem there), but I AM worried about the spyder roof-thingee taking a beating (leaks, etc.)... That would be my only trepidation.

Thanks again - great comments!

-Blake

toper

I've gone from DD an E92 M3 to DD a Boxster Spyder, and to me the Spyder is superior in every way except for number of passengers it can hold.