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Lovely thread with amazing stories and photo captures .. PNW certainly has a rabid group of Spyder owners. I had the opportunity to interact with 4 such examples north of the border in beautiful BC. Missed a fifth one as he could not make it
Here is one from Saturday.
Our drive to Artist Point after the PNWR 60th Anniversary party hosted by Roger Jobs Porsche in Bellingham.
A great big thanks to PNWR and Roger Jobs for a great Party!! Lots of great people and fun cars!!!
Great pictures
Just a fun fact on my yellow Spyder: With just over 19000 miles on the clock it just reached the break-even point between miles on the street (by its own) and miles on a boat/vessel...
The way from Germany to the US West Coast and back to Germany results in a lot of nautical miles
Just turned 20,000 miles during an 1,100 mile blast this past week up to Napa, San Francisco and Sacramento.
This trip had a little bit of everything -- spirited canyon driving, kicked back top-down cruising around the vineyards and back roads of Napa, city driving in SF and Sacramento, and a seven hour high-speed super slab sprint where the Spyder just absolutely devoured the miles with temps exceeding 100 degrees for the majority of the drive back.
It's trips like these that leave me shaking my head in amazement at how well-balanced the Spyder is. The 3.8 is the crown jewel in the equation, seemingly perfectly mated to this car. The brake feel and stopping power is just in another league compared to my prior 987. X73 continues to astound no matter what the road conditions.
A final trip to Phoenix will conclude for me what has been a great series of trips this summer in the Spyder. While the Spyder and summer go hand-in-hand, it's nice to know some of the best top-down weather still lies before us.
At one point I was on a mountain road that had recently taken four lives in six days, then for good measure claimed an R8 that was going too fast, lost control, hit a dirt embankment, and came to rest 150 feet from the road with the driver and passenger having to be airlifted, one suffering double-leg paralysis and a compound ankle fracture and the other a spinal fracture and a brain bleed. Another car was recently found on its roof in a creek with a non-responsive body inside after it, too, left the road.
Gotta say, these events were in my mind and I took it a bit easier than I otherwise normally would. I think it psyched me out a bit. Not sure if that has ever happened to you guys.
Only once have I crossed paths with a situation like that where a biker had slid off the road. Fortunately the rider was ok in that situation. I think rule of thumb with any street driving should be to leave enough room in the car and drivers capabilities to take corrective action and or perform an emergency change in direction without risking losing control. Never drive at your limits, there’s nothing to gain with this approach.
At one point I was on a mountain road that had recently taken four lives in six days, then for good measure claimed an R8 that was going too fast, lost control, hit a dirt embankment, and came to rest 150 feet from the road with the driver and passenger having to be airlifted, one suffering double-leg paralysis and a compound ankle fracture and the other a spinal fracture and a brain bleed. Another car was recently found on its roof in a creek with a non-responsive body inside after it, too, left the road.
Gotta say, these events were in my mind and I took it a bit easier than I otherwise normally would. I think it psyched me out a bit. Not sure if that has ever happened to you guys.
I am acutely aware that just being able to afford a great car or bike doesn't make you a great driver or rider. Know your limitations and stay within them. Lots of examples why.
Added another 1,000 miles this past week driving from So Cal to Arizona, which in mid-August means crossing hundreds of miles of desert in extreme heat.
119°F = 48.33°C
Spyder took the mid-afternoon high temps in stride (with A/C on full blast).
While the Spyder reigns supreme in the twisties, it is equally at home on extended cross-state high speed runs taking on the qualities of a modern GT (except for wind noise) with prodigious cargo capacity, calling to mind the old Jaguar adage, “Grace, Space and Pace.”
During a rest break seeking a small oasis of shade.
Really pleased with how the car performed in these conditions!
08-05-2019, 11:03 AM
