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981 Spyder insights?

MJA911

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10 Dec 2013
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2,963
I'm a diehard 911 fan and have owned a little selection across 3 generations, with the 997 being my sweet spot, currently happy with my GT3, but always thinking (dreaming) ahead about a next move (like many on here I suspect).

Logically it would be a 991, but I'm not sure they're for me, I find that as lovely as they are, perhaps they're a little too grown up and they do feel bigger. Not being that big myself, I feel more at home in a 981/718 cabin, which feels similar to a 997 in cosiness/compactness.

981 Spyder is my current object of desire, especially after seeing a couple at the JZM event today and sitting in the white one they have for sale, it doesn't have nav or bluetooth, which seems harsh on a car costing that much even if it is a specialist car, even my 12 year old GT3 has nav.

Would be great to hear from owners willing to share how they're finding their Spyder, what spec items are a must etc. I really like the folding carbon backed buckets and felt really comfortable in the one I sat in, but if it had height adjustment I would have raised it a little, maybe 10cm. Is there a way out of this, like raising the seat rails with spacers or something? I should have asked at JZM but didn't want to start a conversation that might have turned me into a buyer.

Anyway, any Spyder owners insight would be great. Thanks.
 
MJA911 said:
I'm a diehard 911 fan and have owned a little selection across 3 generations, with the 997 being my sweet spot, currently happy with my GT3, but always thinking (dreaming) ahead about a next move (like many on here I suspect).

Logically it would be a 991, but I'm not sure they're for me, I find that as lovely as they are, perhaps they're a little too grown up and they do feel bigger. Not being that big myself, I feel more at home in a 981/718 cabin, which feels similar to a 997 in cosiness/compactness.

981 Spyder is my current object of desire, especially after seeing a couple at the JZM event today and sitting in the white one they have for sale, it doesn't have nav or bluetooth, which seems harsh on a car costing that much even if it is a specialist car, even my 12 year old GT3 has nav.

Would be great to hear from owners willing to share how they're finding their Spyder, what spec items are a must etc. I really like the folding carbon backed buckets and felt really comfortable in the one I sat in, but if it had height adjustment I would have raised it a little, maybe 10cm. Is there a way out of this, like raising the seat rails with spacers or something? I should have asked at JZM but didn't want to start a conversation that might have turned me into a buyer.

Anyway, any Spyder owners insight would be great. Thanks.


I don't have any input re the Spyder , but I can comment and reiterate your views on the 981 cockpit .... it is a great place to be and I also feel 'At Home' in there....

I also looked at the 991 GTS before buying my GT4 ( I was pi55ed at not buying one when they came out but I was out of UK for a long time and wasn't keeping my eye on the ball , had a 997.2 GT3 that I was happy with at the time too )
I eventually realized that the 981 was more Porsche like that the 991 had become ....

I loved this comment

'I should have asked at JZM but didn't want to start a conversation that might have turned me into a buyer. '

I have done this so many times , I should know better ...... but don't ... !!the next step after that conversation is getting the man maths together ....!
 
Few answers so my 2 pennys ..

Removeing and refitting the roof is a bit of a pain .. im sure you get used to it but its a faff.

You will get plenty of wind noise .. the roof is pretty basic .. this is more of an open top car with a covering just in case .

The looks though .. hell thats why you buy this car .. it no secret i love Boxsters out of all Porsches but the 981 is the pinicle .

For me a fully loaded Boxster S but the Spyder does have the better looks .

Hell the looks .. sigh .



Interseting story but of no relevance ..

When they first came out we had one with a rattle .. foreman took it out on a long road test .. the roof blew off .. bit of damage shall we say .

2 Days later R&D guys from Germany turn up .. keep asking the same question .. are you SURE you locked down the roof .

Inspect roof and back to the same question .. i think our foreman was at the point of punching them when they had a phone call ...

Press car in France had just lost its roof .

They dissapeared very quickly along with the roof from our car .

The fix was an inch long bit of metal welded to the front lock lol .. basic shall we say .

It did the job though .

We did get to ask them though about testing .. there is a sticker on the roof saying do not open when driveing .. turns out its there for the USA market as they new someone there would do it .

They tested it in a wind tunnel and opened the roof at 70 mph to see what would happen .. it stayed shut .

Didnt test it when cornering though :D
 
deMort said:
Few answers so my 2 pennys ..

Removeing and refitting the roof is a bit of a pain .. im sure you get used to it but its a faff.

You will get plenty of wind noise .. the roof is pretty basic .. this is more of an open top car with a covering just in case .

The looks though .. hell thats why you buy this car .. it no secret i love Boxsters out of all Porsches but the 981 is the pinicle .

For me a fully loaded Boxster S but the Spyder does have the better looks .

Hell the looks .. sigh .



Interseting story but of no relevance ..

When they first came out we had one with a rattle .. foreman took it out on a long road test .. the roof blew off .. bit of damage shall we say .

2 Days later R&D guys from Germany turn up .. keep asking the same question .. are you SURE you locked down the roof .

Inspect roof and back to the same question .. i think our foreman was at the point of punching them when they had a phone call ...

Press car in France had just lost its roof .

They dissapeared very quickly along with the roof from our car .

The fix was an inch long bit of metal welded to the front lock lol .. basic shall we say .

It did the job though .

We did get to ask them though about testing .. there is a sticker on the roof saying do not open when driveing .. turns out its there for the USA market as they new someone there would do it .

They tested it in a wind tunnel and opened the roof at 70 mph to see what would happen .. it stayed shut .

Didnt test it when cornering though :D
Hi Demort
I knew there were fit problems with 987 Spyder roof when they first came out, are you saying the 981 Spyder suffered its own batch of roof problems as well? I had understood the roof on the 981 was a far more developed unit and easier operation than that on the 987... but it could just be relative!
tim
 
I seriously considered a spyder or GT4. Ruled out the gt4 as I wanted a convertible and in the end ruled out the spyder due to the roof. As it's a fun car I drive 90% with the roof down but that often involves trips with it up / down several times, that's just not feasible in the spyder and I feared I would not drive it as often. I ended up in a 981 BGTS and point was proved when I drove it much more than i planned last year and even ended up getting rid of a 488 spider as it was not getting driven.

The 981 is seriously one of the best roadsters ever made, the likes I fear not to be seen again now they have moved to FI. The soundtrack of the GTS in particular is intoxicating.

I believe the new spyder may be NA but the roof will be the same. It's such a shame as they look awesome but are simply not practical in the uk's mixed weather unless it really is a sunny day car doing 1k a year to shows.
 
ragpicker said:
Boxster/Cayman - More 911 than 911.

:thumb:

:grin: shhhhhhhhhh you can't say that ................but it's true
 
There's a lot in what you say jonttt, I've followed your bgts journal with interest and could end up going in that direction after wrestling with these awful first world problems :roll:

The GT3 is as special as I'd hoped it would be and mine has a forgiving set up courtesy of CG. Im needing to commute in it a little more than I envisaged and whilst it's far from everyday, when I'm in traffic or on the motorway I do have thoughts of a more modern 'special" like the Spyder (or GT4).

I've put money into the GT3 over the past 6 months and have no huge urge to say goodbye to it, plus we've got the Dinsklaken road trip coming up which will tell me a lot about me and that car. In the meantime I was interested to see how Spyder owners were doing :thumb:
 
I never had any fit problems with the roof on my 987 Spyder.

It was one cracking little car - drove brilliantly, and just about perfect power for uk roads.

Wouldnt hesitate to buy another, or a 981 - but the price of the white one at JKM just seems ludicrous. You can buy a lot of other top cars for that money... but then probably none as rare.

Go for it - awesome little cars!

(and the roof just adds to the drama!)
 
When a post has few answers then i try and answer with anything i feel might be of a little use ... i hate it when a post goes pretty much unanswered .

Makes me smile when it gets several posts after that .. a bump if you like :)

I missed out saying " when they first came out " i was refering to 987 .. same roof basically .. my bad .. trying to answer too many posts in too short amount of time :(

Im sure as an owner you get used to the roof .. as a mechanic who sees one once in a blue moon .. its a faff :)
 
Im thinking the relatively low number of answers about a Spyder is a reflection of their low numbers, only 5 for sale across OPC network and maybe those that do have them want to keep it quiet :grin:
 
MJA911 said:
Im thinking the relatively low number of answers about a Spyder is a reflection of their low numbers, only 5 for sale across OPC network and maybe those that do have them want to keep it quiet :grin:

There were nine until a few days ago!
 
Actually there are 6 x 981 Spyders today, my mistake. I'd thought it was the GT4 that was the limited run version, but there are 18 of those, all very confusing. All 981 Boxsters seem to be in quite short supply, OPCs have more used 781 Boxsters.
 
Yep OPC have carried large stocks of 718 for over a year, every time I visit one they seem to have 4 or 5 new for sale in stock. I believe you can get some hefty discounts on nearly new (they tend to be highly specced) with a few thousand on the clock.
 
Think you need to test drive some MJAGT3....?

And while you're at it see how you get on with the hood. It doesn't look that much of a problem when weighed up against the rarity and special nature of the car :?:



:thumbs:
 

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