Hi all,
after Wayne's advice I went for a brief 1 hr test drive of the Spyder. its a pre-release model that was only in Melbourne for 1 wk.
I was very close to placing an order for the Spyder. but i didnt.... but here's my driving impressions.
I am no jurno, so I will just put it in point forms.
and my current car is a C63. before that I had a 2.7L Boxster 987
- first looks... amazing in flesh. it looks almost like a new model. from certain angles, u get glimpse of CGT. it;s beautiful roof on or off
- the roof... the damn roof.... I drove it with+w/o roof. noise insulation is not as good, tho it doesnt matter for a car like this. I love the exposed CF of the front bar. and its a breeze to take it and out. the plastic rear window can deteriorate over time tho. but as an everyday car... its a pain. rear vision (me being short) is non-existant.... lucky the rear parking sensors are stnd, cos I cant imagine park it in the city. my old Boxster didnt hv parking sensors and I coped fine for 4 yrs.... but with the hump on the back + roof up, its a pain to park.
- I dont think there will be any issues with heavy rain. its very well engineered and its very enjoyable to drive with just the main canvas on and leaving the back part opened.
- interior- just like a well optioned Boxster. as Wayne said, OZ cars have aircon+ PCM nav.
- Buckets seats are wonderful. tho it very low for me, as I am short. and limited adjustment means long trips might be a concern. the standard sport seats of my old Boxster is much more comfy on longer trips.
- now the drive... drives exactly like a Boxster. surprise surprise!! its been 1yr since my Boxster was sold. but getting back in the Spyder, it all came back to me. deja vu....
very well sorted in tight corners, extremely hard (or near impossible!) to loose the back in the dry (and I did try).... whereas my C63 (with TC off), u can get the tail out anywhere anytime. but thats not my thing anyway.
- Porsche did manage to improve on the already excellent Boxster. the ride is not as harsh over poor roads than my C63. and irons out bumps on high speed corners with ease. the turn in is as sharp as my old boxster, but I didnt drive a normal boxster back to back so cannot compare the two. but as I said, it drives like a well sorted boxster with lower suspension!
- I cannot sens the 80kg weight lost did much in the sense of transforming the car. well, I weigh 20kg less than most people so when I do go-karting, my kart feels like on NOS!! some reviews claims it as sharper turn in and lower centre of gravity etc etc. but I dont know how anyone can tell that without driving a stnd Boxster S back to back??!! and with the OZ spec cars, with air-con and PCM nav, it piled back on 18kg or so anyway.
- PDK (they didnt hv manual)... well. i dont like it. period.
- now the negative (and the deal breaker). not enough power. my 2.7 987 was underpowered, well i knew that! but with this new model, my expectations were high. but sadly, no. dont get me wrong, the engine is a work of genius! smooth, free reving, addictive sounds, but the lack of torque left me wanting for more.
- come from a C63, with all that torque, the difference was night n day. and it was effortless power. every gear, any rev, any day. with the boxster, well, its too much like a Boxster S/Cayman S. again, I didnt do a back to back drive (Wayne did), but I doubt I will sens any power diffrerence between the S and Spyder.
so... if I have spare cash for a weekend car, then yes, I will order one 100% cos I lover the look. its a nice poser car if thats what u r into....
but coming from a 987 Boxster (and going to a C63), and then to go back to a Spyder. well, it needs to be a bit more special than that.
but Porsche has done a wonderful job on the Boxster which is almost at the end of its model cycle. and they have targeted a nice niche of the market with potential boxster buyers who are a bit more hardcore... but the upcoming new model Boxster S may even be quicker and lighter than the Spyder??!
rumour has it that Porsche (after seeing the positive response to the Spyder) will do similar treatment to the Cayman S. tho dunno how they can trim a lot from std cayman. and by the time they release it, the new 2012 Boxster will be out.
it needs more power, tho that means it will be quicker than a 911!
I m sure Porsche knows that already....