Weather is finally good enough for me to take the Speedster out to Whistler and stretch it's legs.
My first trip in this car on this road. Steering feel is very good, ride is very compliant yet the body control is excellent, I would rate the suspension better than the 911R, that one is a wee bit too firm and bounce a bit more. Nothing close to the GT2RS for punishment though.
Unlike the 911 turbo S, this is not a effortless car, that one magically just complete every task I asked of it or even thought of, this one needed work to complete the tasks. Some called it driver involvement though. I however think of it like high school students, this car is the one that studies every day and get straight As after, turbo S is the kid that parties every night and a quick glance at the text books the morning before exams and still get straight As. GT2RS would be the kid that just skip a grade or 2. They all get straight As but achieve it very differently.
Set aside the production number issues, the Speedster is a all around better car than the 911R. maybe the single mass flywheel is slightly better in the 911R, but I really don't think that can tilt the table enough in the 911R's flavour, the Speedster, even with the new exhaust arrangement, sounds better (at least in North American trim without the actual filter). Think that's due to the lack of a roof, or even just the cloth top, I have wring both engines out to 9k next to a rock wall on the mountain road, the Speedster has the better reverberated sound even when the windows are down in the 911R. I mentioned the Speedster rides better than the 911R, it does have a slightly softer suspension tune but that does not give away any steering feel, it made the car much more connected to the road, and I already have the Speedster in Sport setting 24/7. On a track the 911R feels fine, but on public roads with slight imperfections it does skipped slightly, not as bad as a GT2RS but the difference is noticeable when compared with the Speedster.
WInd buffing is minimal in the Speedster with the windows up, whatever is left a baseball cap is an easy fix. Heater is good enough to keep warm on a slight chilling mountain morning, and the air-con is good enough to keep cool in the warm afternoon.
Security when parked with the top down is excellent. Glovebox can be locked and whatever is put in the rear cubicles are blocked off when the 2 seats are all the way back, with windows up no human have long enough arms to pull the handle to slide the seat forward.
If I had to redo the car again, the bucket seats are definitely out, I am going with 18-ways. This is like the 5th car I have that has these seats. Novelty wore off a looooooong time ago.
Good writeup Nick.
You have way more mileage in yours than mine already. But hitting 9K, you don't care about break in procedure??
Agree with you on 18 ways, but buckets look better. I'm looking into replacing with more comfy custom made cushions +/- lumbar support, but wife said this will spoil the original look. Or I can get cheap and just buy 2 small cushions...
Tim
2010 997.2 GT3RS; 2008 Cayenne Turbo; 2006 911 Club Coupe; 2016 911 GTS Club Coupe; 2015 Macan S; 2019 Speedster
Targa Tim:Good writeup Nick.
You have way more mileage in yours than mine already. But hitting 9K, you don't care about break in procedure??
Agree with you on 18 ways, but buckets look better. I'm looking into replacing with more comfy custom made cushions +/- lumbar support, but wife said this will spoil the original look. Or I can get cheap and just buy 2 small cushions...
When everything is up to temperature, 9k is fine.
The most important thing is have the internals at working temperature, as those parts are designed to function at that temp. The break in procedures in the manual is for idiots that don't wait till engine is up to temp before revving them. By 2500, 5000 km comes around, the parts would have worn down a bit and loosen up so it doesn't break immediately when those said idiots rev them to redline when cold.
As for looks, name me one Porsche Speedster over that years that came with racing buckets. Not a 356 version, not a 911, not a 964, certainly not a 993, nor a 997 version. What's spoiling the looks now?
May 10, 2020 7:32:04 PM
Thanks Nick, the combination of that car and a place up in Whistler, you're a lucky (and noisy) bastard!
1969 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 / 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (sold) / 2011 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Performance / 2014 BMW-Alpina D3 biturbo Touring / 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 Clubsport
The Speedster is not a car to be driven alone in. Also, bucket seats are a must. The car is about sporty speed thus the name Speedster. Tim's wife knows her cars.
BTW, bucket seats can't be more than 15-20 years old. It's no wonder earlier models didn't have them.
When you're going through hell.....keep going.
Bucket seats don't really stands for sporty, it's more about 'racey'.
Porsche's own 18 way sports seat IS the sporty seat. With a street 3 point seat belt, a properly adjusted 18-way is just as supportive as the 918 buckets. The 918 seats only shows it's true colours when paired with a 6-point. But then again a Recaro race seat leave the 918 buckets in the dust.
Porsche spent all those money developing a new seat for the 918, hence why every other car has that seat as an option. It does save some weight over the 18-way, but then again I saved more weight by not taking a passenger.
Also, the Speedster doesn't need to be driven spiritedly to enjoy, it is a very capable car when pushed and enjoyable, but even at much slower speed, it is a very enjoyable car with the top down.
None of the previous versions of the Speedsters are 'fast' machine by Porsche's own standard in their respective time period, they mostly just have a regular N/A engine. This generation is the first one from them that gets a hot engine.
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May 11, 2020 6:04:38 AM
Whoopsy:None of the previous versions of the Speedsters are 'fast' machine by Porsche's own standard in their respective time period, they mostly just have a regular N/A engine. This generation is the first one from them that gets a hot engine.
and a chassis tweak
GT Lover, Porsche fan
991.2 GT3 manual
Cayenne GTS 2014
Whoopsy:Targa Tim:Good writeup Nick.
You have way more mileage in yours than mine already. But hitting 9K, you don't care about break in procedure??
Agree with you on 18 ways, but buckets look better. I'm looking into replacing with more comfy custom made cushions +/- lumbar support, but wife said this will spoil the original look. Or I can get cheap and just buy 2 small cushions...
When everything is up to temperature, 9k is fine.
The most important thing is have the internals at working temperature, as those parts are designed to function at that temp. The break in procedures in the manual is for idiots that don't wait till engine is up to temp before revving them. By 2500, 5000 km comes around, the parts would have worn down a bit and loosen up so it doesn't break immediately when those said idiots rev them to redline when cold.
As for looks, name me one Porsche Speedster over that years that came with racing buckets. Not a 356 version, not a 911, not a 964, certainly not a 993, nor a 997 version. What's spoiling the looks now?
Almost all 356 and 964 Speedsters had bucket seats...at least in Europe.
Regarding the 991, I would never buy a GT car without buckets, that’s part of the whole experience...imo.
Blueflame
Whoopsy:blueflame:
Haha never really consider these as buckets, but maybe perhaps they are.
Aka death trap.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes GLC63 S AMG (2020), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)
Whoopsy:blueflame:
Haha never really consider these as buckets, but maybe perhaps they are.
Here's a shot of the buckets I remember from my 1973 911 RS/IROC:
The seats are a good likeness, but the fire extinguisher is not original.
https://www.total911.com/sales-spotlight-porsche-911-carrera-3-0-rsr-iroc/
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Mike
918 Spyder + Tesla Roadster 1.5 & Model S P100D AP2 + Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid + BMW Z8 + BMW 3.0 CSi + Bentley Arnage T
Here's a shot of the buckets I remember from my 1973 911 RS/IROC:
The seats are a good likeness, but the fire extinguisher is not original.
https://www.total911.com/sales-spotlight-porsche-911-carrera-3-0-rsr-iroc/
--
Mike
918 Spyder + Tesla Roadster 1.5 & Model S P100D AP2 + Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid + BMW Z8 + BMW 3.0 CSi + Bentley Arnage T
Great pic..I didn’t knew that the Iroc cars hat the basic steering wheel.
Blueflame
blueflame:
Here's a shot of the buckets I remember from my 1973 911 RS/IROC:
The seats are a good likeness, but the fire extinguisher is not original.
https://www.total911.com/sales-spotlight-porsche-911-carrera-3-0-rsr-iroc/
--
Mike
918 Spyder + Tesla Roadster 1.5 & Model S P100D AP2 + Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid + BMW Z8 + BMW 3.0 CSi + Bentley Arnage T
Great pic..I didn’t knew that the Iroc cars hat the basic steering wheel.
Blueflame
Thanks. The wheel looks common but was extra fat in grip thickness. Same one as used on 3.0 RS.
I obtained a spare one for my 914/6 project car:
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Mike
918 Spyder + Tesla Roadster 1.5 & Model S P100D AP2 + Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid + BMW Z8 + BMW 3.0 CSi + Bentley Arnage T
Aug 6, 2020 11:17:28 PM