I guess it is fairly clear from my previous Italy post and my blog’s header picture…I am a big Ferrari fan. And in the past I certainly did not have much sympathy for ‘that other brand’…Porsche. Not as passionate, not as beautiful, not as special….I could come up with all kinds of reasons.
Over the years however, a slight embarrassment grew over me as I had no choice but to admit that some of my favourite cars were actually from that other brand. The Carrera GT is simply the best sounding road-legal supercar in the world, and my favourite car ever. The old 550 Spyder is by far my most favourite classic car, and the new 918 Spyder is nothing less but stunning.
But those cars are for a select elite group in the world, of which I will never be part. As for the others…I still couldn’t care less about 911’s, Cayennes, and while I was more a fan of the Boxster/Cayman series, even those didn’t really warm me up. And then a few things happened…
A friend of mine took me for a drive on the Nürburgring in a Cayman. After two corners my mouth fell open…how can such a car, far below ‘supercar level’, have such amazing handling? This was quite a shocker to me. I was thinking to myself ‘this actually handles much better than my Ferrari 360…’. Of course I didn’t tell the owner (a huge Porsche fan) to spare him the satisfaction from admitting that his car handles better. I only told him that his car sounded like a vacuum cleaner as he hadn’t checked the option for a sport exhaust when he bought it.
Not long after, another event happened. Top Gear reviewed a thing that was called the Boxster Spyder. A stripped down, lighter and more hardcore version of the Boxster. James May loved it and I started thinking…is this a kind of ‘Ferrari Challenge Stradale’ version of the Boxster? It was time to find out.
Went to the dealer and asked for a test-drive. Indeed…handling was superb. The car felt light, agile and loved to oversteer. A few things were still bothering me…the sound wasn’t that exciting, and it takes 8 minutes to put the roof up. With the very rainy climate where I live, it’s not exactly ideal. When the dealer offered a very low trade-in price for my Ferrari, I walked away from the deal. No Porsche then. For now…
Fast-forward four years…and a new version of the Spyder came out. “981 Boxster Spyder”, or simply labelled on the rear side of the car as “Spyder”, could this be the one? A more ‘cool’ looking exterior. Even the roof was more simple and could now be put up within a minute. Reviews were raving; Steve Sutcliff called it the best Boxster yet, Sunday Times Driving said “the pops and the bangs from the exhaust are absolutely outrageous” and called it “the most fun Porsche for most of the time”. Nürburgring lap time: 7:49 (13% slower than the 918 Spyder), and a top speed of 290 km/hr (15% slower than the 918 Spyder).
In the meantime however, there was competition: the Alfa 4C. And I was also wondering if I should consider the Aston Martin V8 (which I still find the most beautiful of the three). Three test drives later it was clear that the Alfa and Aston were no match in terms of driving sensation, and the deal was done…I had ordered the Spyder.
Friends and family were not amused. “You changed to Porsche?”. “Well..yes”. “But why?”. Thumbs down on Facebook posts, etc. The reasons, for me, are simple:
The driving experience is fantastic. The handling is incredibly good, the steering is perfect. Despite the high gear ratios (which I don’t mind at all on the road), this is one of the best gear boxes I’ve ever felt and the auto-blip on downshifting is a sensation in itself with the sport exhaust. And Sunday Times Driving were right when they said that the pops and bangs from the exhaust are outrageous: it gives me a smile every time!
The interior is near-perfect too. Seating position perfect, everything in the right place. Communication system a bit dull and I wished that the leather parts were alcantara too, but the carbon fiber with alcantara bucket seats as well the alcantara dash and sides make up for that.
The exterior I find impressive too with the resemblance to the original 718 (and Carrera GT… and a bit 918 Spyder too) with the speedster-style double-bubbles on the rear, and the GT3 spoiler in the front.
Always in good company…
Last year a new Spyder model came out: the 718 Spyder. Reviews are good because of its looks and the fact that now it is basically the same car as the GT4. However performance is not that much improved over the 981 due to the 718 Spyder’s higher weight, and everybody complains about the sound, or lack of it. And this is one of the most spectacular aspects of driving my 981 version. Shall I upgrade? It won’t be cheap as an aftermarket exhaust will need to be installed (and it’s always hard to test the sound when ordering an aftermarket exhaust), and I’m not sure if GT4 suspension is necessarily nicer on the road. Once I drive it I will decide (I’ve requested a test drive 9 months ago; it’s actually quicker to make and have a baby!) but I’m wondering… why upgrade if you are so happy with a car?
Ferrari is still the brand that is closest to my heart. The F8 tribute, the new Roma….they are absolutely amazing cars. But when it comes to sheer fun for bucks, I think the Boxster Spyder offers 80% of the sensation of a 918 Spyder, at 20% of the price, in a package that has stunning looks and can be driven daily. And that makes it in my opinion the best deal you can have when it comes down to buying a fun car.
And my Ferrari friends? Of course quite a few of them were also Porsche fan in the first place. And the rest are not only happy for me, they also appreciate the character of this car. Three of them have bought a Porsche as well in the meantime. Did I set a trend?
Lago di Garda trip. This time not in a Minotto.
Ciao!
Robin
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Beautiful article Robin, I love it and fully endorse your very skilled analysis.
Phi (GT4 981).