Boxster/Cayman 718 GTS/SRS/GT4 & GT4 RS! - Page 3 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Being a petrol head constantly thinking of cars ( apart from y'day being Valentine's Day where I showered the wife with flowers and gifts before I then took the 981 BGTS out for a drive ) I've been thinking what car I get next. As much as I love the look of 911's I prefer the size of the Boxster/Cayman cars for placement on the road. I posted on another forum that I've been looking at the SRS which ticks the 'convertible' box as well as having the GT3 amazing engine. I do love the noise of my 981 so although the obvious next move might be a 718 I slightly think I'd miss the noise? I suppose for a likely 25k uplift I could get into the 718 GTS whereas the 718 Spyder is likely more like 35ish depending if I go manual or PDK. I massively like the look of the GT4 RS but all the reading tells me it's far more of a track car and not so much for road use. Not totally discounted it, more interested in actual owners views? And, maybe the 718 GT4 where there is the manual or PDK option works as a better road and track car for a good bit less. So, the 718 GTS 4.0 with good spec can be had for less than the 718 GT4 but does it miss lots of what the GT4 has to offer or, is it the perfect road/occasional track car for close to what the GT4 has to offer ? The car would not be a daily by any stretch. It'll be my weekend/summer car although being able to drive it during some winter months might come in handy. I'm also ( very slightly) wondering that as much as the GT4 RS & SRS sound epic, maybe the excitement of the noise wears off and some form of regret creeps in which is why there seems a good few for sale. Could the 718 Spyder be the perfect car then ? Less roof hassle than the SRS, possibly easier to live with although not the noise I love with the 981 BGTS. Need the PH massive views on this guys....... Sorry for so many questions. Damn you Porsche for making so many amazing variants ! Sorry , forgot to add I'd like to do 3/4 track days per year Edited by Esquire on Sunday 15th February 19:23

Regarding tracking the SRS are you aware there is a speed limit with the roof up of 120 odd mph which may be relevant? I think I read that someone had found that it is logged by the car if you exceed the limit… I’ve not had the roof error - but I follow the procedure in the manual carefully, several of the online “tutorials” do not. Good luck with your decision.

elisered said: Regarding tracking the SRS are you aware there is a speed limit with the roof up of 120 odd mph which may be relevant? I think I read that someone had found that it is logged by the car if you exceed the limit I ve not had the roof error - but I follow the procedure in the manual carefully, several of the online tutorials do not. Good luck with your decision. Cheers for the reply. Makes sense roof on at big speeds although seemed to remember seeing reviews there they say the roof could be left on at top speeds ? Guessing im wrong with this one. The epic(ness) of the SRS is hard to ignore over the either mentioned cars Edited by Esquire on Sunday 15th February 21:23

Esquire said: Cheers for the reply. Makes sense roof on at big speeds although seemed to remember seeing reviews there they say the roof could be left on at top speeds ? Guessing im wrong with this one. The epic(ness) of the SRS is hard to ignore over the either mentioned cars Edited by Esquire on Sunday 15th February 21:23 981 and 718 Spyders yes - SRS no. And the latter is epic IMHO.

elisered said: 981 and 718 Spyders yes - SRS no. And the latter is epic IMHO. I'm assuming you own one. Does the novelty of the noise wear off eventually & becomes annoying ? Much drone at lower speeds ?

I've got a 4.0 Boxster 25 Years (so basically a GTS with some shiny bits added) and it's probably the last sports car I'll ever buy as it does everything I want and more. I don't do track days but for 2-4k mile touring holidays in Europe I've found it to be the perfect car for the job, comfortable, practical, capable and huge fun when you want it to perform especially through places like the passes across the Alps and the hills through Tuscany and Umbria. In the end though it'll probably come down to what you like and you'll likely only know that if you go out and drive all of the candidates on your list. Good luck.

Esquire said: I'm assuming you own one. Does the novelty of the noise wear off eventually & becomes annoying ? Much drone at lower speeds ? Yes it’s a special car which some will get on with and others not. The “noise” is controlled by your right foot so perfectly possible to drive without annoyance or drone and the roof is a non issue for me. But then again I didn’t recognise the many faults that the internet ascribes to the 981 Spyder it replaced :-) I remember now there was a thread on Rennlist last year of someone who “lost” the roof - apparently properly secured and not at excessive speed. Did a lot of damage to the clamshell - never saw the outcome of the inquest.

Esquire said: elisered said: Regarding tracking the SRS are you aware there is a speed limit with the roof up of 120 odd mph which may be relevant? I think I read that someone had found that it is logged by the car if you exceed the limit I ve not had the roof error - but I follow the procedure in the manual carefully, several of the online tutorials do not. Good luck with your decision. Cheers for the reply. Makes sense roof on at big speeds although seemed to remember seeing reviews there they say the roof could be left on at top speeds ? Guessing im wrong with this one. The epic(ness) of the SRS is hard to ignore over the either mentioned cars Edited by Esquire on Sunday 15th February 21:23 Had a few 911’s over the years with 991.1 3RS & .2 manual 3 which I wished I’d kept hold of. Anyhow think it’s time to scratch an itch again and do fancy the look of a SRS after seeing the one at Alexander’s prestige last month. Do like the black one at Wolverhampton. Anyhow regarding the speed restriction with roof on? Is this in the manual?

From the manual:- The convertible top can inflate from a speed of approx. 200 km/h (125 mph). If the convertible top is installed, do not drive faster than 200 km/h (125 mph).

Have owned 2 x 718 GT4, GT4RS and currently have SRS. My Short resume would be: they are all special cars with the RS twins being in a different league. Did a few long road trips in both RS cars and the SRS was definitely the better of the two. Which to buy? Well, if it’s primarily a road car you want then the SRS wins hands down. At the moment they are a proper bargain also. Re the much maligned roof, early on mine displayed the fault a couple of times - suspect that may have been my own fault mind you, haven’t had the fault for months now my technique has improved. Sure an electric mechanism would be much handier but I’d rather have the car, with the full fat RS engine and the roof as is, than no SRS. Once you’re used to it, it’s not much more hassle than say a Caterham or Lotus Exige/Elise. Re the 125 MPH “issue”, I’d say that’s a red herring really if you live in the UK - your a brave (or foolish) man doing these kind of speeds. If it’s on the Autobahn then let’s face it, on cup tyres it’s going to be a dry day anyway before your trying high speed runs, so a non issue - in my mind anyway.

finmac said: Have owned 2 x 718 GT4, GT4RS and currently have SRS. My Short resume would be: they are all special cars with the RS twins being in a different league. Did a few long road trips in both RS cars and the SRS was definitely the better of the two. Which to buy? Well, if it s primarily a road car you want then the SRS wins hands down. At the moment they are a proper bargain also. Re the much maligned roof, early on mine displayed the fault a couple of times - suspect that may have been my own fault mind you, haven t had the fault for months now my technique has improved. Sure an electric mechanism would be much handier but I d rather have the car, with the full fat RS engine and the roof as is, than no SRS. Once you re used to it, it s not much more hassle than say a Caterham or Lotus Exige/Elise. Re the 125 MPH issue , I d say that s a red herring really if you live in the UK - your a brave (or foolish) man doing these kind of speeds. If it s on the Autobahn then let s face it, on cup tyres it s going to be a dry day anyway before your trying high speed runs, so a non issue - in my mind anyway. Great write up thank you. Good point re the roof and going fast in the UK anyway. Is it essential to get a car with the Wiessack pack would you say ?

I would say that the 4.0 GTS is a much better road car than the 718 GT4 / Spyder / RS models and is more a than adequate steed for a few trackdays per year. It's plenty fast enough on the road, more playful too in my experience vs a previously owned 981 GT4 and far more livable-with all year round. I drove my GT4 all year round on Cup 2s and did a few trackdays in it, and (for me at least) the GTS is the better all-round proposition. I kept the GT4 for more than 4 years and I've had the GTS 4.0 for more than 5 years. There are no bad choices here, of course. Just what suits you best.

Agree with the above I bloody love my cayman 4.0 gts coming from 2 boxster spyders. It does everything really well fast enough, agile , sounds great and looks bloody great too And you could quite happily drive to a track day and drive home after.

Size-wise the 991 is the same width as and a few inches longer than a 981/982. IIRC the 992 is the same width over mirrors as the 991, although the looks are bloated.

Esquire said: finmac said: Have owned 2 x 718 GT4, GT4RS and currently have SRS. My Short resume would be: they are all special cars with the RS twins being in a different league. Did a few long road trips in both RS cars and the SRS was definitely the better of the two. Which to buy? Well, if it s primarily a road car you want then the SRS wins hands down. At the moment they are a proper bargain also. Re the much maligned roof, early on mine displayed the fault a couple of times - suspect that may have been my own fault mind you, haven t had the fault for months now my technique has improved. Sure an electric mechanism would be much handier but I d rather have the car, with the full fat RS engine and the roof as is, than no SRS. Once you re used to it, it s not much more hassle than say a Caterham or Lotus Exige/Elise. Re the 125 MPH issue , I d say that s a red herring really if you live in the UK - your a brave (or foolish) man doing these kind of speeds. If it s on the Autobahn then let s face it, on cup tyres it s going to be a dry day anyway before your trying high speed runs, so a non issue - in my mind anyway. Great write up thank you. Good point re the roof and going fast in the UK anyway. Is it essential to get a car with the Wiessack pack would you say ? WP is very much a personal thing - is it worth £10K odd new was the question I had, for me the answer was no. A couple of reasons, I am lucky enough to have other cars with lots of CF so wasn’t fussed about having another plus I like the unpainted bonnet, lastly not planning selling the SRS any time soon so the CF seem poor value. Saying all that, there’s currently plenty WP cars for sale at good prices so the extra cost is not such a factor second hand. In summary tho, buy what you like!

Stunters said: I would say that the 4.0 GTS is a much better road car than the 718 GT4 / Spyder / RS models and is more a than adequate steed for a few trackdays per year. It's plenty fast enough on the road, more playful too in my experience vs a previously owned 981 GT4 and far more livable-with all year round. I drove my GT4 all year round on Cup 2s and did a few trackdays in it, and (for me at least) the GTS is the better all-round proposition. I kept the GT4 for more than 4 years and I've had the GTS 4.0 for more than 5 years. There are no bad choices here, of course. Just what suits you best. Thanks . 4.0 GTS very much also in the running . For clarity - do you have the cayman 4.0 not the BGTS and also how were the brakes on track ? Does the GTS get slightly larger brakes over the S ? I also had a 981 GT4 on Carrera S brakes which were adequate on track days .

finmac said: WP is very much a personal thing - is it worth £10K odd new was the question I had, for me the answer was no. A couple of reasons, I am lucky enough to have other cars with lots of CF so wasn t fussed about having another plus I like the unpainted bonnet, lastly not planning selling the SRS any time soon so the CF seem poor value. Saying all that, there s currently plenty WP cars for sale at good prices so the extra cost is not such a factor second hand. In summary tho, buy what you like! Thanks so much

I’ve got a Cayman GTS 4.0 which I love and it does everything so well as others have said. However, I keep looking at GT4 RS’s but don’t think they’re worth the 80k uplift.

james28 said: Agree with the above I bloody love my cayman 4.0 gts coming from 2 boxster spyders. It does everything really well fast enough, agile , sounds great and looks bloody great too And you could quite happily drive to a track day and drive home after. Great . On steels and not PCCB's I'm assuming? Option B could be to keep my very lovely 981 BGTS PDK and buy a Cayman GTS manual with the right Spec for winter and occasional track days

I have a 2023 Cayman GTS 4.0, i have no intention in selling it for a very long time as it ticks every box for me.

Thats a great looking car.

Whistle said: I have a 2023 Cayman GTS 4.0, i have no intention in selling it for a very long time as it ticks every box for me. Super lovely that. Manual or PDK may I ask ? Edited by Esquire on Tuesday 17th February 06:21

Esquire said: Does the GTS get slightly larger brakes over the S ? I also had a 981 GT4 on Carrera S brakes which were adequate on track days . The 4.0 takes the brakes from the 991/992 S so more than adequate for track use.

scrounger73 said: The 4.0 takes the brakes from the 991/992 S so more than adequate for track use. Perfect thanks

GT4 gets GT3 brake setup, which had larger rotors than corresponding Carrera S of the period. So thats 380mm all around for steel. 718 4.0 GTS will be 350mm Front and 350 or 330 rear. Plenty enough. GT4 is well over-specced wrt braking for its weight. 718RS even more so. Edited by TDT on Tuesday 17th February 07:18

TDT said: GT4 gets GT3 brake setup, which had larger rotors than corresponding Carrera S of the period. So thats 380mm all around for steel. 718 4.0 GTS will be 350mm Front and 350 or 330 rear. Plenty enough. GT4 is well over-specced wrt braking for its weight. 718RS even more so. Edited by TDT on Tuesday 17th February 07:18 Fab thanks

Esquire said: Super lovely that. Manual or PDK may I ask ? Edited by Esquire on Tuesday 17th February 06:21 It’s a PDK

Whistle said: It s a PDK Cheers

Voodoo Blue said: I've got a 4.0 Boxster 25 Years (so basically a GTS with some shiny bits added) and it's probably the last sports car I'll ever buy as it does everything I want and more. I don't do track days but for 2-4k mile touring holidays in Europe I've found it to be the perfect car for the job, comfortable, practical, capable and huge fun when you want it to perform especially through places like the passes across the Alps and the hills through Tuscany and Umbria. In the end though it'll probably come down to what you like and you'll likely only know that if you go out and drive all of the candidates on your list. Good luck. Have had a Boxster 25 for 4 years and it is simply a great car for driving, practical with two boots and cheap to run. Looks great with the gold detailing, although spending 2k for matching gold stitching was a little wasteful!

Beautiful cars - Perfect road sports car really and rare too. 1250 worldwide. Less than Carrera GT and less than 911 S/T.

flow99 said: Have had a Boxster 25 for 4 years and it is simply a great car for driving, practical with two boots and cheap to run. Looks great with the gold detailing, although spending 2k for matching gold stitching was a little wasteful! Really like that . Gold wheels are a nice contrast to the bodywork .

No regrets mate coming from a list of previous porsches.987.2 spyder 997 carrera S and a 996 turbo The 4.0 gts manual is bloody brilliant.

james28 said: No regrets mate coming from a list of previous porsches.987.2 spyder 997 carrera S and a 996 turbo The 4.0 gts manual is bloody brilliant. Seriously love that in red & manual . If I could improve on one thing , I'd have the buckets but that's it . Do you track the car occasionally?

flow99 said: Have had a Boxster 25 for 4 years and it is simply a great car for driving, practical with two boots and cheap to run. Looks great with the gold detailing, although spending 2k for matching gold stitching was a little wasteful! That's really nice, I did seriously consider White when I spec'ed mine but in the end decided Silver was the colour I would be happy to live with if I kept the car and for me it turned out to be the right decision. We've put 23k miles on it mainly on road trips and it's a quite brilliant package. I get others will want something a bit more edgy and faster but again for me the GTS spec is perfect. Gratuitous pic from a couple of years ago on our way up the Stelvio Pass.

Esquire said: Seriously love that in red & manual . If I could improve on one thing , I'd have the buckets but that's it . Do you track the car occasionally? To be fair I had the buckets in the 987 spyder and on my road trip round Europe I had terrible bum and back ache so had to get some cushions and a back support for the journey. Yes they look stunning carbon buckets but for me and this will be primarily a Euro cruiser needed more comfort.

Esquire said: Thanks . 4.0 GTS very much also in the running . For clarity - do you have the cayman 4.0 not the BGTS and also how were the brakes on track ? Does the GTS get slightly larger brakes over the S ? I also had a 981 GT4 on Carrera S brakes which were adequate on track days . Yes, mine's a Cayman GTS 4.0 with a manual gearbox. The brakes are fine on track, even when pushing fairly hard, as long as you keep your sessions reasonably short. As others have said, they are a step up on the S, both in terms of disc size but also callipers (six-pots on the front, four-pots on the rear). Gratuitous picture of mine: Edited by Stunters on Tuesday 17th February 19:44

Romo said: Well, I just love the car, never tired od it, even just looking at it. How do you find it for road driving ?

Well, I just love the car, never tired of it, even just looking at it.

Stunters said: Yes, mine's a Cayman GTS 4.0 with a manual gearbox. The brakes are fine on track, even when pushing fairly hard, as long as you keep your sessions reasonably short. As others have said, they are a step up on the S, both in terms of disc size but also callipers (six-pots on the front, four-pots on the rear). Gratuitous picture of mine: Edited by Stunters on Tuesday 17th February 19:44 Thanks, looks amazing

Very good for me, have to say I do live in the Netherlands, and our roads are perfect for this car, B roads no problem what so ever, planted and solid compliant ride, firm yes, but nowhere but aching.

TDT said: GT4 gets GT3 brake setup, which had larger rotors than corresponding Carrera S of the period. So thats 380mm all around for steel. 718 4.0 GTS will be 350mm Front and 350 or 330 rear. Plenty enough. [b]GT4 is well over-specced wrt braking for its weight. 718RS even more so.[/b] Edited by TDT on Tuesday 17th February 07:18 I’ve often complained about Porsche braking but I think the GT4 on steel brakes is just about perfect. I have one with carbon brakes and the other with steel and I much prefer the steel.

Romo said: Very good for me, have to say I do live in the Netherlands, and our roads are perfect for this car, B roads no problem what so ever, planted and solid compliant ride, firm yes, but nowhere but aching. Fair . Different story in the UK trying to dodge potholes I guess . Would love one but know UK owners that use one for track use only

TrevorHill said: TDT said: GT4 gets GT3 brake setup, which had larger rotors than corresponding Carrera S of the period. So thats 380mm all around for steel. 718 4.0 GTS will be 350mm Front and 350 or 330 rear. Plenty enough. GT4 is well over-specced wrt braking for its weight, 718RS even more so I ve often complained about Porsche braking but I think the GT4 on steel brakes is just about perfect. I have one with carbon brakes and the other with steel and I much prefer the steel. Oh yes definitely love the performance.

@Esquire, from everything in your list of possible cars, there are no bad choices from things I've tried. I went from a 2.0 718 Cayman to a 981 GT4 some years ago. I then got another 2.0 718 as a winter hack so I didn't get the GT4 too salty. Then in 2023, fearing the days of NA were numbered, replaced the 2.0 718 with a Cayman GTS 4.0 (uber winter hack!) All up to that point had been manual, and all brilliant in their own way. In 2024 I was offered an allocation for a GT4 RS, which I accepted. Had to reluctantly sell the 981 GT4 to make space and kept the GTS 4.0. Best all round road car of all those is the GTS 4.0. (I'm lying slightly, because the 2.0T was probably better still, but I doubt it's what you want. I may go back one day.) While I haven't taken the GTS 4.0 on track, I definitely would. As someone said above, brakes probably only good for 20 minute sessions, when the GT4 steel brakes are completely up to the job. GT4 RS steel brakes are even better, though not for pedal feel on track. GT4 RS is fine on the road, but I find the cabin noise a bit wearing. Ride comfort and handling for the road no harder to live with than a 718 GT4, and rather better than the old 981 GT4. Mine has ended up doing mostly track and occasional fine weather commuting. It will be interesting to see how much I use it for road when the weather improves. I already have quite a few track days booked, but it's also a hoot for scooting into work on a nice day. A very loveable car, but the GTS has it all in comparison. If I was only able to have one, the sensible choices are the 4.0 GTS or the 718 GT4, and with PDK in both instances. I'm not that sensible, so I'd probably try and find myself a good example 981 GT4 instead, but my head says 4.0 GTS. They are just a nice easy thing for everyday, but also really pretty sporty when you turn up the wick. I think of mine as comfy slippers that turn into sports shoes whenever you want them to. Liam

LiamH66 said: @Esquire, from everything in your list of possible cars, there are no bad choices from things I've tried. I went from a 2.0 718 Cayman to a 981 GT4 some years ago. I then got another 2.0 718 as a winter hack so I didn't get the GT4 too salty. Then in 2023, fearing the days of NA were numbered, replaced the 2.0 718 with a Cayman GTS 4.0 (uber winter hack!) All up to that point had been manual, and all brilliant in their own way. In 2024 I was offered an allocation for a GT4 RS, which I accepted. Had to reluctantly sell the 981 GT4 to make space and kept the GTS 4.0. Best all round road car of all those is the GTS 4.0. (I'm lying slightly, because the 2.0T was probably better still, but I doubt it's what you want. I may go back one day.) While I haven't taken the GTS 4.0 on track, I definitely would. As someone said above, brakes probably only good for 20 minute sessions, when the GT4 steel brakes are completely up to the job. GT4 RS steel brakes are even better, though not for pedal feel on track. GT4 RS is fine on the road, but I find the cabin noise a bit wearing. Ride comfort and handling for the road no harder to live with than a 718 GT4, and rather better than the old 981 GT4. Mine has ended up doing mostly track and occasional fine weather commuting. It will be interesting to see how much I use it for road when the weather improves. I already have quite a few track days booked, but it's also a hoot for scooting into work on a nice day. A very loveable car, but the GTS has it all in comparison. If I was only able to have one, the sensible choices are the 4.0 GTS or the 718 GT4, and with PDK in both instances. I'm not that sensible, so I'd probably try and find myself a good example 981 GT4 instead, but my head says 4.0 GTS. They are just a nice easy thing for everyday, but also really pretty sporty when you turn up the wick. I think of mine as comfy slippers that turn into sports shoes whenever you want them to. Liam Cheers for the write up Liam, very informative.

Voodoo Blue said: That's really nice, I did seriously consider White when I spec'ed mine but in the end decided Silver was the colour I would be happy to live with if I kept the car and for me it turned out to be the right decision. We've put 23k miles on it mainly on road trips and it's a quite brilliant package. I get others will want something a bit more edgy and faster but again for me the GTS spec is perfect. Gratuitous pic from a couple of years ago on our way up the Stelvio Pass. This went through CC's last night . So 68k plus the commissions still strong money. Not sure what they were new mind

Esquire said: This went through CC's last night . So 68k plus the commissions still strong money. Not sure what they were new mind They were quite highly specified as standard compared to the GTS equivalent but with PDK and a few more necessary extras like duel climate, most would have been in the low 80s. I believe only around 100 were allocated to the UK so they are pretty rare comparatively speaking and that might be reflected in the prices being asked which is pretty good for a car that's around 4 years old. There is one up for sale at High Wycombe for nearly £100k with 30 miles on the clock which I think is a bit bonkers.

Voodoo Blue said: Esquire said: This went through CC's last night . So 68k plus the commissions still strong money. Not sure what they were new mind They were quite highly specified as standard compared to the GTS equivalent but with PDK and a few more necessary extras like duel climate, most would have been in the low 80s. I believe only around 100 were allocated to the UK so they are pretty rare comparatively speaking and that might be reflected in the prices being asked which is pretty good for a car that's around 4 years old. There is one up for sale at High Wycombe for nearly £100k with 30 miles on the clock which I think is a bit bonkers. Ours was £85K OTR, but including a lot of options with PCCB, PDK and the fabulous £2k for neodyme stitching! Still pleased with minimum lack of depreciation after 4 years

Love a Cayman/Boxster chat. The 25 Boxster really is lovely. I imagine having a car so close to it is the answer, but wondering why the also rare 981 Spyder isn't on the list? rare, manual, NA, road biased suspension.... noise... I guess they're getting on a bit now...

Hi OP, great dilema to have! I've had a 718 GT4 and now have the 718 Spyder, obviously the same platform/engine/drivetrain but I found them quite different in character. My GT4 was a clubsport spec (1/2 cage, carbon buckets etc) and had a very track/fast road oriented geo. It was quick enough for me, handled very well and just ticked every box. It was a purely sunny day and road trip car and I really enjoyed it. The GT4's do have quite a drone to them, enough it becomes a bit annoying over a 10 day road trip. It was great driving fast, less so when you're in traffic/cruising. The Spyder I went for comfort seats and I have left the geo stock. With the roof down it's much more of an event to just be cruising and when you do get a chance to get your foot down it does the same thing as the GT4. The suspension is a bit softer, but still sports car firm and to me it's a bit more playful at the back, maybe a geo thing and I have PS4s's rather than Cup 2's on there. So for a track car, the GT4 (clubsport spec) every day, for sunny drives and road trips the Spyder does it for me. I have driven a GT4RS and a Spyder RS , the GT4RS is too loud for me personally. The Spyder I have considered but for the extra outlay I don't know if, with my driving ability I'd really get much more out of it than the standard Spyder. One from left field, I did have a 987 Spyder many years ago and that was a very sweet drive. The only car I really regret selling!

Quickmoose said: Love a Cayman/Boxster chat. The 25 Boxster really is lovely. I imagine having a car so close to it is the answer, but wondering why the also rare 981 Spyder isn't on the list? rare, manual, NA, road biased suspension.... noise... I guess they're getting on a bit now... I guess as I had once owned a 981 GT4 which of course was manual and now own a 981 BGTS PDK which I do really like. So I suppose the idea of looking elsewhere is for something that can combine having the roof off but also having some track capability too .

Big E 118 said: Hi OP, great dilema to have! I've had a 718 GT4 and now have the 718 Spyder, obviously the same platform/engine/drivetrain but I found them quite different in character. My GT4 was a clubsport spec (1/2 cage, carbon buckets etc) and had a very track/fast road oriented geo. It was quick enough for me, handled very well and just ticked every box. It was a purely sunny day and road trip car and I really enjoyed it. The GT4's do have quite a drone to them, enough it becomes a bit annoying over a 10 day road trip. It was great driving fast, less so when you're in traffic/cruising. The Spyder I went for comfort seats and I have left the geo stock. With the roof down it's much more of an event to just be cruising and when you do get a chance to get your foot down it does the same thing as the GT4. The suspension is a bit softer, but still sports car firm and to me it's a bit more playful at the back, maybe a geo thing and I have PS4s's rather than Cup 2's on there. So for a track car, the GT4 (clubsport spec) every day, for sunny drives and road trips the Spyder does it for me. I have driven a GT4RS and a Spyder RS , the GT4RS is too loud for me personally. The Spyder I have considered but for the extra outlay I don't know if, with my driving ability I'd really get much more out of it than the standard Spyder. One from left field, I did have a 987 Spyder many years ago and that was a very sweet drive. The only car I really regret selling! Thank you. Did you go manual or PDK ? I did once own a 987 Spyder straight after selling my 981 GT4 and found it a little Meh but I guess as was used to the harder ride and accuracy of the GT4. The tent like roof didn't bother me too much but my patience levels have since dropped so the 718 Spyder roof might suit better to the RS version. Maybe the better option for me would be the 718 Spyder that unlike the 981 variants share most of the running gear of the GT4 and available with PDK . 718 also has same brakes as GT4 too ? Edited by Esquire on Wednesday 18th February 16:11

Esquire said: Thank you. Did you go manual or PDK ? I did once own a 987 Spyder straight after selling my 981 GT4 and found it a little Meh but I guess as was used to the harder ride and accuracy of the GT4. The tent like roof didn't bother me too much but my patience levels have since dropped so the 718 Spyder roof might suit better to the RS version. Maybe the better option for me would be the 718 Spyder that unlike the 981 variants share most of the running gear of the GT4 and available with PDK . 718 also has same brakes as GT4 too ? Edited by Esquire on Wednesday 18th February 16:11 Both the GT4 and Spyder are PDK. Yes the Spyder has the same brakes as the GT4, It's mechanically the same car, dampers are softer and the front splitter is smaller due to not having a rear wing like the GT4 so overall downforce is less. Shame you didn't get on with the 987, probably feels underpowered now but it's such a delicate handling and well balanced car.

718 GT4 and 718 Spyder have exactly the same damper and spring rates at 45N/mm Front and 80N/mm Rear 4RS and SRS do differ. SRS is essentially the same as GT4 and Spyder. 4RS is 100N/mm Front and 140N/mm Rear

TDT said: 718 GT4 and 718 Spyder have exactly the same damper and spring rates at 45N/mm Front and 80N/mm Rear 4RS and SRS do differ. SRS is essentially the same as GT4 and Spyder. 4RS is 100N/mm Front and 140N/mm Rear Interesting, thanks. Driven back to back the 718 Spyder and GT4 definitely feel different.

Technical spec of the dampers and springs is exactly the same. Spyder rides different because it is open top… so not as stiff as the tin top. There may be a difference in the PASM calibration… but this is not disclosed/confirmed.