https://rennlist.com/forums/718-gts-4-0-gt4-gt4rs-spyder-25th-anniversary/1385229-spyder-rs-driving-ownership-impressions-36.html Hello, fellow car enthusiasts! Prepare yourself: The 718 Spyder RS is hands down the best sports car of the last 10 (or maybe even 20) years. If that statement rubs you the wrong way, I invite you to take an SRS for a spin on a road designed to showcase its glory. I'm not throwing around "for the money" caveats—this car stands as the pinnacle of modern driving dynamics, no matter the brand or price. I say this with conviction because I've driven and owned (far too many) cars over the past two decades. The SRS transcends brand loyalty and price tags. It's a revelation. I have a confession: like many of you, I'm obsessed with cars. If we're on the same wavelength, you've spent years chasing the perfect car for the perfect road—a car that connects with your senses like nothing else, singing to your soul and grounding you in the present moment with the machine. Time and space become one. It’s almost a spiritual connection, isn't it? If that resonates, we're in this together. If not, that's cool too! For me, the perfect car has arrived: the new 718 Spyder RS, and the roads of Big Sur are its natural habitat. Words can't truly capture how it feels to finally discover the car of my dreams. Until now, only race tracks and genuine race cars have come close to this experience. Note: I'm not here to impress you. I don't know you, and we may never cross paths. This is for the .0001% of car nerds searching for their true unicorn sports car. I'll share my past and present car collection to establish that I'm more than a minor league keyboard jockey typing away in my basement. I don't care about brand prestige when it comes to cars. If Kia makes a killer sports car, I might just buy it. My passion for cars isn't about impressing others. If you appreciate my perspective, fantastic. If not, that's perfectly fine too. Currently, we own over a dozen cars and have had many others pass through our garage. As I mentioned, my life has been a quest for the automotive unicorn. To back up my claim that the SRS is superior to any modern sports car, regardless of price, here are some of the similar cars I've owned: 2011 GT3RS 2005 GT3RS 2019 Porsche Speedster 2018 GT3 Touring 2023 GT3 Touring 2009 Scuderia 2023 Ferrari 296 GTS Ferrari 458 Spider Ferrari 488 Pista Lambo Gallardo Spyder Lambo Aventador Spyder 2011 Lambo Gallardo Performante Alfa 4c Viper ACR C5 Corvette Z06 Lotus Miatas Why is the SRS superior in terms of pure driving bliss? The sensory feedback is almost overwhelming. The car bonds with you in a way I've never experienced outside of pure race cars. It's more emotional than even the Italians can manage. The little Spyder embraces its identity as a pure driving machine. It doesn't try to coddle you or impress with fancy features. No overdone styling, wings, or stickers. It won't turn heads among the Hermes crowd. In fact, most people don't know—and never will know—what a 718 Spyder RS is, including many 'car enthusiasts.' The RS doesn't make valets trip over themselves. Social media influencers seeking status won't appreciate the Spyder RS. For most, it's simply another Boxster, and that makes it so special. Only true car lovers will appreciate it, let alone want to own one. For this little RS, it's not about impressing others, 0-60 times, or Instagram likes. (I love Ferraris, but the attention they draw can sometimes be a bit much.) The SRS reminds me of the Scuderia or Pista and the 2011 Porsche 911 RS... but it's a Spyder. Spyders have no tops. Topless cars are true sports cars, like the original Porsche 550s from the 1950s, all Spyders. There are depths to this car you can feel even when driving at 7 tenths. This car truly feels like a race car. I've raced cars on tracks and won. All the other cars (except maybe the 2011 911 GT3 RS or the Scuderia) were 'race cars for the road,' which is marketing speak for compromise. The 718 Spyder RS has zero compromises. As for the top, it's clear that it was designed to require the effort only a true car nerd would appreciate. Think of it as Porsche's way of helping potential buyers self-select. If the top is too hard for you, don't buy the car. The top was designed by a genius. The greatest compliment I can give to the designers is this: they took a complex challenge and made the solution appear simple and almost organic—pure masterful design. Of course, the entire car is like that. I love it. I will never sell it. I sincerely hope that all of you in pursuit of your unicorn never stop trying to find it. Perhaps you've found it with the 718 Spyder RS.
Perfect write up. I’ve always put the 550 Spyder at or near the top my unicorn list. It’s the essence of a sports car and race car. Ultimate form-following-function. Your comparison speaks volumes. I’m not typically excited by modern cars, but leave it to Porsche to recapture and maybe improve the magic. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Got mine today, I put 2 miles on it. it needs ppf and then I'll sling it around. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Drove it to the ppf shop today, had to shift at 5k or less but damn the sound is intoxicating. It feels like so nimble. Only complaint is the antiquated entertainment system but I'm not sure it will bother me too much.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Arrived at dealer. Wasn’t impressed enough with the new GT3 or GT3RS to keep them, hoping the Spyder is the sweet spot. If not, I guess I’m not a Porsche car guy as they are too sterile and perfectly engineered. That leaves me going back to get another 458 spider or aventador SVJ roadster, both drip with emotion.
I had 2 manual GT3s, they were fun for a minute. The RS is caught between being a street car and track car and is not the best at either. They sure do look good though. The SRS is a fun street car, pretty, sounds good and drives very well. I'll probably hang on to this one for a while.
Couple things that are weak: 1) hood vents are plastic vs carbon 2) fender vents same as above. You'd think with the Weissach Package they'd both be carbon. Also for me, I was required to get magnesium wheels, apparently the other version wasn't available at the time my order was going in.
Saw that, seems like a miss from Porsche. Also ordered mag wheels (and every conceivable option it seems). Made sense for the cars purpose if you are ordering the W package. how hard is it really to put top down and up? And by yourself?
Packages Weissach Package Foils Deletion of Model Designation on Doors Exterior Window Triangle Trims in Carbon Fiber Spyder RS Top with Accents in Deviated Color Transmission / Chassis Front Axle Lift System Chrono Package Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) Brake Calipers in High Gloss Black Wheels Wheels Painted in Silver 20" 718 Cayman GT4 RS Forged Magnesium Wheels Interior Door Pull Loops in Guards Red Bespoke Floor Mats with Leather Edging Fire Extinguisher Audio / Communication Voice Control BOSE® Surround Sound System Deletion of SiriusXM® Antenna Lights LED Headlights incl. Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) Comfort Assistance Light Design Package Smoking Package Luggage Net in Passenger Footwell
I haven't tried to remove the top yet, I'm thinking I'd probably leave it off most of the time as I wouldn't drive it in poor weather.
So the top came off in less than 2 minutes with 2 people and putting it back on was a bit longer. It is very simple. Very cool car, sounds great and handles incredibly well. Oh and the sound is darn good.
Top is complicated but easy to remove. Haven’t put up yet. What a noisy and fun Porsche. Instantly laughed out loud and grinned while driving and I couldn’t say that about the 3RS.
Super easy to put the top back up, even easier than taking off. 2min job at most. I marvel at the design now. What a crazy good Porsche, perhaps the best of their lineup.
I've got almost 500 miles so just starting to take it past 5k rooms, this car is so much fun. The sound is phenomenal and the handling is out of this world. It is so easy to rotate, it feels like a kart. I'm not sure there is a better Porsche for the street.
There are MR settings and options for this car as well. As a street car it works perfectly. The GT3 doesn't know if it wants to be a street car or track car, it is stuck in between. That's my only gripe.
Drive a manthey gt3… easily the best handling car I’ve ever owned yet super compliant. Yet I prefer the Spyder RS
I had a couple of manual GT3's but not with the MR setup. It does seem transformative from what I have read. I do plan to have the adjustment done on this car at some point.
