Head VS Heart - Would You Buy A 981 Porsche Boxster Spyder over a Ferrari 360? 

I was in the exact same situation but it was a Corsa and Fiesta,both 1 litre engines, naturally aspirated. After many months deliberating and a lot of time juggling finances I ended up with a 93 Polo. £750 lighter but the memories were worth it.

I was in the same dilemma many years ago. I chose the old Ferrari which at the time was a £75,000 360 CS or a newer Porsche 911 or the equivalent of. 15 years later the Porsche is worth less and the Ferrari has not only screamed up in price but has given me so many enjoyable miles and experiences. Go with whatever floats your boat at the time not what you think will go up in price. Money can’t give you the memories and experiences. Keep up the good and these great informative videos. 👍

I own a 981 Spyder in Guardians red as well and love it. This year I had the 718 GTS 4.0 for a test drive as my dealer wanted me to change to the 718. The steering is definitely a step forward, better feedback and better feeling than in my Spyder. I found the suspension performance wise similar, the 4.0 revs better in high end, the 3.8 has more torque on low end and feels more powerful until mid rpm, after that the 4.0 pulls slightly better. Besides that the fuel consumption is better compared to the 3.8. The clutch in the 718 feels a lot softer. Overall the 718 certainly is the more perfect car but the 981 Spyder has so much more emotions and character, especially considering its unique exhaust sounds which cheers me up so often, whereas the 718 4.0 sounds nice as long as you are not used to the 981 sound. To me the 981 Spyder is a perfect sweet spot between performance of a modern car and emotions of the good times where the European Government did not yet start to put regulations like crazy.

I would pick the Porsche both with my heart and head.

I think the 981 Spyder is a future classic, more so than the 718 version

Love the crackle on that exhaust….SOLD!!! 😂

Love the looks of the spider. Rare sight when you see one but when I do the heart goes all fluttery

I absolutely love the sound, especially the pops and crackers.

Hey James, thanks for the shout out, very kind very appreciated- excellent video 👍🏼👍🏼

Love those. I have owned many sub £15k cars. I have come back to a Boxster. Mine is 26 years old and always makes me smile. Long gears and all!

Only 70,000 pounds for 981 Spyder in the UK?? Here in the states an INEXPENSIVE one with higher miles is $95,000. Incredible!! Also, it’s one of the VERY BEST Porsches of ANY generation. I’ve never driven the 360 but my Sapphire Blue Metallic Spyder with LWBs and PCCBs is PHENOMENAL-and dead solid reliable. I plan to never part with it.

Sensational work JayEmm! Been a fan of the channel for so long, came for the cars and stayed for the shirts!

I would be so lucky to have a choice of either. However, that boxster looks beautiful.

The 987s/981s are incredible , practical, reliable, beautiful, everyday, understated.. The Ferrari is for a different persons ,

360 every time. Thanks for comparison J!🙏🙏

I get a hard-on for V8s, but Porsche's boxer-6s sound like symphony.

Great review! For the 981 generation, the GT4 was the track model and the Spyder was the lightweight model. X73 is lighter than the GT parts, which is the correct choice when low weight is the priority. I agree that for track use the GT parts are a better choice but the X73 is more playful with excellent chassis balance that’s better suited for a street car. There are no bad handling Boxsters or Caymans of any generation and the Spyder is near the top. With the 718 Spyder gaining 90kg/200lbs over the 981, the 981 Spyder is Porsche’s last lightweight model with nothing lighter made since. The current 718s are good but I am disappointed with the weight gain and I hope that Porsche releases a lightweight purist model again in the future.

The steering feel on the Spyder is easily correctable with a software change to 911GT3 specs and improves it significantly. These are holding steady on price in the States one year later in the 82,000 to$105,000 range depending on mileage of course. There’s usually a half dozen or so nationwide on the market. This is a lesser known car here and out of reach for many, and all the attention seems to be on collecting 911’s, thankfully as this is my next car.

Well done and well said, Jay. A lot of head nodding as I watched. Agreed about 981 Spyder > 982 Spyder and the overdone pops and crackles. All else said aligns with my thoughts and experiences with Porsche and Ferrari, although the latter has never found a place in my stable. - I have a 981 Boxster equipped with X73, PTV, Sport Plus (manual) buckets, sports shifter, and a proper CarGraphic exhaust. Oh and it tips the scales at 2960 lbs. with a 1/2 tank of fuel. After more than 30 cars owned to date and countless others driven, this is the best car I’ve decided to buy and own, period. Most cars are 1-3 year affairs, while this one has been in my garage more than 8.5 years. Thanks for having a place to share the knowledge and passion for the hobby.

Just FYI: The pops and crackles are features of the sport exhaust, which can be turned off at any time. With sports exhaust deactivated, the exhaust valves still open when accelerating past 4000 RPM, so it’s a great setting for anyone bothered by the extra noise.

I just can't imagine having to try and consider it as an option 🤣 I think it's the difference of a car enthusiast/petrol head and someone who wants a good car. Love the 360 and can't wait to see more 550 videos!

I bought a 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 liter over a Ferrari 360. I figured I can daily drive the Porsche without too much worry. I didn't feel like I could drive the 60 to Home Depot and load up with 40 lb. bags of stuff, like I have been doing with the last two Boxsters. But the 360 sure does look pretty....

I have a 718 Spyder but the 981 Spyder has it licked in terms of sound. Mine is a PDK though, which I prefer because of the gearing in the manual. Wish I could have that sound though.

Awesome video James, one of my favourite cars of all time at this price point. At £45K though the 987 spyder is hard to challenge, especially if you have a garage. Thanks for making the video really enjoyed it.

Ferrari 360 👍 call me mad but it really brings out the petrol head in me, the noise and looks stir up a heap of nostalgia, from (in my opinion) the greatest period of motoring. I'm a huge porsche fan too.

I have driven both and a Ferrari F430, The 981 Spyder is closer to the F430, the 360 doesnt get any close to the 981 spyder. Besides the 981 spyder were only made 2400, which makes it a collectable, the 360 and 430.... much more than that. 981 spyder is a very special car... cant say the same for the 360.

Amazing review, thank you! The 981 Spyder is IMHO the most fun modern Porsche. 3 things to make it a forever car: 1. Shorter gearing. Can buy shorter gears 2-5, brings the whole car to life. I have them, better gearing than a GT3 short of a 997 cup car. 2. Intake. Change out the intake for a 718 Clubsport intake, gain hp and screaming top end. Baby speedster. 3. GT3 cup car spherical control arm bushings. Get the steering feel back.

I don't mind the pops and bangs at all, if you've got one of these then you bought it to hoon around. Anyone who wanted to daily it would buy a GTS or S...like I did, in Cayman form. If I had all the cash, I may well have picked a GTS over a GT4 for the usability, since it's my only car and even the S has tiring road noise. Couldn't afford more than an S though, so it was an easy choice! Porsche reliability is...yeah, mine has cost me more than my entire car history combined, although honestly that's still only £2.5k in 2 years. Considering it cost the same as a new diesel Golf and depreciation on that would have cost more than everything combined on the Porsche, it's not bad. I totally agree with the conclusion though, the Ferrari is great for occasional use but for anything more, the 981 is hard to beat in any form, especially considering how sexy the Spyder is.

I keep thinking that the Cayman GTS 4.0 is the best sports car available for sale today. When I say "available", I mean exactly that. You can walk into a dealer and buy one, not like a GT3 which doesn't actually exist for sale. God I wish they'd put that 4.0 in a 911

If the pops and bangs from the exhaust are a little too much, you press the sports exhaust button which all the Spyders have and it is a much more civilized experienced. Sport plus and exhaust noise are 2 separate buttons.

I have owned a 360 manual Spider and now a 718 manual Spyder. If you like attention- the 360 garners more. I find them both very beautiful cars. The glass cover of the beautiful Ferrari engine is hard to beat. The racing humps on Porsche add beautiful lines to car. In today’s market of sports cars, the 718 Spyder offers me everything I could want in a new car in terms of being analog- no one else makes a manual mid engine NASP drop top. And what it offers, and it’s crazy to say about a 6 figure car, but it is under priced. The Porsche Spyder manual ME NASP convertible is in a category of one in today’s new car market. Whether it’s a Spyder or Spider - it’s to close to call,- some days I think Ferrari - other Porsche. It’s a pick em. I think that says a lot about both cars. The Ferrari sound just can’t be replicated. Red line in both cars add to experience. The upgraded exhaust on Porsche makes a significant difference to the car. Both feel like you are driving a go cart. Metal shifter in Ferrari rare. If you can afford the Ferrari but not the maintenance, and like to take road trips in your car, get the Porsche. But just my opinion having had both. Drive ‘‘em both. Either way you won’t be disappointed.

I would take a Spyder every single time

Excellent comparison! Please do more of these types of comparisons, this is exactly what we enthusiast are having sleepless nights over.

Seeing this style of video again is a bit of a treat Jay. Thank you as always 👋

Finally, I have been eagerly awaiting James' review of the 981 Boxster Spyder for years - especially as it has occasionally been mentioned or even appeared (on track with the GT3) in other reviews. I really enjoyed listening to every single word and couldn’t agree more about the 981 Boxster Spyder. Thank you very much James for making this video!

I had the same decision to make 2.5 years ago and went with the 360. No regrets but it all depends on usage. It would be miserable (and a waste) to use the 360 every day in traffic.

That burble on the lift.... hot damn, goosebumps.

Great content! Would love to see you review a 987 Spyder as those seem to have quite the cult following.

I love these, the one thing that puts me off is the soft top, not because it’s manual, Having owned a rag top z4 in the past, care of the hood is a lot of extra work. Bird craps on the car while you are out - you can’t quickly wash it off when home and clean it properly at the weekend. You are getting out the soft top cleaner and giving it a real scrub And that yellow pollen stuff you get in summer sticks into the soft top like shit to a blanket 🤣

The gearbox failures are known but did not affect all (early cars were fine) and were rectified, the manufacturer of the boxes hadn't welded the 3rd gear properly. There was a recall and new/refurbed boxes that were fitted have been faultless so it's no longer an ongoing issue. The ones that were going to break broke or were replaced preventively.

X73 is not the ‘sports suspension’ off the GTS… it was an option that you could get on the S and GTS versions of the Cayman or Boxster. I have it on my 981 Cayman S. Very few cars have it since most people thought that PASM or even sport PASM was ‘better’. The fact is that in my humble opinion X73 is a magical suspension setup.

As always a great video and review. Thanks Jay.

I'd go with the Porsche personally. More characterful car, and I Adore the shape of it.

I wanted a 981 Spyder after the M2 but they stayed too expensive and I ended up in a 14 Vantage Roadster for considerably less. Although has probably needed more maintenance haha. The only cars that would tempt me out of the AM now (if the maths worked out of course) would be the 981 or 718 Spyder, a V12 AM of some sort or a manual Ferrari - the manual 430 being a dream. In fact the dream would be being able to keep them all haha!

Part of the appeal for driving porsche is the practicality, as I really value warranty and always having a new car

Excellent commentary by Jay.. but that's to be expected.

Love that porsche so much

For GBP70k, I'd be looking at an R8 V10 Spyder manual, 991.1 C4S Cab, 991.2 C2 Cab, or a Ferrari California. A decent 360 Modena manual is certainly doable, especially if you'll consider a car with higher than average miles, but I'd be more concerned about the much greater possibility of significant unexpected bills early on. Buy one with significantly more miles than average, however, and you may get 15-20k left over to cover any such bills.

Pops and bangs from the exhaust are nice if they're natural. If you've got a big V8 or something that's slurping down so much fuel on full song that it can't help but send some through the exhaust when you close the intakes then that's ok, that's character. If however it does it every single time you lift because it is programmed to then that is far less pleasing, that's just trying too hard. It's the audio equivalent of a big wing and wide bodykit, yes we get it, you're a race car.

Idk but I always found the 987 Spyder to be absolute perfection.

This Porsche Boxster Spyder is one of the best cars you have ever had on channel. I would not be in favor of the Ferrari option as the running costs are very high.

Excellent, really thoughtful review

Thanks for the video and stay safe ✌️

logically 981 is a better car on paper, but at any time day weather season situation moment, I'd take the 360 every single time.

One of the very few cars I would have specced in white. Really suits its concept car made real vibe.

It felt like there were more numbers than words in this video 🙂

The 981 sounds so much better than the 718! In the age of quiet exhausts and fake engine speaker noise, I’ll take this 981 with a real exhaust sound 100% of the time. The pops and crackles sound great and give it some real theater. If it’s too loud for you, turn off the sports exhaust mode. It can even be disabled in Sport and Sport Plus driving modes. It’ll stay quiet at lower RPMs if you want a more relaxing trip. Then when it’s time to play, enable the sports exhaust and listen to the car sing!

No one says it better. As if thought out over weeks leading up to shooting a video, yet the words and exacting critique simple tumble from his lips. Great review and comparison Jay!

James, that was a good one! Cheers.

I went with the less commonly discussed option, a 981 Cayman S PDK. At any reasonable roadgoing speed the combination of the short 7-speed gearing and the 3.4 are perfect for the car. The stock steering wheel on the 981 is atrocious so one option I would make sure to find or retrofit is the “sport design steering wheel” with the real shift paddles.

If I had to choose a car to drive for a day, I’d take the 360. The Spyder is fantastic car to drive but a V8 manual Ferrari is at the peak of driving nirvana. But if I had to choose a car to own it would be the Spyder, no question about it. As good as the Ferrari is, I have zero interest in dealing with the running costs of any Ferrari, let alone a 20+ year old model. The Spyder punches well above its weight in the fun department and won’t cost an arm and leg to maintain it.

That is my exact car James, with the exception that mine has the leather wheel and the red trim instead of the caron fiber. Wonderful car. Living in California, I never have to put the roof up

Fortunate to have the 981 Spyder in white and your views are pretty much spot on. The ‘hooligan’ mode on exhaust can easily be switched off to cancel the pops and bangs. Stunning looks and a joy on any B road. For the money very difficult to beat and having driven the 718 variant I would say the 981 is the high water mark for pure theatre which is what the Spyder is all about.

Seen Through Arse and his bloody 360 😂

Just for the sound it makes👌

Those exhaust pops on the Porsche sounds like the last few drops of drink being sucked through a straw. Makes me feel a tad ill tbh

What a great video; hope to have to make this choice one day 😀

Yes I would and in fact I did. Exhaust got on my nerves in the end plus the tall gearing. Would have a 982 GTS instead now

I would take that 8500 redline, 5 valve/cylinder, flat plane crank V8 in a lawnmower over a Boxter. Decat and a Capristo3 on a 360 puts it in a place very few Porsches can compare with from a raw passion standpoint imo.

The boxster sounds amazing ! It would be the Porsche for me 👍🏻

Miss mine every day, sold in 2020 and my biggest regret.

There's no denying the dynamics of the Spyder, but I find the looks to be challenging - at best - as opposed to the standard Boxster. The roof looks, and is, simply daft.

Where was this video 2 weeks ago Jay :). I just went through this, ended up getting a manual 997.2 C2S instead of a 360 or New Boxster. Ultimately the 911 back seats were my tipping point. I have 2 kids and it's a huge advantage to be able to squeeze them back there.

This question is not easy to answer - for me, (20 years Porsche driving and 12 years Ferrari F355), the Ferrari allways is the crown. But, F-cars are very sensitive....

Ferrari: The heart Porsche: The head

I'd buy the Porsche with both head and heart. ❤

Jay, could you do something more about your 968? Maybe go autocrossing with it or sth?

Emira. Porsches are a dime a dozen, particularly here in America. Mind you that is if you want a GT as opposed to a Sports car such as my Elise. Ferraris are for a different type of clientele.

I finally bought a 981 Boxster GTS in carmine for my daily

great video, i think we need more of these

981 any day

The 360 will go up in value. The Boxster is a daily driver.

If you're buying purely with your head, you'd choose the Porsche... But if you're buying with your heart and your heart says you have to have the Ferrari. Well, you've gotta have the Ferrari.

This debate is all about type of intended usage. You simply cannot (and seriously do not want to) drive a 360 with any type of regularity. There are too many reasons to list, but own one for a month and you'll work them all out. The Ferrari is considerably more thrilling than a Porsche - probably any Porsche short of a GT3. Even then it's a debate. But as a current Ferrari owner, sometimes I do cry out for a car I can just "use." That may sound bizarre but that's the truth. Ferraris (of this era anyway) simply are not get in and drive cars. Every Porsche is. It's a case of weighing up what you want. I am quite sure many 360 owners have another sports car - likely a Porsche. You'll definitely need a second something, that's for damn sure. 👍

People need to understand.... Intake noise >>> exhaust noise. Stop putting pop and crackle exhausts on n/a cars 🤦🏻‍♂️. Great review. I'd have the spyder because because i like it's looks over the 360

Ferrari all day. Speaks more to the boyhood car dreams in me. Also, looks like that Porsche has had a bad repaint on the front spoiler.

This with a deman motorsport gear ratio set would be perfect

I did buy a 981, kept it for 10 months, then sold it for a quick profit for my forever car, my f-type svr. It took porsche to make me realise im a jag lad.

Oh this is such a hard decision for me. The Porsche is a fantastic machine and so is the 360. I prefer older cars however never been a massive fan of the looks of the 360 I much preferred it’s predecessor the 355. And for this reason it would make my decision difficult 😂

After watching this I’d go with neither my head or heart and take the 360 and drive it a little less purely for the fact to keep it feeling special everytime I turn that key

A friend almost bought an old Ferrari but sanity prevailed and he bought a used 718 Boxster S and a used Macan 😄

Well ones a daily and the other is a weekend jolly.

Whichever drives the best, that's for me.

I think I would actually, heart has cost me so much bloody money over the last 15 years that it would be a pretty clear choice, much as I love the 360.

The manual roof will be a dream for owners when the cars get older.

981 Boxster Spyder? Absolutely. That NA 4.0L engine is an absolute masterpiece, especially when you have a manual gearbox.

Long gearing on a Porsche is fixable. Just go down a gear if you want more acceleration. Its not like you cant rev to over 7000 anytime you want to. Problem solved. I don't see what the problem is.

As much as I do love a Porsche I would always go for the Ferrari purely based on the fact that it’s a Ferrari. If only I had the money

Current Cayman GT4 v 360… I’d be so torn. 20 years apart, Ferrari has the magic, Porsche has the dynamics…

The pops are a bit over the top. You can tell they really designed it for the pops because they happene very single time, not very natural. I would have an XKR isntead. Cheaper and more power.