Welcome back to the 888MF RU-vid channel. We got the keys to one of the first 718 Spyder in the UK. Click on the link above to watch. Follow me on Instagram @888MF and @888_FOOD Please subscribe and turn notification bell ON
Looks incredible but it's depressing how muted it is. I'd definitelly get the first GT4 over the second one, a sportcar/supercar without a good sound is, imo, not worth it.
@@888mf4 718 GT4 does not have lift also...only GT3/GT3 RS. But 981 is indeed great value and with the money saved get the 981 GT4 gearbox modified with shorter ratios.
Hi, I got the first one in Sweden. And I think the motor is better than the 981. I suggest you test the car again when it is ready after the break in period. The engine is very strong and racy.
Nice Review! I can totally understand your criticism about the sound. However, it’s not 100% fair because the car is not run in yet, so no 8000 revs. (This Engine needs the high revs to sound good, I’ve heard it from several owners already). Also in general, a car gets louder when run in after a couple 1000 miles
The extra weight is actually 35kg not 100kg... that's because of changes in regulations to declare the standard weight... so comparing your car, and taking into consideration -17kg of savings due to the ceramic brakes, your car should be slimmer only by around 18kg
Great review - I have a 987 Spyder that is just under 1300kg, hydraulic steering and that lovely feral sounding 3.4 flat 6. I think the first generation Spyders were limited numbers. I'm wondering if the extra horsepower of the 718 makes up for all the extra weight. Love the rear view of the 718, and those brakes make mine look like toys (but they do work fine for me).
Great review. My biggest motoring regret was selling my 981 Boxster Spyder. Shame they’ve killed the sound on this new one because mine was simply sensational. No better place to be with the roof down, sport exhaust on and the sun shining.
Great review 10/10 cheers Mark :-) I think the most important aspect for me would be the ride quality. My only minor gripe with the 981 is the ride is TOO firm, that makes it a 95% perfect car. With the new version if the suspension is harder, the car is heavier, it's less playful and you can't hear the engine than those are all negatives that make it less of the near perfect proposition than the 981 is. Looks wise I like the front end but not enough to call it either way. I prefer the side by side centre exit exhausts on the 981 by quite some margin. The 718 interior has been sharpened up and the biggest aesthetic change is the stitching that now rises from the centre console and then parts horizontally on the dash. This looks much nicer than the 981 where the stitching continues vertically. It just looks better, not that the 981 looks bad just the 718 looks better. I can't believe you missed that ;-) I also hear the rev matching can be turned off and on in all modes as can the sports exhaust. On the 981 rev matching is only available in sport plus and i wish it was in other modes. I also wish the pops and crackles could be turned off / on in all modes in the 981. A friend of mine actually took delivery of his crayon 718 Spyder almost 4 weeks ago now, so they have already been a few around. The price of the one you tested with a few options and PPF takes them to over £100k. As you can get a low miles 981 for £75k (ish) i think the 981 is the better buy at the moment? Cheers and thanks again. :-)
@@888mf4 I'm not sure why more and more car manufacturers just in general/birds eye view are going to overly sprung/stiff suspension setup. Whynot softer suspension and then go with tougher anti-roll bars as a nice all around compromise without going the exotic route of costlier magnetic suspension which is going to be INSANE to replace in a few years when they go bad. Overall I tend to love cars that have a compliant setup given the horrible shape roads are in due to the misappropriation of tax dollars (have to fund those retirement accounts of the gov't mobdidly obese and lazy fat cats!!! - next recession will wipe 'em out because of derivatives hahahha). On my poor mans 370z I simply upgraded the front sway bar for a whole $150 and one hour out of time = much better turn in/steering feel, without needing to spend thousands on coilovers and second guessing. Retaining the stock rear compliance over uneven pavement is not talked about in most car circles are so many are more concerned about looks. As for Porsche - I'd lease > Own if/when the time comes.
Indeed the engine sound becomes more alive above 5000 rpm. But I exactly share your thoughts. I think you might not even need an aftermarket exhaust. An OPF delete would do it. Tuners already working on it as its not only a 718 GT4/Spyder issue but also for 991.3 GT3 RS, Audi TTRS, BMW M2C and others.
Hello, this is the review I was waiting for! …and you did it very well. As a 981 Spyder owner these are my comments: - Driving dynamics: the 981 is spectacular and very engaging: I would not trade engagement for additional compliance - Interior: good to have CarPlay, but I consider it a very minor advantage on a car like the Spyder - Exterior - Rear End: I prefer the 981 (more sleak and balanced). I also love the central twin exhaust - Exterior - Front End: 718 wins (more aggressive and sharp) - Sound: the old Spyder sounds EPIC (!) …and the 718 voiceless engine takes away a big slice of the 981 sense of occasion Conclusion: the 981 is a keeper :-) PS: I love you blue Spyder, but seeing it side by side with the 718, I started thinking that black rims are actually ruining the 981 look...
Sadly i agree with you. I was really looking into buying either this or a new GT4, was only worried about the noise. This video pretty much confirmed my worst fears. Im not even sure an exhaust will help, since the noise is not just too quiet, but also not nice if you get my meaning. Kinda garbled. Sound is very important in a fun car for me. I also love the pops and bangs porsches used to make, which they seem to have removed completely as well.
Baerzilla If great noise and involving behavior is what you’re looking for...well the 981 is a better choice. It will be probably better also in terms of future value.
If you could only take it up to 6k RPM it is not really a fair compare in power. An aftermarket exhaust would fix the sound issue. Easy bolt on... I'm sure there will be plenty of amazing options. I agree the styling is improved too... I'd buy one sight unseen. And yes the previous generation one is lovely too!
Utter rubbish. I said that the 718 Spyder has better suspension, and I liked the styling updates. Unfortunately the engine in the 981 sounds a lot better. Something that is quite obvious if you drive them back to back. This is something that has been highlighted by a lot of people having driven both.
Super sexy I wonder wat power with a free flowing catlass and a remap Nice nice nice!! So like the “new” spider roof vs the older 1:30-2 minute sad things Bravo I wIll just go and detail my 987.2!!
Thanks. I was lucky enough to get this one the day after it was delivered, so took the opportunity to drive it. I will try it again in a couple of months once it is run in.
Power to weight and torque to weight has improved vs the 981 Spyder. Remember that the changed the way curb weight is reported, so it looks like the 718 gained more weight than it did.
Nice he let you review it the day after! Noone gets close to mine even after 2 years of ownership!! 😜 All exhaust notes from Porsche have become muted, most noticeable on the 718 when that came out. Putting after market exhausts on removes your warranty so tricky one. I would still opt for a late model 2nd hand 718s over this. It saves you well over a 100k and with my exhaust and tune upgrade its faster then the spyder and l think sounds alot better aswell. The 4cyl variant is an incredible motor and tuned puts out more power in hp and nm then this. The 718s has all the upgraded suspension components so theres very little difference between them but a big difference in the previous gen as noted by you. See for yourself. Start up and track audio here. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wULV3fT0tQc.html
It looks like the public disagree with you @porscheman as Porsche have just decided to put the 4.0 N/A engine into the 718 GTS. In any event, I love the 981 Spyder and think it will be sought after for many years with that glorious 3.8 engine from the Carrera S
Great video! Absolutely loved your thought process and commenting on this beautiful car! Too bad Porsche had to tame their car because of new eco laws :/
Great review. I’ve been told by my OPC that there will not be a PDK version of the new Spyder. However the new GTS Boxster & Cayman will have a slightly detuned version of this 4.0 litre engine and will be available in both manual and PDK. I really wanted to replace my 981 Spyder with a 718 PDK version but it looks like it’s just not going to happen.
Great review, would be interested in your opinion if you would pay the extra and have the 718. I have a 981 and love it but hopefully looking for a 718 allocation next year but not so sure now, don’t want to lose some of that fun.
I wouldn't. The 981 Spyder is £65-75k in the UK. That's such good value for money. The one we tested cost £93k with PCCB and race seats. That's a lot of money for a Sports car.
Mark. Great review. You should look at and compare the clearance on the front of the car. Mine scrapes on gradients and can even scratch the paint on the front for some parking barriers. Looks like they cleaned that up on the new one- more black plastic, less chance of paint scrapes.
Just put my name on the list for the new GT4 in Canada. I mentioned my concern about the gasoline particulate filters which deaden and thus destroy the sound and he says that they are not installed for North American cars woohoo. I guess you could just get an aftermarket exhaust to solve the problem. Soul performance and Fabspeed come to mind.
Definitely a keeper you can't go wrong! I have a RS60 Spyder and the howls from it are awesome. Sound is very important and the car manufacturers should figure out a way to keep the sound while meeting the emission laws........
The 981 had 385, not 375. The weight increase is not 100 kg at all: AP explained that the way of weighing changed when the 718 was introduced. Cheers from Italy
Great video, I think these cars are the best Porsches right now, true to the original Porsche driving experience. It's an unbelievable mistake that Porsche made with the exhaust!
Lovely camera work. Really interesting to see the old and Spyder and new one together. I’d definitely go with the sport exhaust to enjoy the the naturally aspirated engine noise to the max with the roof down.
Hmmmm... Actually now I’m glad I didn’t jump on that allocation I was offered a week ago. What a sad sounding car!! My turbo Carrera T sounds way better than this. Gorgeous looking though. I can understand what you said about being too compliant on the road. This makes me skeptical to how the coming 992 GT3 will be. Probably a very fast but too clinical for my liking. I think maybe 2018 is where it all stops. I’ve got the best one already.
888MF it sure is. I just wish they’ve used the same 6-spd as in the GT3Touring. Actually I saw a complete 991R motor and gearbox for sale on the internet. How sick would that swap be? Wonder if it’s doable?
Loved your review of the 981 spyder but less this one because how can you conclude the engine in the 982 isn’t heard when you couldn’t go past 6000 rpm when only then it starts to scream. And yes of course because of the gpf it’s not a honest contest between the two engine’s
Very beautiful car. So, the 4-cyl engines are put in the cheap versions of the the 718 and this here is the only one which has 6-cyl? And the 4-cyl has better sound than the 4liter 6-cyl?
I don't know what the 4 cylinder standard 718 sounds like. I doubt it is very good as its a turbo charged model. The 981 Spyder sounds much better either way.
Great video! Wish I had the money to buy this spyder! I'd absolutely go for the aftermarket exhaust and this generation of spyder just for all the other improvements. (exhausts are easy to swap anyway and are usually a must).
I traded my 2016 and ordered this new version. I hope it lives up to the ‘16 model. I do love the look of it. When Porsche says “there is no substitute” it definitely is true. They are great cars.
Es un coche deportivo muy bonito , pero el 90 por ciento del vídeo es viéndole la cara a la persona que está haciendo el vídeo , entonces yo pregunto , el vídeo es para ver al porche o esta persona ?, Gracias.
As always I enjoyed your video. Keep up the Awesome work Mark! One thing though.. I saw your Awesome watch. I need to know the Brand and Model! Thanks Mark!
Surely the Boxster is the most beautiful car on the road today, and this particular example, in silver with yellow trim is just superb. I'd spec it with the PDK box.
The modded X73 suspension in the 981 Spyder is one of Porsche’s most heralded suspensions and much like hydraulic vs electric steering it provides much better feedback of what’s happening on the road then any active suspension. The GT PASM on the new cars while highly competent is very damped, lacks feel and is only “better” if shaving a few seconds on a racetrack puts dollars in your pocket. Hopefully the GT PASM doesn’t cause any strut tower failures like it did in GT4.
Dude, your Spyder sounds a hell of a lot better!!! And the new car is what? 105kg heavier!??! wtf? i dont understand, where the old car should look a bit "girlish". Even if this would be true, it does sound badass. I bet there will be a way to get the rear diffusor as an aftermarket part for the 981, if one would like to retrofit. I agree, the bigger brake disks are looking cool but how much lighter is such a ceramic disk (410?mm) really over a 340mm steel disk of your car anyway? The only real advantage in my eyes is the sportPASM suspension and in a region where it doesn't matter what you do to your exhaust (loudnesswise) i probably wouldn't mind to get the new one to make it as great sounding as the old one. For example in the USA ( to be more specific, Florida, i think) this would work, on the other hand, in Germany not so much.
I have a 718 Spyder on order but the rear of the 981 Spyder looks so much nicer, more classic Porsche. On the new car, that piece that says Porsche under the rear deck lid spoiler is hideous, and upsets the continuity of the lines. Also, part of the dynamic improvement you’re noticing is the 50 lb reduction in unsprung weight with the PCCBs . Btw, Lamborghini’s are very aggressive looking, I still think most Ferrari’s have a better aesthetic, that doesn’t make them girly.
it is soo stupid that everyone refines the cars. this car gaining nearly 100kg is stupid as well... overall, no matter how great it drives its a disappointment. be happy you have a 981 spyder
Hi Tom. Both are great cars, but I would be tempted to choose the 981 Spyder as the noise is fantastic from that 3.8L engine. In the UK a used example costs £70k, whereas the 718 Spyder we tested in this video cost £93k. There is no doubt that the new model has a better suspension set up, but unless you are taking it on the track it won't make a huge difference to you. You also need an aftermarket exhaust to make it sound really aggressive. If my budget was £70k I would buy the 981 Spyder. If my budget was £95k I would probably opt for a 2016 McLaren 570S.
888MF many thanks I’m leaning towards a 981 as when I spec up a 718 it’s coming out at £20-25k more. Both cars are stunning. Yours looks awesome in the blue. Tom
Fantastic job. It's rare that I agree with every opinion of a youtuber, but I gotta say you're 100% right. It's a shame that emissions regs are ruining modern cars.
@@888mf4 It will still have the OPF Filters whatever exhaust your friend puts on it (it´s illegal to remove the OPF), so sound will not get dramatically better, just different. This car with the extra weight and OPF Filters is really a no go for me. As you said the 981 Spyder puts a much bigger smile on your face and that´s the only thing that counts ...
I think Porsche wanted to mute the exhaust to make it more appealing for the city driver, as the last version sounds fantastic, even a bit Carrera GT like, but it is pretty loud. Enjoyed the review and perhaps a follow up video could be done, after the engine has been broken in, along with the mention of how astonishingly intutive the Spyder is to drive. I just ordered mine last month. Cheers from Vancouver Canada.
