I just wrote a test drive article on the current 718 Spyder.This time, we will test drive its predecessor, the 981 Spyder.

I had seen the 981 Spyder many times before, as there were several people around me who had one, and I was aware that it was a car that I was familiar with. Also, it was a car that I felt very familiar with because it was a brother to the 981 Boxster GTS that I have at home.

Perhaps for this reason, we have not bothered to feature it on our blog until now, and this is our first review article.

Type 981 Boxster Spyder

This time, I test drove a veryBeautiful sapphire blue 981 Boxster Spyder.The majority of 981 Boxster Spyders are predominantly white, with the occasional black color, and very few other colors.

This is one of the rarest sapphire blue units available.

This color was also shown in Porsche's official video at the time, with the tennis player Sharapova driving it, which made a strong impression on me.I personally like the color so much that I call it "Sharapova Blue".

Engine sound and feeling

The starting sound of the engine is similar to that of a 981 Boxster GTS.The engine barks and motivates with a fairly loud starting sound.The shift lever is a short-stroke one, and it is the same as in recent Porsche manual cars, where it is entered with a flick of the wrist.

When connected to first gear and driving off, it is more torquey than the 981 GTS, but not as effortless as the 718 Spyder's manual.Operates like a typical Porsche manualIt is. Even if you start running at a low speed and yelp, you can already hear the pleasant sound from your back.

The naturally aspirated engine, with its smooth and light feeling as if it were singing, is a characteristic of the 981 and 991.1 era.One of the I'm already having fun at 40km/h. Laughs abound.

Compared to the 718 Spyder's hard and powerful revving feeling engine, the 981 engine has a more huffing and puffing feeling. The engine response is maximized by increasing the speed, setting the engine to Sport Plus mode, and tightening the PADM engine mounts.

Since the 981 Spyder originally had no PASM setting and has a dedicated sports suspension, there is no change in damping force depending on the mode, but the entire body feels as if it is being tightened.

The exhaust sound from the sports exhaust increases in volume and range as the rpm increases. The sound quality and volume are very similar to that of the 981 GTS, but the sound pressure from this point on is different.

The engine, 400cc more than the GTS, squeezes a more powerful exhaust note out of the back.Speaking of the sound at that moment, it was nothing short of pleasant.

Once, my wife and I were up close and personal to the sound of a 981 Spyder starting out of a parking lot and accelerating to full throttle, and she still says, "That sound is the best sound I know of in a Porsche.I agree with him. I agree with this opinion, and if there is a ranking of the best sound of Porsche's regular models excluding limited editions, etc., I would like to see a ranking of the best sound of Porsche's regular models.Definitely top 3, no doubt, and I would personally say #1.

It is such a pleasant sound.

This engine was originally installed in the 911 (991) Carrera S and GTS and has the potential to produce 400 hp, or up to 430 hp in the GTS. However, theWhen mounted on the Spyder, its output is limited to 375 hp (276 kW)/6700 rpm.

Perhaps because of this, there are times when the RPMs seem to slow down a bit in the final high-rpm range. The same can be said of the 981 GTS, which is equipped with the same type of engine as the Carrera.Winding roads, not circuits, are the main battleground. Therefore, many applications are enjoyed in the mid to high RPM zone.So, it is also true that this is not so much of a problem here.

About bubbling sound

Also, the "off-acceleration" of the accelerator.Bobo-bo-bo!I would also like to note the bubbling sound called "bubbling". This is a common debate among 981s as to which has the louder bubbling sound, the GTS or the Spyder? This is a common debate between the GTS and the Spyder among the 981s, but we have compared them very carefully and would like to put an end to that debate.

When it comes to bubbling sound, GTS wins.The volume is quite explosive in both cases, about the same or slightly louder in the GTS for the firecracker-like popping sound that the GTS sometimes makes.

And then...The Spyder produces bubbling sounds frequently after mid-range RPMs, but less so at lower RPMs.

This is where the GTS differs from the GTS. The GTS has a control system that does not hesitate to produce it in the low rpm range. Therefore, although there is not much difference in the volume of bubbling soundFrequency and frequency of bubbling sounds are different.You can think of it as.