Hello everyone. This is Mina, the administrator of "A Porsche Came to My Home". I would like to share the real voices of various Porsche owners with you! This project was born from the request of our readers, "I want to share the real voices of various Porsche owners!Porsche Owner's File". In this sixth installment, we present the purchase, options, and driving review of the 981 Boxster Spyder (MT) from "Ishi B".

〘Owner Information〙
My car: 981 Boxster Spyder (MT)
Pen name: Ishi B.
Past car history: When I lived in Tokyo, I did not have a car. After I returned to my hometown, I started
Used Corolla(When I had no interest in cars at all)>> Used Lexus IS250(When I started to get a little interested in cars)→(-> my first new BoxsterGTS (981) PDK -> used 718Boxster (982) MT) All my cars, including my current one, are right-hand drive.
A word to the readers.A relatively affordable price point for Porsche's role in theSpyder.It is. We hope this will be helpful to those who are considering purchasing.

(1) Background leading to purchase

I miss the sound of the 6 cylinder NA...

Although I was satisfied with my first purchase, a 981BoxsterGTS, I couldn't resist the desire to switch from PDK to MT, so I switched to a 718Boxster base grade MT. But this time, I missed the sound of the 6-cylinder NA... (For more details, see my previous review of 718.)

I want to go back to the sound of the six-cylinder NA."As the feeling of "I'm going to be the first one to see the 718 Boxster Spyder" grew larger and larger every day, spy videos of the 718Boxster Spyder began to be uploaded on Youtube and other media. At that time, it was rumored that the 718 (982) Spyder and GT4 would be powered by the 4L NA engine of the 911GT3, but as far as the 718Boxster Spyder related videos are concerned'Could this sound be a turbo, possibly a four-cylinder, rather than NA?'I had to think about it.

Then there may be no more cars in the future Porsche lineup that meet the "convertible, MT, 6-cylinder" requirements... (Right now, the 911 Cabriolet is only available in PDK.)

When I started to think about it, I remembered that a certain dealer had a certified pre-owned 981 Spyder, and I immediately went to see it.

On my second visit to Spyder

In fact, I had been allowed to see the Spyder on display once before when I visited for the purpose of test driving another car.At the time I was not really interested in the Spyder as I was satisfied with the 718MT.No... to be honest, although I was interested in

The white body is fine, but the red bucket seats in the interior are too flashy for me."
The bucket seats look hard and comfortable."
The manual open/close top would be too much for my lazy self."
Pricey."

I may have just been subconsciously looking for a reason not to buy, etc. Then you went on a second visit to Spyder.

I'm not going to open it up in town, so it should be fine. Besides, I'm driving a more conspicuous yellow 718 right now.
Bucket seats may be hard. No, but when you sit down, the seat is moderately cushioned, as you might expect."
I'm sure it's pretty easy to open and close the top," he said. If I don't open it when it looks like it's going to be an evening shower, I should be fine."
'The price is less than a 911, and it will be the last Boxster, the last NA.(Maybe.)"

andEach of the reasons I listed last time for not buying this Spyder have been conveniently resolved in my mind, and I no longer have a reason not to buy it (laughs).

(2) Options/Specifications

The specifications of Spyder are as follows

Sport Chrono (standard equipment)
Sport exhaust (standard equipment)
PASM is not attached.

In the GTS and 718, the sport exhaust was "turned on in conjunction with putting it in sport mode".In Spyder, the driving modes are not linked to the sport exhaust."so the switches must be pressed respectively. Auto blipping is enabled with Sport Plus. Idling stop function is not available.

(1) Air conditioner

It had auto air conditioning. I prefer auto A/C that allows me to do this because I set the A/C temperature based on the outside temperature display. With manual air conditioning, I can't do this.

(2) Navigation

The navigation system was a Clarion one, the same as the 981GTS.

(iii) Speaker

It has Bose speakers. I can't tell much difference from the normal speakers I have experienced.

(4) Interior

The interior is a combination of red leather and black to dark gray Alcantara.Classic Interiors."It is called. It takes a lot of courage to choose it yourself when purchasing a new car, but I think it is very cool.

(5) Sheet

Bucket seats. There are two types of bucket seats: "full bucket" and "sport bucket," and this one is a "sport bucket seat(Lightweight racing seat. (Lightweight racing seat with folding backrest)".

(6) Others

I installed a rear view camera as a retrofit. The dealer kindly offered me a free service for both the unit and installation labor.

(3) Time to delivery

The car was delivered within two weeks after the contract was signed and the back-up camera was installed.

(4) Porsche's performance that you feel when you own one.

(1) Engine

3.8L, 6 cylinder NA engine. Nothing to say. This is my favorite.I couldn't stop the grin on my face the whole way home from the delivery (laughs).The first time I drove the GTS over a mountain pass, I thought for a moment, "Hey, did the GTS have a louder engine and backfire?" But now I don't care about that at all.

2) MT

There is a good amount of resistance when stepping on the clutch pedal, and when releasing it, my foot is pushed comfortably at the end. I am ashamed to say that the car sometimes stalls when moving at very low speeds while parking in reverse, being careful of surrounding obstacles, but there is no stress when starting off.In some ways, the MT is easier to operate than the 718.I think it is.

(3) Handling

I was very impressed with the significant improvement in handling when I switched from the 981GTS to the 718. Since that is going back to the 981, albeit with Spyder.I was slightly concerned about how the handling would feel, but the result was not negative.

I don't know if it's because I'm favoring the Spyder or if it's the weight savings, but I'm satisfied with the way it is.

4) Fuel consumption

If there is no traffic jam and the car can flow at 60-70km/h, it will run about 9-11km/L even on the lower road. By the way, this isIf you drive in a higher gear around 1200 rpm as indicated by the upshift indicator."It is.However, the great thing about the Spyder is that it can cruise comfortably even with this kind of driving style.I think it is. The lightweight design may also contribute to the surprisingly high fuel efficiency.

Of course, you don't just drive that way while touring.In some places, it may be run in 2nd~4th gear at 5000 RPM or more.But even including them, I usually settle at 8-9 km/L for a day of touring. I have not experienced traffic jams in the city center, so fuel consumption in that situation is unknown.

(5) Ride comfort, glide taste

The bucket seats of the Spyder are adjustable only in the front and rear positions, and both the back seat angle and seat height are fixed and not adjustable. Although the angle of the back seat felt slightly erect, it was not uncomfortable for me, who is just under 180 cm tall, and I can drive comfortably for a long time.When sitting at a stop, the shoulders are slightly constricted and tight, but when the arms are put forward to hold the steering wheel, the shoulders are supported just right and the posture while driving is stableLooks like. Passenger may be a little tight in the shoulder.

(6) Manual top

It takes about 40~50 seconds to open and close the top. However, this time does not include getting in and out of the car.It is not recommended to get out of the car and open and close the door while waiting at a traffic light.

The top is fixed to the rear hood with two hooks.If you do not check the fixation properly, it will be disastrous.One day, while driving comfortably on the highway, from behind the driver's seat, "Dong! I heard a loud "thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, rattle, rattle. Did we hit a bird or something?" I thought for a moment, but then the impact sounded again.

When I checked behind me in the rear view mirror, I found that part of the hood, which was supposed to be fixed, was fluttering in the wind....When I stopped the car at the next PA area to check the situation, I found that the plastic and metal hooks that hold the top in place had been slammed into the rear hood over and over again... (tears)(See photo)

(7) Protection film

With the car I previously owned, I was less excited every time I saw the stepping stone scratches that increased every time I washed the car. It is only comforting to be told that stepping stones are the order of the day for a Porsche. I have been wondering if I should put protection film on my car for a long time.A very well-known blogger, whom I'm sure every Boxster rider knows, wrote in a review of a car he owned that the film hardly deteriorated after five years."The decision was made to implement the film.

The best part of this is.Scratches on the film caused by flying rocks should not be noticeable."and"Furthermore, it seems that wounds heal naturally, and even noticeable wounds heal with a splash of hot water at about 60 degrees Celsius."That is the point. I am not sure how true this is, but it is a good mental health measure to know that if something goes wrong with the film, you can simply reapply it. Also, even if a large number of insects get stuck to the film, unlike painted surfaces, the film can be easily rubbed off with insect-removing paper.

When I learned that there was a film that would work on windshields, I asked my installer about it."We are concerned about the film's resistance to decay in cars that are driven in wet weather and in environments where windshield wipers operate on a daily basis."This was the first time I had heard of this. They said that friction with the wipers could be a problem rather than rain being bad. I was conversely relieved that he properly explained the disadvantages and decided that it would not be a problem for my usage situation, so I applied the film to the glass as well.

(5) Options you would definitely want to add (or have added) if you were to purchase a Porsche in the future.

I would like to experience PCCB once. The braking power of my current brakes is sufficient, but I am interested to see how the ride quality will change with the reduced unsprung weight.

(6) Areas of concern

Due to lack of MT skills, sometimes 2It can be difficult to get in fast.

(7) General comments

It may look spartan, but it can be driven long distances without a hitch, and can be enjoyed in any range from 1000 rpm to the rev limit. Also, the MT is easy to operate even for those who are not used to it.
I'm wondering what kind of specs the 718Spyder will have.The 981Spyder costs about as much as a new 911 with average options and low mileage."So, if you like NA and are willing to pay the price, I think a used 981Spyder is a good choice.

〘Manager Mina's opinion〙.
Isi B., thank you so much for your detailed info! I thought it was valuable information that only an actual owner could understand, such as, "If you don't check the hooks of the Spyder's manual hood carefully, you will be in trouble. I had assumed that the Boxster Spyder was spartan and tiring to drive, but it looks like it can be used in daily life without any problems, and I am becoming more and more interested in it!(I want it lol!)Thank you, Ishi B.!