I also have been looking at the same listing sources, but only for a couple of weeks. I had been scouting the market for a used 997 GT3 and gen. 1 TT, but for over a year but the prices were too high for me at this point in time' and I'm getting tired of waiting for another Porsche. There was a lot more supply of those, and that is what I meant by (comparatively) not seeing too many Spyders listed. Granted, there is also a more limited production run for the Spyder model year 2011 to choose from in the used market versus looking at multiple years of the GT3, for example.

I agree with your point on the depreciation hit appearing a bit lighter on the Spyder versus some of Porsche's other offerings. Because I have only been looking at the Spyder as a purchase option for a very short time compared to you, I sure noticed that they don't seem to be that far off their original purchase prices.
As we approach fall and winter, and the entrance of the new models, I am sure the used market prices will start to decline some more. However, given there is a finite supply of Spyders, and if their desirability continues, this could be a good model to purchase, holding its value and appeal, perhaps better than the usual Porsche offerings. I guess the light depreciation hit speaks well for how the model has been received and the limited supply. I wonder what will happen with them given that there aren't any more being produced at least this version of the Spyder - (but who knows what Porsche will attach that name to next? LOL).

I am also certain that the Spyder is not everyone's cup of tea, but that can also be said for the various options in GT3, TT, and Cayman models. The Spyder top setup certainly appears to be the main subject for debate amongst those how have reviewed the car. Personally, I haven' had the chance to see one in person yet and evaluate just how the top design and function truly sits with me. I have experience with old school manual, button down roadsters and yet I am just not certain if I would consider the top to be an issue for me at all, or more particularly, for resale sometime down the road. It is just not everyone's preference to have a manual top these days or one that apparently has (apparently) significantly more internal cabin noise attached to it versus a power top. So is that going to be a big limiting factor for resale, resulting in fewer potential buyers, or is it an issue at all. Certainly that's a question mark and time will tell. But, that's only one side of the debate. Other people love the top design, the weight savings, old-school/ "cool design" factors,etc. and recognize that it is just for the rare occasions that you need cover from the elements. The car is meant to be an open roadster and should really be treated and driven as such IMHO. Maybe at resale time, it will prove to be even more desirable and attract more buyers because of the top actually being an attraction. (As you can see I am see-sawing on it myself! LOL)

I like your choice of the reg. brakes and 6spd. I think you made the right choice. PCCB's are a pricey option new, and many feel a better choice if they are already discounted on a used car equipped with them. Certainly A/C is a good add in too. If only money was no option....

 

Spyder production is probably 'done' as we speak. In the US, 99% of the Spyders will have air conditioning because that is the way almost all dealers and customers ordered them (to be prudent). So you will pay for A/C if you want a Spyder.

Here is my take on the future value of Spyders. The model was not exactly what Porsche can call a marketing success. They expected sales to be higher worldwide, especially in the US. However, it is perhaps the model which has garnered the most praise from both owners and professional auto reviewers worldwide in years! So the few examples produced have a double meaning. It will make the Spyder a relative 'rare' model in relation to the vast numbers of Boxsters, Caymans and 911's built in the past years. Second, it's lack of sales will probably insure that there will NOT be a Spyder version in the new Boxster/Cayman platform (which will debut at the Detroit Auto Show in Jan of 2012). This is key to its long term value retention.

What I find very significant is that there will be less Spyders for '11 and '12 than .2 gt3's an gt3 RS's. The latter represents the most sporting of all Porsches currently produced, but with limited appeal & low sales. In fact, it might turn out that the Spyder will be the sharpest, most dedicated 'sporting' tool in Porsche's shed for a long time to come - hence it's low sales! It will certainly reign as the lightest Porsche in modern times and with decent power to weight ratio (not to be expected in the future 550)! Thus perhaps the one most eligible for collector status in the long run. The car world works in mysterious ways. So don't count out the Spyder out for 'greatness' status in years to come among those who collect historic sport cars! Saludos, z356

 

unless your a total track junkie the PCCB brakes are not worth the money. when they wear out your in for a huge bill again. i would take that money and buy a brembo big brake kit and still have a few bucks left over to put on a set of proper coil overs.
you got to have A.C. and for the love of god Get the Bose upgraded system. People really want that on the resale market. no A.C. and stereo will totally kill the resale on these cars never mind the top. Pdk is the way to go with the new wheel with paddle shifters and launch control but the 6 speed would be just fine. to finish out the package you need a Techart front splitter and side skirts , a must to complete the look. the boxster spyder is a bargain exotic but a regular Boxster S can be made into A superior vehicle as well. so enjoy what ever flavor you like .

 

Sorry Jacabean, this is where we part company. I don't know how well you know the Spyder...and you obviously don't own one. There is no Bose upgrade on the Spyder. You got the profile of who benefits most from PCCB all wrong. The gt3 track junkies prefer the steels (or aftermarket brakes), not Porsche's PCCB's. Talk to some of them...or read what is posted gt3 forums. Someone like me (certainly RdSpyder or perhaps DLJ) would probably get more out of PCCB in 'street' use than a true 'track junkie'. It's all about lower unsprung weight and the technical superior braking plus less fading characteristics of ceramics. Unlike 'track junkies', most 'street' users will not 'abuse' our brakes (e.g. fail to do cool down laps, use non-approved brake pads, or chip the ceramic rotors with constant mounting & dismounting of wheels/tires for the track) and they will probably outlast our ownership of the car! Proper coil overs? You obviously know better than Porsche engineers with regards to the best suspension on a Spyder. It's not too late - they are still hiring at Weissach. Send them your resume and let's see what happens. Finally, there is no need to tart up a Spyder with Techart splitters or side skirts. It is fine as is and will retain more value if left in its original specifications.

The key to Spyder's performance edge is its unique suspension (shared now with the Cayman R) and its lower weight. It doesn't make economic sense to take a Boxster S and make these expensive improvements. Just buy a Spyder instead and be done with it. In any case, that is my recommendation to the OP - DLJ. Saludos, z356

 

z356 not to sound like an *** but your right i do not own a spyder. i own a 986 S with a 3.6 and many other mods. which will probably give a spyder a good run for it's money. i am sorry i missed the bose option i guess thats where the roof goes. to bad it is limited to sound package plus another negative for the roof. as far as pccb's are concerned all brakes wear out . a member from another forum had to replace parts to the tune of 7k and if you only drive on the street unsprung weight is a joke pal. the spyder suspension is good out of the box but if you think it can't be upgraded then your a clown. Body parts are a subjective thing so i will give you that one but techart side skirts look great and the splitter adds much needed down force to the front (has Purpose) .One last thing , porsches are great out of the box we all know this but look at tuner cars like 9FF , Ruf , Gembala etc. they take it to another level so improvements can be made over the stock car big time . Just saying porsche engineer from weissach.

 

I am in the market for a Spyder. Thank you for all of the insight.

 

I am not a track guy, but more of an autocross type person! However, I had the opportunity to take my spyder out on the track a couple of days ago and had a go around the track for the day. Love it, but what really made me love it is when I got into a Cayman S with normal suspension and then a Carrera S with PDK. Cayman S was way too soft with normal suspension in my opinion, but did feel stable in the corners relative to the 911. I got in that to see how the C2S performed relative tom my old C4S, as I traded my C4S in a year back. The C2S with PASM in sport plus was nice and firm! However, I could feel that engine hanging out the back when on big sweeper corners. PDK was impressive in Sport Plus, even though found it a little jerky on the upshift near redline. Long story short, I was very glad to get back in my Spyder. BTW, I like the sound of the sport exhaust in the Spyder relative to the Carrera. I thought that this Spyder would be good for a couple of years till I bought the next gen Carrera, but now I am starting to think it may be a long term keeper, it is absolutely brilliant!!

 

Wow. Nice review of your experience. What was the top down experience like at track speeds (or did you have the top up for any portion of the day?) I presume you have a 6spd in your Spyder. What do you think the experience would be like for you with a PDK trans in the Spyder? Was your C4S a manual as well? How many miles do you have on the Spyder and what's the main type of driving do you do with it (commute, weekend car,etc.)?
It's great that you are enjoying it!

 

I own a Boxster S for over 4 years and over 70k. Bought it CPO at 23k and used for DD for many years and I love my car. I am shopping for 911 S but giving up my BS isn't going to be so easy as I thought. I was hoping 911S would be a step up but actually it's not really going to be. Acceleration is def going to be a faster but barely noticeable difference in my opinion. I will lose my mid-engine which is so perfectly balance, it's very hard to lose control of the car. I have H&R setup in my car, and it's even better now w/ sticky Veredstein tires. I am selling mine so if you like, PM me. There really is nothing like a car that feel so good w/ wind blowing in your hair at night. I will certainly going to miss it.... who knows I will get tire of 911S coupe and come back to it later on.

As for issue, I think this car is bullet proof. There really is no substitute for Porsche. I will drive it until the day I die.

 

Top was required up for the track day. PCA rules applied for the day and that is one of them. 6speed it is! I actually traded my C4S in on a Panamera 4s with PDK. I really missed the interaction of shifting as I feel it adds to the driving experience for ME. So, when I traded the P4S in I made sure it was a manual. Now, one thing I think is really important for PDK is the Sport and Sport plus buttons. On this track day the Cayman S and C2S were both PDKs. CS had no sport buttons which didn't fair well when left in Auto mode. The C2S was pretty impressive in Sport Plus with the PDK. Held the gear when you left off the gas and than was above 6000rpm. If you are going to do some spirited driving in Auto mode, those options are necessary. Also, the one thing that bothers me with PDK is that in manual mode, if you punch the accelerator hard, it will downshift on its own if you are at 4-5000rpm it will downshift. So, it is not a true Manual mode;-/

I only have 2k miles on it. I don't drive to work so let's say it is a weekend car. I would use this as a daily driver, but the suspension is firm and can be rough on bad roads, not as forgiving as PASM.

One thing with the top is that it isn't insulated(good for sport exhaust sound ;-))
So, you will get some heat from the sun coming off the inside of the "Tent", but on this day going home at 94degrees, I put on the recirculation mode with AC and it blew like no other AC I have ever had, I actually got too cold!

Here are some pics! Always makes a thread better.

 

My spyder has 22k miles on it so I love it quite a bit

 

Cfgtts... Great looking car...

I've started looking for one, and wondered if there were thoughts on depreciation on the spyders... Definitely does not seem like a car for the masses... But wud it hurt resale value? With new models due next year...

 

I agree with z356...
I happen to have 2 spyders.

one with PCCB and one without...I can be described as someone who really loves the spyder.

The PCCBs are awesome (in fact, when compared with otehr manufacturers who offer PCCBs you can see that the porsche option is significantly cheaper. It is a matter of cost but the benefits of greater feel, massive retardation, tireless brakes + better looks (fills up the wheels nicely). You can rest assure that this is the best option anyone can get.

In fact, on my second car, I got it off the dealer lot so no possible to spec PCCBs otherwise I would have cough up for it as well.

In fact, I would say that for the spyder, there are only 3 must haves for me:

sports exhaust, PCCB and short shifter = as close to a gt3 as possible without that mad engine. In fact, if not for the mezger engine, the spyder would be the best porsche I have ever driven.

Lastly, suspension tuning on a porsche is a waste of time. let alone the spyder.

If you have the cash, buy a GT3 or a spyder. if not stick to the vanilla porsches. fitting coilovers/ upgraded suspension only ruins the ride on the street. save it for the racecar....... Porsche has hundreds of engineers working on suspension tuning and access to unlimited cars... how on earth can a mere tuning company beat that just by changing shocks and springs??? ridiculous

 

To be honest, if you are worried about Depreciation on a Porsche, don't buy one. My 2006 C4S was bought for 101k, traded in at 55k in 2010 after trying to sell it on the open market for months. Panamera 4S, lost 17k off of MSRP in 6mos. So, if you are worried about depreciation then don't buy one, but you are doing the right thing by looking for one used. I traded for this one at about 10k off MSRP, one owner 500 miles.

Just make sure this is the car for you, because as you mention this car is not for the "Masses", but that is the very reason I like it. Not a fan of Boxsters or Convertibles, but this one just won me over! It is so much fun that I can't see getting rid of it for any new model Boxster or certainly any other Porsche. If you keep this Spyder for a decade you won't be so concerned with Depreciation.

 

Thanks.. appreciate the comments. You hit it spot on. My first Porsche was a Transsyberia, and lost $20k after a year of ownership. Was not a wise purchase I have to admit, although the car was a fun truck to drive.

I'm looking at 3 options at the moment: New 6spd w PCM+Sports Exhaust; Used PDK with PCM, SpChrono+, no SE; and used PDK with PCM, SpChrono w SE. I am struggling to chose between them. If you have any advice on what items I should prioritize for choosing this particular car, I'd really appreciate it...