Porsche 718 Spyder Convertible
New from £80,255 / £1,501 p/m
Is the Porsche 718 Spyder Convertible a good car?
Read our expert review
Words by: Dan Trent
"For hardcore sports car fans and – especially – Porsche aficionados the 718 Spyder is a truly special machine and evidence the brand hasn’t totally forgotten its purist roots. With its big engine, manual-only transmission and spicy handling it’s a car for drivers, its unique style and limited availability setting it apart from the 718 Boxster on which it is based."
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Running costs for a Porsche 718 Spyder
This entirely depends on your frame of reference, and also how friendly you are with your local Porsche dealership. At face value the 718 Spyder is a very expensive car and costs a hefty premium over the regular 718 Boxster on which it is based. Porsche is also masterful at convincing its customers to spend big on extras and it’s easy to add a hefty five-figure number to the price with just a few ‘essential’ options. The 4.0-litre engine is thirsty, chuffs out a lot of CO2 and you’ll be murdered on tax and other running costs in comparison with any regular car. Porsche is also very clever at making sure demand outstrips supply of its special edition models like this, meaning a bunfight at dealers to get one. If you’re deemed worthy you’re in luck because you’ll likely be able to sell for a premium and even turn a profit, known as ‘flipping’ and deeply unpopular with those who don’t get on the dealer’s list. The only dilemma for those who do? Drive it and enjoy it as one of the best modern sports cars at any price or sell it for a fast buck?
Reliability of a Porsche 718 Spyder
Porsche prides itself on a reputation for quality German engineering but experience shows it can have the occasional wobble on reliability and when things do go wrong it can cost you a lot of money. As a new car you should be covered by the warranty for manufacturing faults but consumables like tyres and brakes are very expensive, especially if you take the car on track. Of course, for a number of buyers this will be of no concern because their focus will be on covering as few miles as possible to maintain that all important resale value.
Safety for a Porsche 718 Spyder
The 718 Spyder is a modern sports car with airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability control and all the rest. But it’s also a highly focused performance machine Porsche aims squarely at enthusiast drivers who are comfortable grabbing a car by the scruff of the neck. Everything about the Spyder is geared to performance, meaning the handling will feel lively for those not accustomed to such cars and you’ll need to know what you’re doing – even with the safety systems on the 718 Spyder will slide around on cold or wet tarmac and expects the driver to be able to handle it. If that’s not for you the regular 718 Boxster offers most of the fun without the sweaty palms.
How comfortable is the Porsche 718 Spyder
Again, comfort takes second place to the sense of speed and excitement in the 718 Spyder and if it’s luxury you’re after you’re probably better served by the standard 718 Boxster, which is a lovely car in its own right. Indeed, in some respects the Spyder has been made deliberately less comfortable to increase the intensity of the driving experience – the steering is heavy, the clutch gives your left leg a workout, the brakes are fierce and the car is so responsive it demands your full attention at all times. The track-honed suspension is also very stiff and even with adaptive dampers there’s no setting to take the edge off the bumps and you feel everything. Great when you’re in the mood, tiring when you’re not. But that’s what sets the Spyder apart and what enthusiasts will love. The optional fixed carbon fibre seats of the test car we had force you into an upright, racing driver’s position whether you like it or not. You can option in more conventional seats if you like (or are lucky enough to buy new) but that’s not really the point of the car and if you’re considering the investment potential future buyers will be chasing cars with the most focused (and expensive) options. The distinctive Spyder look also demands a special manual hood mechanism, which is more time consuming to fold than that of the regular Boxster. On the face of it these various practical compromises make no sense whatsoever but to complain about that would be missing the point of this super cool car.
Features of the Porsche 718 Spyder
If you put in-car tech at the top of your buying wishlist be prepared for a shock – although the 718 Spyder comes as standard with factory navigation and infotainment system with CarPlay installed Porsche does offer the opportunity to delete the whole system in the name of weight saving, playing to the hardcore credentials of the car. Meaning you may well come across Spyders in the used market with a big hole in the dash where you’d expect the radio to be. By any conventional measure this is ridiculous for a car nudging six-figures but the real magic of this car is in the engineering, with many of the parts coming directly from the track optimised 911 GT3. And that, for the true geeks this car is aimed at, is worth way more than fancy touchscreens.
Power for a Porsche 718 Spyder
In an age of turbocharged cars – 718 Boxster included – the Spyder’s real party piece is its incredible 4.0-litre, six-cylinder engine which it shares with the hardcore 718 Cayman GT4. It develops a mighty 420 horsepower and revs to the sky, which you need to do to extract its best. For enthusiasts it’s a fabulous engine, responsive, powerful and gushing with charisma. The other noteworthy feature is the manual gearbox, there being no PDK automatic option like there is in other 718 Boxsters. This is a deliberate statement of intent from Porsche and something to celebrate if you consider driving a recreational pursuit rather than just a means of transport. If you don’t – and in case you hadn’t already got the message – this isn’t the car for you.
Lease deals
These deals are based on terms of 8,000 miles, for a 36 month lease with a 6 months initial payment.
£1,885.33
Monthly payment
£11,311.99
Initial payment
- 2 seats
- 2 doors
- Convertible
- Petrol
- Automatic
- 4.0 litres
Standard equipment
Expect the following equipment on your Porsche 718 Spyder Convertible. This may vary between trim levels.
- 12-Volt Sockets in Passenger Footwell and Centre Console Storage Compartment
- Digital Radio
- Instrument Cluster with Central Rev Counter and High Resolution 4.6inch Colour Display
- PCM - Porsche Communication Management - Include Navigation
- Porsche Track Precision App
- Sound Package Plus
- 20in Alloy Wheels - 718 Spyder in Silver Colour with Sports Tyres
- 718 Logo on Gear lever
- Anti-Theft Wheel Bolts
- Auto-Deploying 718 Spyder Specific Rear Wing
- Brake Calipers - Red
- Convertible Top Colour - Black
- Electric Windows with One-Touch Operation and Door Seal Protection Function
- Electrically Adjustable Heated Exterior Mirrors on Door Waist Rails - Aspherical on Drivers Side
- Front Apron with Large Cooling Intakes
- Green Tinted Heat-Insulating Glass
- Intelligent Lightweight in Aluminium-Steel-Composite Construction
- Manually Operated Lightweight Hood with Electric Locking Function and Two Rear Fins
- Net Wind Deflector
- PORSCHE Logo in Silver Colour High-Gloss on Accent Trim - Model Designation in Satin Black on Rear Apron
- Rear Apron Lower Part in Black with Integrated Rear Diffuser
- Separate Auxiliary Lights in the Front End with LED Indicators and Position Lights
- Side Air Intake with Grille in Black
- Twin-tract Sports Exhaust System with Two Tailpipes in Stainless Steel in Black High-Gloss
- Two Dynamic Streamliners on Aluminium Rear Lid
- Tyre Repair Kit
- Windscreen with Darker Grey Tint at the Top to Reduce Glare
- AUTO BLIP Button to Activate Automatic Rev-Matching for Downshifts
- Adjustable Fan with Air Recirculation and Defroster Functions
- Air Conditioning with Integrated Active Carbon Filter
- Ascending Centre Console with an Uncovered Storage Compartment and a Closed Storage Compartment
- Clothes Hooks on Seat Backrests
- Door Opening Loops in Black
- Door Panel Armrest and Centre Console Main Storage Compartment Lid in Smooth Finish Leather
- Door Sill Guards - Model Designation Logo
- Floor Mats
- GT Sports Steering Wheel
- Instrument Dials and Rev Counter in Black with White Indices - Scales and Spyder Logo
- Interior Package Painted - Exterior Colour
- LED Reading Lights - Orientation Lighting and Ignition Lock - Additionally Luggage Compartment and Glove Box Lighting
- Leather Interior Package - without Leather Interior
- Luggage Compartments at Front and Rear
- Seat Heating
- Shortened Gear Lever
- Sports Seats Plus - Electrical 2 Way
- Sports-Look Pedals and Footrest
- Storage Compartment in Each Door
- Two Individual Cup Holders - Integrated into Dashboard Trim Strip
- Windscreen Wiper System with Aero Wiper Blades and Washer Jets
- Alarm System
- Electrically Controlled Parking Brake
- Fixed Roll-Over Bar
- Full Size Airbags for Driver and Front Passenger
- Porsche Side Impact Protection - POSIP
- Porsche Stability Management - PSM Including ABS
- Porsche Torque Vectoring - PTV with Mechanically Locking Rear Differential
- Remote Central Locking with Immobiliser
- Automatic Headlight Activation including Welcome Home Lighting
- Bi-Xenon Headlights with Integrated LED Daytime Running Lights
- LED Taillights and Integral 4-Point Brake Lights and Reversing Lights
- Chrono Package with an Analogue Stopwatch - Digital Stopwatch Function and Performance Display in PCM
- Dynamic Gearbox Mount System
- Electromechanical Direct Steering with Variable Steering Ratio and Steering Pulse Generator
- Engine Water Cooled with Thermal Management
- Lightweight Spring Strut Front Axle - Anti-Roll Bar - Suspension Mountings Partly Ball-Jointed
- Lightweight Spring Strut Rear Axle - Helper Springs - Anti-Roll Bar - Suspension Mountings Partly Ball-Jointed
- PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management - Variable Damper System with Sports Setup and Ride Height Lowered by 30mm
- Cruise Control
- Digital Displays for Vehicle Speed - Chosen Gear - Odometer -Trip Meter and Time
- Park Assist - Rear
- Performance-Orientated Shift Indicator in the Colour Display of the Instrument Cluster
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System - TPM
Other vehicles in the 718 Spyder family
718 Boxster Convertible
Wonderful handling
Wonderful engine
Just... wonderful
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Porsche 718 Spyder Convertible (2019 - ) review
If the standard 718 Boxster is one of the best sports cars around the 718 Spyder is something truly exceptional and an enthusiast’s dream, albeit a raw one stripped of creature comforts and refinement
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