The 1st - Porsche 718 Spyder Experience

People tend to harp on about their firsts, always. First long drive, first kiss, first rave, the first time they were punched in the mug because of being an absolute muppet on social media... et cetera. But the 718 Spyder isn't exactly Porsche's first 718, first Spyder, or even the first properly focussed Boxster-based car.

For those who've lost track of special edition Porsches, the typ-982 Porsche 718 Spyder is the 'Boxster' to the 718 GT4 'Cayman'. In my relatively little experience of driving sports cars (no, it's not a very long list), it’s the first new one to have a manual gearbox. And a four-litre naturally aspirated engine. And a roof that folds down manually. And it doesn't even have door handles on the inside but pull tabs. If I had to write about my notable firsts, this will be right there on the top of the list.

A little flashback to mid-2022:

I remember turning the key but nothing happened. Video gamers would know, it’s akin to the feeling of buying a new game only to realise that your PC’s graphics card is going to be blown to smithereens if you went anywhere over 16 fps. Thankfully, it was much easier to resolve this issue. On such occasions when your informed self would try to turn on the 718 Spyder, it prompts you to depress the clutch. Erm, a clutch; what’s that?!

I do as instructed, and with a tiny twist of the Porsche key fob, it’s brought to life. That's a loud start-up, I mention to my photographer friend, who's shooting with a Leica SL2 — a more conventional Leica in the sea of unconventional Leicas. What a thing!

Anyway, back to the 718 Spyder. The ability of low cars (the 718 Spyder is about 30 mm lower than the standard Boxster) to induce a sudden drop in my confidence is beyond repair. I wouldn't mind driving one on a racetrack or public roads, but bring forward a speed bump, pothole, or even a makeshift stretch of tarmac (how does that pass on as a road, it's beyond my understanding) and I begin to sweat profusely. Even in Bengaluru's magically pleasant climate. Some of these deterrents cleared easily, some required crossing diagonally, and one prominent one did slightly scrape, too.. But the reality is if your city is blessed with good roads, the 718 Spyder is going to be a great everyday car, I said to myself…

It’s become daft how I try to justify every performance-orientated car as one for everyday use, but the 718 Spyder seems to be at home on public roads. Its driveability is actually that good. The only time one needs to be careful of the revs not falling is while crossing speed bumps, because everywhere else, it's as easy to drive as a regular hatchback. The control weights are fairly light, and even the direct-feeling steering isn’t a trouble at low speeds. The short-throw gearbox is a doddle to use — something that becomes apparent as you hurl the car towards its 8k redline. It's worth noting that under 4,000 rpm or so the car, while not powerless, sounds relatively muted (even with the sports exhaust 'turned on'). Let the revs climb and the sonorous six begins to fill the 'cabin' with induction noise. It's not angry, it's not savage, but rather melodious. In the little time that I had with it, I realised that the car doesn't exactly sound like a 911 of the past. It has its very own note and you'd be forgiven to dance to its tunes. It is that good. Long gearing means you don’t have to change gears too often (what a shame, considering the shift quality is easily one of the best I’ve experienced). It also means that you’re likely to run out of road (and in my case, talent) first before reaching anywhere close to the full potential of the car.

To experience the car as intended, we left Bangalore’s traffic-laden streets, for a quick dash to Nandi Hills. It became evident that the 718 Spyder doesn’t hate traffic as badly as a high-performance car of the past would. And secondly, its ability to relentlessly increase the range when driven sensibly is nearly incomprehensible. That's of course down to the fact that the 718 Spyder benefits from active cylinder deactivation. The difference between going ‘the whole nine yards’ and when not running on full steam is said to be noticeable but honestly, I wouldn't have found that out following my rota: drive slowly to Nandi Hills and use the first two gears on the twisties to enjoy whatever I could manage without making a fool of myself.

Once in the hills, even with the rag top up, the 718 Spyder is exactly the car I'd expected it to be — and then some. The power delivery isn't too spiky, especially at low rpm, which means hairpins are a breeze. A set of easy switchback corners showed how well it sticks to its line, even under power. The auto-blip feature can be a substitute for good old heel and toe, but even if you're blipping the throttle, the manual gearbox gives you just about enough time to get it right. The turn-in is confident, even when not driven hard. Its suspension might be a touch bouncy for uneven tarmac, but it was never uncomfortable. There seems nothing that can distract you from enjoying every moment you’d spend behind the wheel. The brakes are sharp, the steering is communicative, and the way the car telepathically responds to direct changes is unlike anything else I’ve driven.

The 414 bhp flat six is naturally aspirated — it’s not from the 911 GT3 but a newly developed lump based on the 911 Carrera S’s turbocharged 3-litre unit. It’s heartening to see the lengths Porsche went to, to make a car like the 718 Spyder possible. As you’d have guessed, the GT department didn’t just stop there. Like the Cayman GT4, it gets 911-GT3-sourced chassis components, too. It’s more than an exercise to silence those who didn’t like the turbo-four 718 Cayman/Boxster. That it’s not called a Boxster is a bit of a disservice to the mid-engined family of Porsches but it’s also a clear indication that he 718 Spyder is way more than a special-edition Boxster.

We didn’t want to risk the chance of rain spoiling play, plus with the roof down, the 718 Spyder is an attention magnet. So unfortunately for the majority of the drive, the roof stayed up. It makes the cabin more comfortable, especially with the windows slightly open to let the flat six’s wails ricochet off the Nandi Hills. With the roof down (the process isn't as complicated as it'd appear to be), the Spyder's appearance makes an even stronger case for itself — even over the Cayman GT4. The dynamic streamliners will remind you of the 991 Speedster, and that in itself is probably a reason good enough to consider the 718 Spyder. For me, what works for the Spyder has to be how different this car feels from everything else on the market. Easy to drive, but one that leaves a lasting impression. Ballistic but also docile. Beautiful but also, especially in the shade of GT Silver, pretty much anonymous — from a distance, at least. In a long time, it looks like the first car, that if given a choice, will get my vote over the 911.

Guess some firsts are always special...

Car loaned by Porsche India. Photos by Sanket Patel.