550 Driving

Hello all,

I am new to the relm of the Spyder but not new to Porsches or other great cars.

I am facinated by the Spyder and plan on buying on this year.

My question is a little off the wall. I have never seen a Spyder in person. (HEY ANYONE IN LOUISIANA,Baton Rouge, South Mississippi,or --I-10 coridor in Louisina, New orleans even counts, or going to be at the Porsche Parade this year. I NEED a ride. I'll even pay for GAS!!)

Back to my question....my father and I have restored a 78 MGB I am intesed in knowing how a Spyder drives compared to this type of car. Or compared to a Boxster I drive on Everyday. Any help or comparisons would be great.

Gary

I would say it drives nothing liek a boxster - it is not as sophisticated. It is more like an old healey or MG maybe - but with more power.

It is fun though.

Mike

Gary: I would say that the spyder will definetly handle better than an MG. Maybe even better than a Healy.
Because the car is so low to the ground, it really holds corners. Thunder Ranch claims 0.96g on the skid pad with 165's on the front and 205's on the rear. While I do not have an accelerometer, I can vouch for the cars ability to roach the corners.
One thing I have noticed. The car is so light that if I really hit the binders when I'm driving by myself, the right front wheel will sometimes lock up. This doesn't happen with two people in the car.
With the engine right behind you and the exhaust system basically a straight pipe, the car is very exillerating to drive.
I don't particularly like driving it in traffic, especially with the profusion of SUV's on the road. Because the car is so small and low, its difficult to be seen.
On a nice windy country lane, its heaven.
It's also a real head turner.
Good luck with your purchase, you will not regret it.
Cheers!

Gary - I owned an '66 MGB for several years and there is a great deal of difference between the drive characteristics of the two cars. Obviously, due to the significant weight difference, the MGB has a feeling of greater "heft" on the road. It sits higher and as noted above, you can feel "exposed" in the low slung Spyder in heavy traffic. With the engine in front, the MGB's handling is characterized by understeer while the Spyder is just the opposite, particularly on "the edge." Finally, there is the obvious difference in acceleration between the MGB with less than 100 HP and a curb weight over 2000 pounds and the Spyder with 125-??? HP and only 1250-1300 pounds curb weight. It's a king of "laid back" versus "high strug" deal.

I wonder why I never seem to be able to post a statement that is free of typos?

look - you just did!

Terry -
How is your Spyder coming along? Was Jake able to sort everything out?

Joe - Thanks for asking....After a week of intensive work, Jake and Brent solved the myriad problems the car had. The tale is an object lesson in both how NOT to buy OR build a car, but it cannot be told right now due to the fact that we're still awaiting payment for Jake's work. Until all of that is settled, Jake and I have agreed not to reveal the particulars. It is an interesting and astounding story...I can't tell you how many times Jake called me and said "I can't believe THIS!" Stay tuned.

Oh, and you guys were right...Jake knows his stuff...In spades.

Thank you for responding to my post.

I am so glad to hear that a Spyder won't handle like the MG.

I live in the country about 20 miles from a real city so these back roads will be awsome in these cars.

Again Thanks!!

I guess no one is bringing one to the Parade or lives in south Louisiana.

If you guys know of someone who lives around here with a Spyder pass my ride request on to them, and again I'll pay for gas.

Gary

Actually I was thinking of a sprite/midget.

The look over the hood is very similar to the second generation healey sprite I used to have.The handling and power is obviously superior in the 550.

Eric Johnson
beck 113

It--driving a 550--feels like being in your father

It--driving a 550--feels like being in your father