Porsche 911 S/C exclusive first drive | Chris Harris on Cars
Posted by Iridium-Silver@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 62 comments
https://youtu.be/TUU-hgMDUWg
Description: They let me have a go in this thing at the home of all fast Porsches: Weissach. I wanted to not like it - I mean who cuts the roof off a GT3. Watch the film to see the outcome.
_galaga_@reddit
I just watched the vid and figured it'd appear hear. Funny thing is as I'm watching I'm thinking it's a great argument for grabbing a Z4 before they're fully gone gone (if you had to buy something new off the lot today). It's got all the same parts Chris highlights about cruising around in this car albeit without the track chops or exclusivity which you could argue aren't required for driving enjoyment. It's a great top down tourer with a stick that can hustle a lil' bit but doesn't mind if you don't. Funny to hear Chris lament about getting older and enjoying convertibles while also accepting not giving a fuck. Chris and AP is always a good convo, too.
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
Honestly if I could have found a Z4 with a stick anywhere near me I'd probably own it instead of my Supra.
BMW sorta wasted the Z4 platform IMO. They dedicate all of this money to M cars but don't give the Z a proper or even half assed M treatment - the Z4 six speed is the sole exception, with the suspension tuned to match the Supras.
Imagine if they had made a modern iteration of the M coupe with an S58 in there? Make it a liftback like the Supra, full BMW tier interior, S58 up front, actual six speed, rear drive only, etc. Then offer a convertible variant? They'd be able to sell em for probably 130-150k without much trouble.
intercede007@reddit
They didn’t need to. The only reason to buy the Boxster is that you want a Porsche badge or it has to be mid engined. The Z4 is more care for less money if the former items aren’t must haves.
FoMoCoNutjob@reddit
The only reason to buy the Boxster is that you want a sports car which drives like a sports car. If you want a cruiser that looks like a sports car, the Z4 is the better choice. The Porsche simply does everything sports car-related better. But you can tell yourself a lot to justify your car.
intercede007@reddit
The base Boxster does two things better than a similarly priced Z4, and that’s stop and turn. Every other facet of sports and car it does not do better.
And neither of them are going on track with a nationally recognized sanctioning body because neither have sufficient rollover protection.
The Z4 is the better car.
FoMoCoNutjob@reddit
Better handling, better braking, better shifter, better steering feel, better clutch feel, the list goes on. All things that matter in a sports car.
The Z4 is the better car. The Boxster is the better sports car. Congrats, you've won the spec sheet race!
intercede007@reddit
Conveniently leaving out all the sports car things the Z4 does better not withstanding, as you’ve correctly pointed out at the end of the day the Z4 is the better car for the money.
FoMoCoNutjob@reddit
Acceleration and straight-line speed - is that what you’re referring to? They don’t matter in a sports car at all. Then again, you drive two modern BMW M cars, so the chances of you being a driving enthusiast are essentially zero - if anything, the opposite.
intercede007@reddit
You’re a clown and a half.
https://imgur.com/a/7AqTRAF
FoMoCoNutjob@reddit
I’m not sure what this photo from your little sightseeing tour around a racetrack with an instructor in the passenger seat is meant to prove, but even if you’d shown yourself on three Le Mans podiums, it still wouldn’t say anything about whether you’re a driving enthusiast or not. And your earlier comments already made it clear what’s what anyway.
BillyJohnsFinds@reddit
Agreed with everything you said. I own an F87 as well but it’s my daily, that car is too refined just to be a weekend car.
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
I don't know that I'd go that far. On the spec sheet? Sure. From the driver's seat? The BMW is just softer, the 6speed's suspension being tuned to the level of the Supra fixes a lot of that, but that's not true of 90% of Z4s sold.
intercede007@reddit
I would, we shopped Boxsters until it became clear dealers weren’t willing to work with us to order a non-S that was in our price range.
In the end, the Cayman was louder, smaller, slower, with a worse ride and was overall a much worse street car. We walked away realizing we didn’t want the badge or the layout more than we wanted the best car we could afford.
https://imgur.com/a/IkUuNdW
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
You're saying the same thing though, I'm saying the suspension is softer and handling is worse, you're saying you preferred it for the street because the Porsche had a worse ride. That's fine, but it's definitely a softer suspension setup and won't corner as well as the 6speed variant or a boxster.
intercede007@reddit
It’s also more liveable a place as a car then a vehicle with a stiffer suspension - my M2C, for example.
So yes, it’s a better place to be than the Boxster. And on many roads it’s a better place to be than my M2C.
Noobasdfjkl@reddit
I understand Z4 to have suspension geometry very close to F87 M2C, so that’s kind of a half assed M treatment
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
It's basically the same as the Supra I own, it's a fantastic handling car - the issue with the Z specifically is that BMW softened the suspension quite a bit in it. Great geometry, but softer spring rates all around to make it more of a cruiser. Even the M40 version had relatively compliant suspension.
Now allegedly the 6 speed variant sorted that, and carries the same spring rates and dampening as the Supra, which is where it should have been from the start.
But yeah, the car is there, the geometry is there, the engine is there, they just don't take it to that next level of sportiness, which is IMO why the Z4 has seen such mediocre sales relative to Boxsters.
Nero_Wolff@reddit
Thats interesting that the Z4 used to be softer than the Supra. Imo the Supras suspension is too soft from factory. The weight shift during acceleration or cornering I felt could have been better
BrunoEye@reddit
Tbh I don't get the obsession with stiff suspension in sports cars. My MR2 is pretty soft and it's a blast to drive, it's especially nice on rural twisty roads which often aren't well maintained. Or look at any review of the Ariel Nomad to see someone have more fun than they do in most supercars while leaning like crazy.
unatleticodemadrid@reddit
Stiffer suspensions in sports cars only make sense if you’re regularly tracking them. If you’re not, they’re more pain than pleasure.
AwesomeBantha@reddit
Yeah. I don’t want to own a convertible that tires me out too quickly and/or sucks to be a passenger in.
_galaga_@reddit
BMW was more into hardcore Z's with the Z3 M, I suppose. I've been driving an '09 Z4 and it's a great cruiser. Good grip and front engine/rwd dynamics are fun. For it's age I don't have a lot of complaints but I've been side-eyeing the current one a lot.
intercede007@reddit
It’s much more composed and an overall better ride than the F87.
Source: https://imgur.com/a/IkUuNdW
Noobasdfjkl@reddit
That’s mostly just down to damper tuning honestly. You could make the M2C ride very similarly. I’m talking about the camber curve and shit like that.
pegasusairforce@reddit
Hot take that might rile up the fanboys, it's better without the S58
B58 has more torque off the line. To really feel the power difference in an S58, you have to rev it out, which isn't the use case for most Z4 owners. I'm sure some people are gonna chime in that they totally would have bought a Z4M and took it to the track, but I can count on one hand the number of Z3Ms or Z4M's I've seen at track days, it simply isn't how most buyers were using that car. I think I've probably seen more X3Ms and X5Ms at the track than Z3/4Ms. If you really feel the B58 is lacking in power, you can tune it up to S58 levels while still being the easier to maintain engine. Also personally the B58 is a much nicer sounding engine stock, which adds to the open air experience of the Z4. You can single turbo an S58 to get it to sound better, but still, out the box the B58 just has a better tone.
Although you are right, I do wish they offered them in a coupe. But I am guessing that is to avoid stepping on the toes of the Supra (which is probably why the Supra never got a targa version either)
Skensis@reddit
Idk, I feel you could make this argument about any of BMWs M cars too, like, do they really need the S58 for how 99% of owners will actually use the cars?
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
I don’t think the normal b58 is low on power at all, just that with higher sportier trims people expect more ya know?
Ideally it would just be a tuned up b58 - it’s got another 100-150hp on the stock turbo, and a slightly modified turbine yields ceilings far higher. It’s a great package.
I do think it’s not quite as linear as you might want from a straight performance oriented engine, I rarely feel the need to spin mine out ya know? But that can be solved through tuning.
withsexyresults@reddit
Or made that z4 coupe concept they showed a couple years back. That was beautiful, would have bought
atomicskiracer@reddit
If they made a z4 coupe in stick I’d have immediately bought one
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
How about a Toyota instead?
willpc14@reddit
My hot take is that ~$75k for the Z4 M40 is a very good price for a two seat convertible sports car built on a dedicated platform. Obviously it's not cheap, but I just think that it's fair price for what it offers especially compared to the competition from Porsche.
_galaga_@reddit
It’s solidly between (RIP) the Boxster on the high end an the Miata on the low end. More of a daily/cruiser/GT than either but for a road car not a track toy that’s fine.
Supersize_You@reddit
I cross-shopped Z4, Boxster and F-type. I found Z4 to be the easiest to live with, Boxster to be the best handling and F-type to be the… loudest and thirstiest. I can fit two slim golf bags and two weekend bags in Z4’s trunk, B58 isn’t as high maintenance as the other two, and once you put your foot down it sounds much better than base Boxster. For someone who never goes to track and wants a convertible that can nearly function as a practical car, Z4 is great.
Ok_Explorer604@reddit
Chris' videos are always good for a laugh, as are his lamentations about aging. I've got to disagree with him though, still don't care for convertibles even as I age and get softer.
I was surprised, and also not at the same time, regarding his comment about scuttle shake. Seems like a common complaint amongst owners of F8s, and track focused Pistas, and here Porsche addressed it even without a carbon chassis.
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
Depends on where you live, they're very compromised cars. I used to daily an S2000 in New Orleans and kept the top up a ton because it was just so goddamn hot all the time.
Chris is in California though, I never made it out there with the car but the two times I took it to the mountains of NC was pure bliss. You simply can't come anywhere near the euphoria that is a spirited drive in a moderately fast roadster on a curvy road when the weather is right. You don't even need to be going insanely fast, it just feels good man.
FoMoCoNutjob@reddit
Isn’t this the best possible proof that Porsche has completely fucked it up in the last few years - that in 2026 they release a 9,000 rpm, naturally aspirated, stick-shift-only convertible under 3,300 lbs, a package that, apart from the S2000, would have been a unicorn no matter how far back you go in time - and yet the comments are still overwhelmingly negative, and honestly, in a way that’s even understandable?
junker90@reddit
Not really? If I thought I could actually buy my own spec I'd put a deposit down for one of these today, but I've never actually bought a new Porsche so I won't get one for at least a few years. Friends I know who've had their own GT3 allocations are excited by this though.
Quaiche@reddit
Redditors comment isn’t representative of the average Porsche buyer who can afford one.
So it’s completely irrelevant.
agnaddthddude@reddit
when was the last time redditor opinion was the reflective of the population in cars?
AcrobaticButterfly@reddit
You make a really good point. Porsche hasn't been having a good time with EV sales and the entire market is shifting back to gas cars. This is after investing everything into battery technology and EV development. They are pulling out all the stops with this GT3 SC, probably to make money through dealer work
Pitiful-Walrus5102@reddit
I know it makes no sense on paper. But this is the perfect car for someone like me. I’m getting older and like convertibles. I’ve owned and spyder and spyder rs but found those cars difficult to live with. I only like manual cars. And I love a high revving flat six with sofas. Does it serve the gt3 badge? 🤷♂️. Maybe not. But the spyder rs also doesn’t deserve the rs badge. If you take a step back though and ignore badging, this is going to be a fantastic car to drive
Big44Wet@reddit
Most of the negative comments are from people who will never be able to afford the car. So while everyone is entitled to an opinion that doesn’t make their perspective understandable.
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
"I could never see myself buying this car, it's just a parts bin special because Porsche no longer cares about their buyers, gotta be a moron to want one of these"
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
To be completely fair, this sub is filled with twentysomethings who can barely afford a used civic making highly confident statements about how Porsche has failed to entice their business.
weeson12@reddit
It's just a Miata with extra price
53bvo@reddit
Why buy expensive miata when cheap one will do?
humdizzle@reddit
its nice but not for me. its like adding sport suspension to a rolls royce... just doesn't make sense. I'd rather have regular gt3 with a fixed roof, or touring... and a miata on the side to enjoy the sun.
DerHeckschleuderer@reddit
Have you watched the video? One of the very first things Preuninger addresses is the question of what the point of this car actually is. He says himself that over the past decade, the GT3 has evolved from a purely track-focused car into one that caters to two kinds of customers: those who still want a track-focused machine, and those who simply want a driver’s car. And for a driver’s car, experience matters more than outright performance - so from that perspective, a GT3 Cabriolet actually makes some sense, doesn’t it?
humdizzle@reddit
I suppose. But most convertibles based on drivers cars are not that saught after. M3 and m4 convertibles depreciate super fast compared to their coupe and sedan variants. They never made an m4cs or gts convertible. Same for regular 911s... the verts depreciate much faster. Except for the speedster as it was a very limited run. The exotics tend to break that rule though, but that's mostly for the flex factor imo or because of limited runs with pista spyder, speciale aperta, 575 superamerica.
xlb250@reddit
Convertible is a lot more fun imo
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
Yeah, same, I mean who wouldn't get a 3,300lb track tuned two seater confused with a rolls royce...
humdizzle@reddit
i think you're missing the point. convertibles are inherently flawed with less chassis rigidity (unless you have a carbon tub) and more weight, and significantly more drag and less downforce. Why would i want to make my track car worse? I'd just get a GT3 for when i want performance, and some other convertible with comfortable suspension for enjoying the sun around town.
if i had a gt3 convertible i definitely wouldn't drive it like my current fixed top gt3... the wind buffetting would be atrocious on my favorite roads or hitting the top of 3rd and 4th on the highway
cheesynooby@reddit
If you’re using highway pulls or backroads as a performance comparison point, the difference between this and a slick top won’t even matter at all.
The point of a convertible is to make it a more fun car. It’s a little telling that you view miatas or other convertibles with soft suspensions as sun enjoying mobiles. Hustling it in a backroad with the top down is just way more fun vs. A slick top.
humdizzle@reddit
yes but the convertible is going to buffet and have so much wind noise drowning out the exhaust note from 7-9k rpm. after 2nd gear you are already over 80mph. sorry ive just never been a convertible guy, any time i rent one i put the top up on the highway and only take it down when im in town at low speeds.
i would rather have an R8 v10, f430, or v12 vantage convertible with a stick . they sound way better around town at lower speeds.
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
It didn't do this in my old S2000, and I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the ol Honda 2.0 with stock exhaust was not as loud as this engine may be, even with VTEC engaged....
cheesynooby@reddit
Well the long gearing is a car specific issue, not a convertible specific one (see the number of complaints of porsche's too long gearing). And I don't disagree with you on wind buffeting of course, it's one of the downsides. If I'm going to be spending longer than a minute at 80mph I would put the windows or top up. Usually backroads are not 80mph for more than a few seconds before the next corner though.
And you not being a convertible guy is totally fine, like when you said "its nice but not for me". But then you go on to say that it doesn't make sense, and use performance as a metric on public streets. Which really shouldn't be in the conversation if you're only street driving the car.
I've never had the pleasure of driving those exotics like you have. I bet hustling it with the top down against the cliffs so the exhaust sounds bounce off of them at 9000rpm at 1st gear (maybe 2nd if it's a long straight), sound even better than puttering around town at low speeds though.
RIP_Soulja_Slim@reddit
Yes, and nothing exists between dedicated top tier track car and rolls royce, nothing at all.....
yonly65@reddit
It's hard to get excited about this car when the real world (post dealer markup) price is similar to a 296 GTS.
Pdxlater@reddit
It’s hard to be excited about even watching the video for this car that dealers will be asking $400k for.
AcrobaticButterfly@reddit
Based on the MSRP and being a production run Porsche seems to understand that people are moving away from the brand because at that price bracket there are so many good options. The prices on more "regular" Porsches are coming back down and given that this isn't a track focused GT3 I would hope I people can actually order it for less than $300k
bluelinked@reddit
I still think the 991 speedster and its rear looks better than the more convenient automatic top included in this model.
real_picklejuice@reddit
It's arguably so much cooler too and cool isn't always convenient