Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning my garage gave me a rare photo op for all four droptops together. Maybe I should clean more often...
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Very kind, Gents.

The blue car is a 2006 Spyker C8 Spyder, one of 252 made. Mine is #115, and there are about 55 in the US. I bought it new in 2008 and have put 10k miles on it.

My Cali is a 2011, and is for sale. I used it as a DD for three years and racked up 31k miles. I really enjoyed it (was my first F-car) and chose the Cali because I had little kids at the time, and it fit all of us. My biggest dislike was that I could not uncouple the sport suspension from the increased throttle response of that setting, the way I can with the 458 Spider, but roads in PA are not the best. I added Fabspeed sport cats and exhaust and Modulare 21" wheels, and it has served me well.

I added the Bentley and 458 this past December. The Bentley is a GTC Speed, bought to allow bigger back seats for my now bigger kids. It replaces the California and is my winter DD. My wife DD's a 2014 Cayenne Turbo S. In warmer months, I alternate between the Spyker and 458.

The Bentley is classy, stylish and very smooth. Neck warmers and seat massagers are fun and pleasant. It handles well for what it is, but does not have the agility of a sports car. I like the exhaust note. The build quality is superb. I love the torque. The cabinet is rather windy with the top down, but my other convertibles are much smaller cars. The car is very wide, and does not drive much smaller than it is. The gray exterior allows it to blend a little, and it does not get the attention of a Ferrari.

The 458 is a 2012, optioned beyond any 458 I have seen, with full alcantara and CF. I loved the color combination and am very glad I bought it. It's the most competent sports car I've had (and I had a '12 911 Turbo S Cab), with thrills beyond what a 911 can offer (at least, a non-GT3 variant, which I won't buy until they make a drop top). I added carbon fiber rear lens covers, external sills and a lip spoiler and am very pleased with the look. My Cali has many yellow accents (badges, calipers, tach, wheel caps), and the 458 has none except the nose badge. The 458 also now sports Fabspeed sport cats, headers and exhaust, with a Capristo valve switch. I am pleased with the mods. It pops on shifts now, much like the 2010-2011 458s before the software upgrade, and burbles on liftoff and downshifts. I find the 458 a huge rush, and with the bumpy road setting on, is much more compliant than my Cali in Sport. I've posted before that I drive it in Race mode at all times (and the Cali in CRT off), and people seem to think I am crazy. I guess I am just a bit hard core. The 458 was at 4/5th of tire wear when it was delivered in December, and I will replace the rubber this summer. As is, it doesn't hook up well in first gear, but I expect new tires will cure that. It is a blast, overall.

All that said, the Spyker is incomparable. It's all aluminum and about 2700 lbs dry. Makes about 425bhp on the dyno, which is more than the factory says. Without assists, it is the most raw and pure driving experience I have ever had. The handcrafting is something you just don't encounter anymore. It is thrilling where the 458 is exciting. It's a total rush every time I drive it. It is also very extroverted. You get noticed. Ultimately, the 458 is more competent and solid, but also bigger and more challenging to place. The connectedness of the Spyker is otherworldly, and I'm a big fan of shifting for myself. The roar is like a '65 Cobra, but with some creature comforts. It's a very compromised design, too hot about 80 degrees, very weak A/C, no radio. I removed the soft top because it was useless. I love the balance, and have tracked it. It's not going to pass the Broomstick test on any track that requires it, though. For all out fun in the sun, it's always my choice. I've read many tests of the C8 that really don't match my experience. They say super car looks with sports car performance. I don't agree. Up through 4th gear, it's a match for the 458, and then it does fall off. I don't live in a world where I use much performance above that, so figures on paper are not the same as lived experience. Overall, I'd call it raucous, barely-restrained and not fully tamed. Perfect.

 

I suppose I need a wider angle, but this is a quickie. The other two cars are in a detached garage.
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I enjoyed writing it, although I should have been out driving!

 

I do a lot of driving, Fuddman, so the cars do get use, except in winter. Once the Cali is sold, I'll have fewer to put more miles on, at least until I add the next. Typically, I take one to Cars and Coffee on Saturday mornings, then switch and drive another for the duration of the day on Saturday. It's not hard to rotate them, though there are some logistics with multiple garages and lifts. First world problems.

 

Nice stable, Chris. The Bentley is great for kids, if you like top-down driving at all times the way I do. The only other cars that would fit them are the Maserati and Audi, both of which did not push the same buttons for me. They used to fit fine in a 911, and then the Cali, but are too big now. Does that mean a full-size Bentley Grand Convertible may be my next option once they outgrow the CGT, or will the kids be out of the house by then? It will be interesting to see the timing of Bentley's pace of production vs. the pace of my kids' growth.

 

Some of the top surfaces in the Cali are Crema, and with the top down all the time, they have picked up some permanent grime, and the driver seat has the inevitable discoloration caused by blue jeans. Minor, but a darker color would have been less susceptible (still, I love the drama and tradition of crema). That said, when I get small nicks in the leather in the Spyker (which is like Cuoio inside), the nicks stand out because the surface under the leather is lighter in color. The 458 has full Alcantara, which I'll stick with from now on (as well as the racing seats). Seems to wear very well, though I'll forever wonder at the wisdom of Alcantara floor mats, on many levels. The Bentley is a smarter design, so even though it has very light (crema-like) seat inserts, the top facing leather is the darker gray shade, and thus should be less susceptible to discoloration than the Cali. The new Cali T's interior scheme fixes this issue, and is similar to the Bentley. Yes, I think the orange side markers on the 458 are US spec.