Recently, thanks to the kindness of a blog reader, I had the opportunity to test drive an ND5RC Roadster (current 2016 model) on the Royu Driveway. Although it was only about 15 minutes, today I’d like to share my impressions from that drive.
Here are the specifications of the Roadster provided by the owner in advance:
・Body: Various MazdaSpeed braces
・Suspension: Bilstein B12 (mainly set for street driving)
・Stabilizers: (Front: AutoExe, Rear: Cusco)
・Clutch stopper (shortens the clutch pedal travel) and raised accelerator pedal installed
・Wheels: (Advan RZ-II 16-inch 7J)
・Tires: (Advan FLEVA 195/50R16)
The often-mentioned light and nimble feeling was harder to sense due to the swapped stabilizers, but since the muffler and other parts remain stock, the engine’s character should still be authentic.
On the day, I found the Roadster by looking for the license plate I had been told beforehand — there it was! This was it!
The Roadster was parked next to a black Boxster, and the owners were chatting. It turned out that the Boxster owner was also a blog reader. What a small world! Thank you so much!
At first glance, the Roadster’s body color looked white, but on closer inspection, it had a slight bluish tint. The color is called Ceramic Metallic, and it looked stunning under the sunlight on the Royu Driveway. The blue wheels matched the body color perfectly, making it look really cool.
Looking inside, the black seats with red stitching accents gave a nice touch, and the quality felt solid. Interiors with contrasting stitching like this might especially appeal to women.
Then the owner kindly said, “Shall we open the roof since we’re here?” and I got to see how the soft top opens…
Wow! It opens this easily!?
I was surprised. You just unlock the center latch, lift the roof, and push it down from above. It took less than 5 seconds to convert it to an open-top. This is so easy that any woman could do it (I have decent arm strength, so I thought I could do it easily, haha).
Sitting in the driver’s seat, the seating position was quite low, and this was the view from the cockpit.
The short-throw shifter felt smooth and very easy to operate.
Next, I pressed the clutch and found it light and shallow, making it very easy to use. Compared to that, the Boxster’s clutch feels deep and heavy (–_-); though I imagine air-cooled Porsches have even heavier clutches…
Compared to Porsche manuals, the Roadster’s clutch is very light and easy to operate, which is great for women.
While I was playing with the clutch and shifting, the owner said, “Would you like to take it for a spin? Please go for a drive together!”
“Oh no, no…!!” I said, feeling shy, but my face was already smiling and my feet were heading toward the Roadster. My body was honest (laughs). So, we accepted the kind offer and my husband and I went for a test drive.
I sat in the passenger seat first, and right after starting off, I felt the car had a solid road feel, was well built, and comfortable to ride. Also, once we started driving, I was surprised by how much less wind buffeting there was compared to the Boxster.
The Boxster honestly has quite a bit of wind buffeting, which can be tough for women with long hair, but the Roadster had none of that, making it comfortable even in the passenger seat. The engine sound was neither obnoxiously loud nor too quiet — it was a pleasant, classic engine note that felt just right.
I even got to drive a bit, and found the clutch operation incredibly easy. Usually, when driving a manual that’s not your own, it takes a while to get used to the clutch feel, but with the Roadster, I quickly got the hang of it.
Also, when driving my usual BMW 320i, certain maneuvers cause noticeable shift shock, but with the Roadster, there was almost none, making me wonder, “Have I gotten better at driving?” I felt relaxed and enjoyed the drive throughout.
We even joked, “Maybe we should have bought a Roadster instead of the 320i. But it’s a two-seater, so no way.” It was just that easy and well-made a car.
The trunk space was surprisingly small (maybe the Boxster’s trunk is just huge…). When I put in my camera and bags, it looked like this:
So now, to the main event — or rather, the next part — here’s my husband’s test drive review.
Next page → Impressions of the Roadster from a Porsche Owner Husband
Page: 1 2