Originally Posted by
Philly215
The frame is 200 grams lighter, more aero, and stiffer. Nobody said Ultegra was better than Dura Ace but the gap is much closer now. If you were blindfolded you wouldn't tell the difference in performance between the two. They'll shift and brake the same. Ultegra is a little bit heavier.
So you'll have a Better ride with the better frame.
Better?...with one caveat. Stiffer? '17 Tarmac was already in its 5th generation and one of the stiffest most responsive road bikes on the planet targeted for the best elite riders. The '18 now has a proprietary aero seatpost and so you are stuck with Specialized crappy single bolt saddle clamp that comes on that post that you can no longer change unlike every generation of Tarmac that proceeded it.
Further, I will take last year's DA over new R8000 all day long.
OP, be careful what you wish for.