Wednesday 1st April 2015

Porsche Boxster Spyder is back!

375hp, 180mph and £60K confirmed at New York for second-gen Boxster Spyder

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The rumours were right! It was suggested soon after the Cayman GT4 launch that Porsche was planning a similarly focused Boxster equivalent with 10hp less. And here we are just a few weeks on with a 375hp Boxster that, as standard, doesn't have air conditioning or a radio. Marvellous.

Roof now foldable in less than 30 minutes

There isn't, however, any mention of Porsche's GT department in the initial press release. It says the 'front rear end of the model are taken from the Cayman GT4' but this ends the design section and suggests more the styling influence than the engineering. Let's see.

The Spyder does use the 3.8-litre 911 Carrera S engine though, plus 911 brakes and changes to the steering. It sits on sport suspension 20mm lower than a Boxster (a GT4 is 30mm lower than a standard Cayman, remember) and Porsche is promising "a traditional sports car driving experience but with contemporary performance."

To the end, the Spyder hits 62mph in "around 4.5 seconds" with a top speed of 180mph. And the news gets better, with the Spyder following the GT4 and offering a manual transmission only. There could be life in this pedals'n'stick thing.

Old one was stellar; new one looks good too

As much as anything else, the first Spyder was notorious for its roof mechanism. The fabric roof is now just "partially manually operated" while also "suitable for everyday use", which implies the old roof may have been perceived as a little too hardcore. There's not even any mention of a limited top speed with the roof in place...

Inside the Boxster there's clear influence from the Cayman GT4 as well. It has the 360mm Alcantara wheel, carbon-backed seats plus, ah yes, a chasm in the centre console. Commitment to the lightweight cause, right? It should be added Porsche hasn't yet confirmed a kerbweight for the Spyder but the original removed 80kg from a standard Boxster.

Following the international debut at New York, the Boxster Spyder will be in UK showrooms from July. Orders are being taken now with a price of £60,459, or £7,580 more than a Boxster GTS. And fear not, both the air-conditioning and radio are no-cost options!

 

[robm3]

I've not looked at Boxsters for a while, since when did they get the 911's engine, and the 'S' at that?
(I had thought that was reserved for the halo 911 model)

[Blayney]

I don't like all the different variants that Porsche make these days, but the boxster spyder just works for me. Stunning!

[MikeGalos]

Well, looking straight down on it with the top hidden under its panels it's not hideous. From the other angles? Just bizarre with styling cues taken from wherever they could grab them.

[GT03ROB]

Hmmmmm......

....goes away.....

.......checks calendar.......

....shame.....would be good though!!

[tyrrell]

Lovely shame they are all pre sold.

[swimd]

Porsche said:

It should be added Porsche hasn't yet confirmed a kerbweight for the Spyder

I think it looks good, visually maybe not quite as big of a departure from the stock model as the previous one but better proportioned overall. Specs are as expected and the roof seems to be a folding roof minus the electric motor?

Considering a GT4 is rated 4.4 sec to 100 kmh and the Spyder is rated 4.5 sec to 100 kmh with only 10 PS less, I'd guess it weighs about the same as a standard Boxster S.

Or maybe the Spyder is indeed very light and outputs 375 PS versus the GT4's "rated to 385 PS but actually 410 PS"

[Burwood]

tyrrell said:

Lovely shame they are all pre sold.

Touche

[Roundm]

yes please!

so is it now going to be valid to replace the older 2.7/3.4 engines with 3.8's from a 911S without being looked at as though we are completely mad ? After all it's now a 'manufacturer upgrade'.......

starts trawling web for a stuffed 911.........

[Phooey]

Unladen weight (DIN) 1315kg (without aircon). Boxster GTS 6-speed manual 1345kg.

[Mogul]

<30 minutes!

[Oz83]

Looks lovely. Does anybody know if this one does 90+ mph in 2nd gear too?

[swimd]

Going through the price list I have to say the standard equipment is quite impressive!

The "old" GT2 bucket seats are a no cost option, sports exhaust is standard, sport chrono is standard, PTV with LSD is standard... the list goes on.

[PhantomPH]

Great looking car. That really works for me.

[Podie]

Best "April Fool" yet...

[georgeq]

Is it just me or did the Cayman GT4 become a lot less desirable over night... I'd take this over a GT4 any time of the day, it's not like I would use the GT3 bits on the road.

Hopefully this will put a decent dent into the 987 Spyder residuals.

[Lost soul]

Looks gorgeous , really like that

[smaybury]

^^^^^^^ Lots of people falling for this. The subtle ones are always the best.


Edit: it's being reported everywhere. What's going on?!!

Edited by smaybury on Wednesday 1st April 09:35

[EricE]

This is not an april's fool joke, it's real. It was rumoured for months.

[Dave Hedgehog]

EricE said:

This is not an april's fool joke, it's real. It was rumoured for months.

If it is a joke most of the auto press are in on it

[stephen300o]

Dave Hedgehog said:

EricE said:

This is not an april's fool joke, it's real. It was rumoured for months.

If it is a joke most of the auto press are in on it

fking hell! Haha