This is a car with no concessions and no nit-picky bells and whistles to distract you from working 6 gears, 3 pedals, and a steering wheel. A motor-less ragtop and a host of composites and lightweight materials make the Boxster Spyder one of Porsche’s lightest production vehicles in the modern age. It is a well-executed nod to the classic sports cars of the 50s and 60s with its main concept coming from the Spyder that was produced between 1957 and 1962. Of course, you won’t be hearing a little 4-cylinder warbling behind your head – but a glorious 3.8-litre flat-six borrowed from the 2016 911 Carrera. The addition of sports exhaust lets you click a button and unleash the crackles and pops on deceleration and an orchestra of engine noise with a heavy-footed acceleration.
Our example of the Spyder comes in beautiful Guards Red with satin black 20-inch wheels as well as black badging on the rear of the car. The top is fully manual operation to save weight, with the lock operated by the switch on the centre console. Don’t let the convertible option fool you; there is still plenty of cargo space in both luggage compartments front and rear. For longer bouts on the highway, the larger 64-litre fuel tank will do the trick, while inside there is AC and a sound package for amplified listening whether the top is up or down.
The Boxster Spyder borrows the same 3.8-litre 911 Carrera motor as the GT4 and has a suspension setup with similar geometry using sport dampers and springs that give the car a 20mm drop from a Boxster S. There is plenty of power to get the 2,899lb car motivated, with 385 horsepower and a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds..
The Spyder is a perfect example of how a classic recipe can make an effective and deliriously fun car in today’s automotive market. It has all the refined capabilities of newer sports cars and the nostalgia of the classic open-top cars of the old days. This red beauty will not stick around very long, so if you are in the market for a Spyder we suggest taking this one on a test drive before you see someone else driving it away.