Taking an idea back to the basics, turning old values into new benchmarks, reforming a vehicle concept even though it has forever been deemed a classic. Aren't these all apparent contradictions?

On the contrary, for it is in abiding by these very principles that our engineers managed to realise a long-held dream. The dream of a roadster that has never before existed in this form. It is more original, more sporty and more liberated than ever.

This dream is the Boxster Spyder.

Freedom
The requirement: get rid of comfortable ballast. The result: a manual hood instead of an electric top. But it does have aluminium doors and special lightweight 19-inch wheels. For the feeling of a pure roadster. When you get in, it’s immediately apparent. Whoever wants to own an original roadster will have to make sacrifices. Door storage compartments? No chance. Conventional door release levers? Ditto.

But why should we have fitted levers, when door pulls are so much more evocative of our racing tradition? And, more importantly, they are, by nature, weight-saving. By no means trivial details, they are part of a considered and, in the roadster segment, superior strategy: purposeful lightweight design. It’s a solution that also includes sports bucket seats with seat centres in Alcantara. The result is a further 12 kg reduction, and a way for the driver to experience more acutely and more immediately the power that pushes the new Boxster Spyder to the limit.

The new Boxster Spyder is equipped as standard with newly developed 19-inch wheels. To be more precise, wheels that are the lightest available from Porsche in this size, and ensure that the principle of lightweight construction is carried through from head to toe. The consequences are a reduction in unsprung masses, excellent responsiveness and increased agility. The decision to fit aluminium doors achieves a weight reduction of approximately 15 kg. The new design of the side windows accentuates the Spyder’s side contour.

Something else on which we were decided was an open vehicle concept, which – as the name suggests – needs no roof. Certainly not an electric one. The new approach of our designers, something that makes the Boxster Spyder even more distinctive, is reflected in the two-piece combination of sun shield and weather protector. No sophisticated electronics, no control motors, less weight. In other words, it’s a hood that protects you from the sun with the windows down, giving you an authentic sense of openair driving.

With the windows closed, it enables you to continue to enjoy the pure roadster experience to the full even on those inclement days. Nothing more, nothing less. So as not to limit luggage space, the hood stows in the forward section of the rear luggage compartment. How is it operated? By one person alone, in just a few minutes. To make things even easier, all parts relating to hood assembly and disassembly are finished in striking red.

Pure Form
Streamliners and a fixed rear spoiler. A decorative logo borrowed from the 1960s. A strictly minimalist interior. The Boxster Spyder makes an instant impression. The exterior is everything a driver expects: pure authenticity. An original roadster. An unmistakably sporty design. A shape that, in typical Porsche fashion, goes in a new direction. The clearest example of this is the rear end, which is dominated by two striking and dynamic streamliners.

When the top is down, they provide visual continuity of the roll-over bars, which are painted in Black. The rear spoiler provides a dynamic finishing touch to the powerful rear end. The front air intakes, which are emphasised by titanium-coloured surrounds, contain minimalistic LED position lights. Another minimalist feature is the absence of struts on the rear side air intake grilles. The Porsche logo borrowed from the 1960s on the side of the vehicle is an unmistakeable quote from Porsche history.

The purity of the exterior design is reflected within. The centre console and the dashboard trim are finished in the exterior colour and, as standard, interior elements are finished in black for an unassuming but unmistakably sporty appearance. This is further accentuated by details finished in red to create striking contrasts. These accents include the door pulls, the characteristic gear lever with red shift pattern, and the seat belts.

Forward Thrust
A power-to-weight ratio of just under 4 kg/hp. 320 hp – 10 hp more than the Boxster S. A body that has been lowered by 20 mm. A stiff sports suspension. A mechanical rear-axle differential lock. In short: extraordinary agility and precise handling. More engine power equals increased dynamic performance. To our engineers, this formula has always been too simplistic. At Porsche, with over 60 years’ experience in building sportscars, it is the power-to-weight ratio that counts: the ratio between low mass – for excellent agility – and high power – for outstanding performance.

The engine improves on the already impressive figures of the Boxster S by a further 10 hp for a total power output of 235 kW (320 hp) at 7,200 rpm, and improved torque to a maximum of 370 Nm at 4,750 rpm. The result is a vehicle with an engine that boasts outstanding performance figures, is very smooth running, has increased pulling power and excellent cornering agility, and, when combined with an intelligent lightweight construction, a power-to-weight ratio of just under 4 kg/hp.

The engine features direct fuel injection (DFI) as standard. The result is increased power output and torque but lower fuel consumption and emissions. State-of-the-art engine technologies, e.g. VarioCam Plus, further improve efficiency. This system boosts low-end torque and high-end power output. The driver regulates engine power using the extremely sensitive electronic accelerator pedal.

As standard, the Boxster Spyder is equipped with an extremely sporty suspension setup. This means stiff, short springs, large lateral stabilisers on the front and rear axle, and four shock absorbers tuned for hard compression and rebound. The body is 20 mm lower at the front and rear axle than that of the Boxster S. What does all this mean for the driver? A closer relationship with pure driving dynamics, with almost no pitch or roll, for a level of agility that turns every corner into an unforgettable experience – not least with the hood down.

Yet even this experience can be improved upon. The mechanically locking rear differential, fitted as standard, further enhances the traction of the driven rear wheels on uneven roads and when accelerating out of tight bends. It also acts to damp load-change reactions during fast cornering and in the event of interventions by the PSM control system. Road holding at the limits of performance is even more impressive. With the car able to hold its course better, the driver is free to enjoy sheer driving pleasure at every twist and turn.

The body, chassis and brakes are precisely matched, and offer important safety margins even during high-performance driving. And yet, these margins can be further increased by the optional Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB), for example. Developed specifically for performance driving, the system has braking performance to match the Boxster Spyder’s impressive dynamics.

Surely that must be the limit to this athlete’s dynamic potential? No, is the unequivocal answer in the form of the optional Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and the SPORT PLUS button. Two further functions blur the boundary with motorsport: ‘Launch Control’, which harnesses the tremendous power of the Boxster Spyder and unleashes it for a racing start; and the ‘motorsport-derived gearshift strategy’ for faster shift speeds, extremely short shift times and optimum shift points. In other words, maximum acceleration, driver’s heartbeat included.

Colours
One of the most important considerations when personalising your Porsche is, of course, your choice of colour. Exterior options include three solid colours (Black, Guards Red, Carrara White), three metallic colours (Basalt Black Metallic, Aqua Blue Metallic, Arctic Silver Metallic) and one ‘special’ paint finishes (Cream White).
If you can’t find the colour you would like, we can usually make it for you. After all, when a car is this special, it should look exactly the way you want it to.