Porsche's exhaust guys did a more than commendable job. Not quite as devilish as the big cat, but you get buckets of badda badda bap! overrun every single time you come off the throttle. The Boxster Spyder does a pretty good Jaguar F-Type R impersonation. I've driven the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, and while the two share the same motor, they sure make radically different soundtracks. There's a whole array of happy face-making good points on the new Spyder. Those sorts of shenanigans are the most smile-inducing. But the allowed degree of slippage is such that you can actually beat the computers to the punch by correcting with countersteer. Moreover, the nanny systems will eventually catch you. I should say, easily correctible oversteer.
PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER PLUS
Especially because when you're in Sport or Sport Plus modes, the traction and stability control are loosened up to where a liberal right foot results in instant, tail-out oversteer. Put the $9,000 into high-performance track instruction. The brakes (they're also off the Carrera S) are magnificent, as potent as any sport car's. The Spyder is also as balanced, poised, and neutral as this generation Boxster ever has been. I've never before had my head bang off a Boxster's seat while shifting gears, but here we are. And beastly! Ferocious and concussive, too. Cool, huh?Īnd so? Now that the Boxster has 911 power (and a power-to-weight ratio better than the 911's) what's it like to drive? Intoxicating. In the U.S., should you opt for the carbon-fiber bucket seats, they're straight out of the 918 Spyder. Oh, and one more stud in the Porsche stable contributes an ingredient to the Spyder stew.
PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER MANUAL
Like the GT4, the Spyder is manual transmission only. The Spyder also uses the same gear ratios as the GTS. The Boxster Spyder, however - and this gets a little confusing - uses the optional X73 sport suspension (basically a 20mm drop in ride height) from the GTS, though the rear spring rates have been lessened to cope with the extra power. Remember that the Cayman GT4 uses the front suspension from the GT3 and the rear setup from the GTS. The Boxster/Cayman GTS also contributes parts to the Spyder, specifically the car's suspension. Aside from its engine, the Carrera S also contributes its steel brakes - just like it does for the GT4 - and of course carbon-ceramic discs with Porsche's telltale yellow calipers are a pricey option.
The new Spyder is quite the Frankenstein's monster of Zuffenhausen. Trust me, the bigger tank is worth the weight penalty. Have a peek at the EPA numbers: 18 city, 24 highway for the Spyder. If you're really worried about weight, I advise you to get the larger tank and only fill it three-quarters of the way most of the time. The smaller tank is standard to save weight, but the larger tank is a no-cost option. I noticed the range on the Spyder seemed a little short for a Boxster.
Speaking of gas and tanks, the Spyder has a smaller tank than the GTS, 13.3 gallons compared to 16.9. I guess Porsche's 2,899-pound claim was made with no gas in the tank. For now, know that the base 2.7-liter manual Boxster is 3,040 pounds when sitting on our scales. However, a little Porsche birdie told me that's not actually the case - just wishful marketing. Porsche claims the removal of soundproofing and insulation - along with some fairly extensive aluminum, magnesium, and plastic polymer construction - means the Spyder weighs just 2,900 pounds, which is less than the base Boxster. We're just going to have to test it to find out. Although as the Spyder is manual only and the 911 I'm talking about had PDK (Porsche's lightening quick dual-clutch transmission, Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe if you're not into that whole brevity thing), the former might not dip under the 4-second barrier. My guess is 4 seconds flat, or less, especially because the Carrera S can do the deed in 3.7 seconds, and the Spyder's about 300 pounds lighter. Porsche's claiming a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds, but I feel that's oddly conservative. However, the Spyder makes 45 more hp and 30 extra lb-ft of torque compared to the 3.4-liter boxer-six in the GTS. Different intake plumbing robs power and doesn't allow for the optional power pack kit that boosts the Carrera S up to 430 hp. Why is the power down 25 ponies and the twisting force reduced by 15 lb-ft? Because it's harder to get air into the center of a car than it is to get it to the rear. The big numbers: 375 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The 3.8-liter boxer engine is lifted right out of the 911 Carrera S and then flipped 180 degrees. Things we care about when it comes to the latest Spyder from Porsche start and end with the six horizontally opposed pistons seated just behind your butt.
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