Newcars
Porsche Boxster Spyder
Essentials Porsche Boxster Spyder
Price: Engine: Power: Torque: Transmission:
0-62mph: Top speed: Economy: CO2:
£60,459 3.8-litre 6cyl petrol 371bhp 420Nm Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive 4.5 seconds 180mph 28.5mpg 230g/km
ON SALE Now
PRACTICALITY Even though it’s an
uncompromising two-seater sports car, the Boxster is impressively practical. You get two boots: one in the nose and another, with more room (280 litres), in the back. Storage in the cabin is quite poor, though
EQUIPMENT To keep the weight to a
minimum, Porsche will sell you the Spyder without a radio or air-conditioning, but you can add this equipment as a no-cost option. The infotainment system is also an optional extra, and includes satellite navigation
Otis Clay
Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.5 seconds/180mph
Carbon bucket seats, Alcantara trim and fabric pulls for door handles add to the sporty feel, as does stubby, short-throw gearlever Jonathan Burn
Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn
OVER £60,000 for a Porsche Boxster seems extravagant. After all, this is the brand’s entry-level model, and you can pick up the already brilliant standard version for £37,000. But this is no ordinary Boxster – far from it. This is the new Boxster Spyder, and we’ve finally driven it in the UK. What makes the Spyder so special? Well, behind the driver sits the same 3.8litre flat-six engine as in the new hardcore Cayman GT4. It’s 10bhp down on power here, developing 371bhp, but that’s still a substantial 46bhp more than you get in the Boxster GTS, which features the 3.4-litre engine. That makes the Spyder the most potent Boxster ever produced. What further separates the newcomer from other Boxsters is the roof. As before, it’s a folding fabric set-up to keep weight down – it saves 11kg – but it no longer looks like a cub scout’s poorly constructed tent. Its sleeker shape clings to the Boxster in all the right places, flaunting the car’s
34 Special Issue
curves. Removing it still requires some manual labour, though. A button on the centre console releases the roof latch and pops open the boot, then you simply unclip the catches at the rear and fold it behind the cabin into a compartment and shut the boot. It’s a far less complex process than before and a refreshing change from the electric, origami metalwork we’ve become used to. Once it’s stowed, there are two reasons you won’t want to put it back up. Firstly, with the roof down, the Spyder is possibly the prettiest car Porsche currently sells, with a whiff of 918 about its stance. Secondly, once you sink into the slim, carbon bucket seats, wrap your hands around the Alcantara steering wheel and bring the engine to life, there’s no barrier between you and the guttural howl of the 3.8-litre flat-six. Dip the clutch – a six-speed manual gearbox is the only option – punch
the stubby gearstick into first and you’re off. Keep the throttle pinned and 0-62mph will take 4.5 seconds and, if the law allows, 180mph flat out – with the roof up or down. It’s stunningly fast and the razor-sharp throttle response means there’s instant shove in reserve. You have to hang on until 6,700rpm before you get all 371bhp which, because of the long gearing, means you’ll be spending most of your time in second and third if you want to retain your licence. But what impresses more than the outright pace is just how responsive and tactile the Spyder feels above any other Boxster. The steering is marginally quicker than the standard model’s and responds to the tiniest of inputs. And the gearchange? Well, it doesn’t get much better – the lever is stubby and the shifts short and firm. Its set-up is designed for those who prioritise driving above anything else, and
“What impresses more than the outright pace is just how responsive and tactile the Spyder feels”
Porsch
FIRST UK DRIVE Sensa
