Porsche Boxster Spyder

Essentials

Porsche Boxster Spyder

Price: £60,459 Engine: 3.8-litre 6cyl petrol Power: 371bhp Torque: 420Nm Transmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive 0-62mph: 4.5 seconds

Top speed: 180mph

Economy: 28.5mpg CO2: 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

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 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”

Performance

0-62mph/top speed 4.5 seconds/180mph

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FIRST UK DRIVE Sensat

Running costs

28.5mpg (official) £61 fill-up

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ational Spyder is ultimate version of already brilliant roadster

that’s shown in the standard specification. Everything centres around saving weight. The door handles have been replaced with fabric pulls, while the radio and air-con are also sacrificed to cut the kilos – although you can specify both as no-cost options, which add a barely noticeable 15kg to the kerbweight.

Porsche’s Sports Chrono pack also comes as standard, chopping 20mm from the ride height, so there’s a slight firmness to the ride. But the damping is supple and effectively soaks up road imperfections. This car doesn’t get the same suspension set-up as the Cayman GT4, instead using the passive sports suspension which is an option on the Boxster GTS.

The Spyder is far more than a Boxster with a fancy roof and all the trimmings, though. It’s been engineered and honed far beyond any other version, and, better still, unlike the Cayman GT4, it isn’t limited by numbers. So if you really want one, you can have one.

Verdict

SIMPLY put, the Spyder is the ultimate version of one of the most intoxicating sports cars you can buy. Crucially, the Boxster’s accessible performance remains, even though it’s fitted with the 371bhp 3.8-litre engine from the 911 Carrera S. While its abilities are reflected in its price tag, if it follows the path laid by its predecessor, which is appreciating in value, this Porsche will not only be a sound investment but a future classic, too.

Top-down motoring is exhilarating, thanks to howl from 3.8-litre flat-six engine ★★★★★