2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Tossed out the window -- no, out the open cockpit, actually -- are the radio, the air con, conventional door pulls, and more. Porsche says the result is a weight savings of 176 pounds over the Boxster S, making the new Boxster Spyder, at a claimed 2800 pounds, the lightest model in the maker's production-car lineup.
Porsche Boxster Spyder Rear Motion View
Perhaps stung by criticisms of "diluting the brand" (i.e., Porsche sport/utes and the new Panamera four-door), the iconic German speed factory has countered with a sporting piece nearly as pure and purposeful as James Dean's 1955 550 Spyder. As such, this newest, fastest Boxster also qualifies as the most toy-like model in the range, a pricey plaything for perfect days and writhing roads -- and almost exclusively so. How long would the Spyder's charms last, I wonder, without refrigerated air and the diversion of a radio during a long stop-and-go commute on a blistering summer day? (Not to worry: If you're feeling "unpure," you can pile on A/C, radio, nav, and whatever other options you like.)
Porsche Boxster Spyder Rear View
So, no, in basic "stripped" form the Boxster Spyder isn't an ideal daily driver; you'll want to be rich enough to own one as your second or third car. Ah, but for those days that call for a leather jacket and driving gloves...
In addition to the jettisoned A/C and radio, the Spyder features aluminum doors (saving 33 pounds), lightweight sport bucket seats (saving 26 pounds), an aluminum rear deck (saving 6.5 pounds), and the lightest 19-inch alloy wheels in the Porsche catalog. Also changed over conventional Boxsters are the side windows -- they're lighter and lower -- and the soft top, which for Spyder duty is a manually erected affair that's little more than a handkerchief for blocking the sun (the lid, which stows away above the engine, isn't even waterproof; indeed, Porsche admits it won't stand up to a car wash).
The Spyder also benefits from the same direct-injection, 3.4-liter flat-six found in the Cayman S. Compared with the 3.4 in the Boxster S, the Spyder version reaches peak power 950 rpm higher (at 7200 rpm) and revs all the way to 7500 rpm. It also boosts output by ten ponies, to 320 horsepower. When outfitted with the optional seven-speed PDK twin-clutch transmission -- which also boasts launch control -- the Spyder, Porsche says, can sprint to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds.
Though the suspension is unchanged in architecture, the Spyder's is 0.8-inches lower than the Boxster S's and incorporates stiffer springs and shocks. Combined with the weight reductions, the dropped suspension helps lower the car's center of gravity by nearly an inch.
2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder Rear Three Quarter
Brakes are 12.5 inches up front and 11.8 inches at the rear, gripped by four-piston aluminum monobloc fixed calipers all around. Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) are optional. All Spyders also feature a standard locking rear-axle diff that locks up 22 percent under acceleration, aiding traction and enhancing stability by smoothing-out load changes.
The most prominent exterior change is the one-piece aluminum rear deck lid, which incorporates a fixed spoiler and two domes behind the headrest that recall the Carrera GT exoticar. The windshield rake is slightly more severe, and the front lip spoiler grows in size a bit. Other changes are more subtle, including titanium-colored surrounds on the air intakes and a single front light module at each front corner. Hard to miss the "Porsche" lettering and stripe on the sides, though.
2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder Side Top Down
Inside you'll find those lightweight sport buckets and optional Alcantara on the wheel, handbrake, and shift lever. The center console and dash trim wear the same color as the car's exterior (quite dramatic in my test car, which was white with red leather and the contrasting white interior paint). Door handles are replaced by cloth loops -- another small weight saving. In fact, if you're really into jettisoning mass, Porsche will offer an optional lightweight lithium-ion battery-for about $3000.
This is a magnificent sports car. Steering is as good as it gets, with every seam of the road and every link to lateral cornering g delivered faithfully to your fingertips. The engine shoves you into the seat with gobs of torque and spins with a gorgeous howl. Despite the added tautness of the suspension, the Spyder doesn't feel rough over rotten roads; in fact, it does an amazing job of keeping its tires planted. And the six-speed manual...well, you can get the Spyder with the PDK (which, happily, now uses conventional shift paddles instead of the previous, ridiculous pushbuttons), but the manual is so light, smooth, and precise, it's hard to imagine shifting this car any other way. This has to rank as one of the top manual transmissions on the planet.
Porsche Boxster Spyder Rear View Static
Wind turbulence, thankfully, is minimal in the open cabin-helped in part by a plastic deflector between the rear deck domes. Which is to say, you'll want to drive the Spyder without the silly lid at all times. (Porsche says above 125 mph the top flutters too much to be viable, but when the top is stowed the Spyder can reach a claimed 166 mph.) In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a sweeter, better-balanced machine for mountain-road carving. The Spyder feels nearly as light and nimble as a Lotus Exige -- albeit with considerably more solidity (the structure is brilliantly tight). The weight-management, it seems, isn't simply a marketing gimmick. The Boxster Spyder really does feel special.
Porsche estimates the Spyder take rate at about ten percent of total Boxster sales-say, about 1500 cars per year. The base price, $62,150, checks in $3200 higher than a Boxster S'.
So, yes, in a way you're paying more for less. Ah, but you're getting so much in return.
2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder
Base price    $62,150
Vehicle layout    Mid-engine, RWD, 2-pass, 2-door convertible
Engine    3.4L/320-hp/273-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve flat-6
Transmissions    6-speed manual, 7-speed twin-clutch auto
Curb weight    2800 lb (mfr)
Wheelbase    95.1 in
Length x width x height    170.9 x 70.9 x 48.5 in
0-60 mph    4.8 sec (mfr est)
EPA city/hwy fuel econ    19-20/26-29
CO2 emissions    0.83-0.90 lb/