Porsche Boxster Spyder

06th November 2009

The most treasured Porsche ever, the Spyder, is hitting the road again!

Inspired by the 550 Spyder of 1954 – which stood three feet high and weighed only 550kg – the new Boxster Spyder has a low-slung silhouette with a lightweight soft-top roof and modified windows.

The newcomer is due to be unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show next month, and tips the scales at only 1,275kg. That’s 80kg less than a regular Boxster S, and will be enough to make it the lightest Porsche on sale today. The model also gets the company’s tried and tested 3.4-litre boxer engine, tweaked to put out 320bhp. There’s also a choice of standard six-speed manual gearbox or the PDK twin-clutch system.

When fitted with the optional PDK and Sports Chrono Pack, the Spyder will cover 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds – nearly a second quicker than a Boxster S PDK. Top speed is more familiar, with the Spyder’s 166mph top speed only 3mph higher than the S’s.

The original Boxster has become renowned for its responsive handling and excellent brakes, and the package is hard to improve – but that hasn’t stopped Porsche engineers from trying. A revised suspension set-up allows the Spyder to be even more agile than its predecessor.

The new car will go on sale in February, priced at £44,643 – that’s more or less the same as Audi charges for its TT RS Roadster, and £5,000 less than Mercedes’ SLK 55 AMG.

Included in the price is a day at Porsche’s dedicated driving centre at Silverstone, Northants, where customers will be able to test the limits of their Spyder.

Tell us about your car in our Driver Power survey.