German Car Forum

I'm really liking the mini-CGT looks going on with this car. DEFINITELY helps it in the looks department.

that soft top mechanism looks suspicious.

I like it, sort of anyway. I think there is a purposefulness to the looks.

7000 € more then the standard Boxster S and a plus of 10 hp - so 320 hp…

What car is lighter and handles better at this price point. Only a lotus. No BMW, no Mercedes, no Audi...so yes it has the drawback of the garish graphics and the ridiculous top, but it's light, has extra horsepower and looks absolutely cracking with that CGT inspired line.

How can you not want it?

Does BMW have a car that is even as light as this?

Looks like a mini Carrera GT with half the power and 1/10 the price. A total winner because of the look.

^^
To me it looks nothing like the God-sent Carrera GT. Even with beer goggles would I even compare the two.

Cut the car some slack. It is the lightest Porsche on sale today and 80kg is not a small number by any means. This is a connoisseur's piece, one you've got to respect, because Porsche didn't just put a bunch of decals on it and call it the Spyder. There's actual work done to the hardware.

Just because you don't like the looks doesn't mean this car is Porsche's mistake. I do think the Spyder has the low-volume appeal for the person looking for the ultimate Boxster.

Exactly, -80 kg not just by removing equipment (I think mostly of the alu doors from the GT3) but also includen are sport bucket seats, lsd and a all new sports suspension that lowers the car 20 mm.

I love light wight cars and this is starting to get close. Great sounding NA engine.

Only downside I see is is the roof, I would have preffered a simple solution like the miata, where you dont have "heavy" electric engines but you have a proper soft top. This seams to get wet on you quick 6 h sunday drive which started sunny but ended in rain.

As I understand from the pictures and what I have read the Spyder only has a "tent" like solution. it dosent seal the windows with the top.
Am I wrong, does anyone have any information?

I tend to disagree. This is a half-arsed effort. 80kg, wow... how much did the roof mechanism weight? Add the lighter doors to that and voila.

This is what i'd liked to see: a modern Speedster. Lowered roof and seating position, unique stance, incredible look.

Start from that:



End up with that:

That is correct, the cloth doesn't seal the cabin to a 100%, owning this car is like having an anaconda as a pet, similar to how owning a Hummer H2 is like having an elephant in your backyard -- both have novelty but little practicality and relevance in this world.

The real Boxster that everyone is patiently awaiting is a 400hp Cayman Turbo, that is a car that would sell in astonishing number. IMO the Spyder should be a limited production car, but for whatever reason, Porsche's marketing department have gathered market reach that warrants this car as a permanent product line extension. I call crack pipe on this one, it will sell in dismal numbers and have a appalling resale value.

Oh for heaven's sake...

Porsche has a long history of producing speedsters and spyders - all of them fair weather cars designed to be enjoyed in pleasant conditions.

This Boxster Spyder is one such car - a perfect little addition to the 911 Turbo owner's garage in Nice, Monte Carlo, Sydney or Cape Town.

I'm not sure of how many of you people actually have had the pleasure of a spirited open top drive. There's a great deal of charm to it...

Sure, you could have the much same sensation in a Boxster S standard or Z4, top down, but the idea behind this car is to provide an emphatic open top motoring experience with no compromises made and no cop-out conveniences. This is a car that forces the enthusiast to drive open top - because that's what they want.

Folks that aren't into the buffeting and hair-ruffling are not the target market. Nor are people who have the notion of eating a bunch of grapes or a banana while driving. This is not a fashion car. This is an open-top driver's car. And, it'll be fantastic to drive in the intended conditions.

I hear you but this new car does nothing to improbve the open-top experience, unlike the Speedster Porsche used to release and their lowered windscreen.

For me this is pure uselessness.

Lots of added drawbacks for nearly no advantage. This is too easy, just remove the roof mechanism and charge extra bucks, c'mon, seriously.

They should've done it right, give smthg to the car that a Boxter doesn't have so that it has a point. I couldn't care less about the not-waterproof roof, what I want is an added open-air experience... And it is not offered by this car.

^ Lower weight, more power, dashing looks, exclusivity.

It's useful enough for the keen motorist who has more than one car and wants something special in the garage.

My brother in Hungary - I would not by this Boxster as a first Porsche. I'd buy a stock Boxster S and get the all-weather usability out of the car. But, now picture this; I've got a tidy little summer house down in Camps Bay, I've got 997 Turbo Mk2 PDK and some luxo-SUV to cart the family around in. I'm an avid driving enthuisiast who tackles mountain passes with gusto and enjoys the thrill of open top motoring too. Cape Town's summer time weather is generally spectacular - now tell me why I wouldn't want a Boxster Spyder?

I don't see what it offers that the stock doesn't. The Boxster is no radical sportscar, hence the meaninglessness of the weight decrease. Therefore, no real point IMO.

Buy a stock, give it extra boost and a set of dampers, you'll be better off!

BTW I'm in Romania... Hungary's a neighbour country though!

I'll be intrested what the motoring press (especially Evo) has to say about this car. I'd wait for their comments before saying anything about whether or not the changes make a difference to the driving experience.

We decided to go the other way since the Spyder is nothing for everyday purpose (wack top). In March '10 a friend gets a FL Boxster S which gets stripped - no a/c, no xenon, oz ultraleggera lightweight wheels, recaro seats, carbon fibre doors, carbon fibre hood, sports exhaust, optimized ecu. -120 kg, + 30 hp. We'll see how it competes against the Spyder.

As loosing weight seems to have been a priority, it is likely that they will like it.

lol.
It will kill the Spider.