#Porsche boxster spyder manual
#Porsche boxster spyder full

The sound of wind rushing over the fabric, and around the flying buttresses just aft of the passenger’s ears, becomes tiring. Standard and GTS Boxster models are fitted with quieter multi-layer lined roofs, but the Spyder’s is but a single layer with exposed wires and cables on the inside.

Although completely redesigned and much more weather- and windproof than its predecessor, when deployed it allows lots of wind noise to permeate the cabin.

#Porsche boxster spyder full

Porsche fits an exhaust note switch, which toggles flaps inside the muffler to silence some of the commotion, but the only difference we heard was that one position is loud and the other is very loud.Īfter a full day of blissful driving on the Big Island, our biggest concern was directed at the raised roof. The engine’s intake acoustics mimic a vocal bullfrog, brash and throaty, while the twin center-mounted exhaust pipes bellow out a raucous tune as the engine spools towards fuel cutout - it seems never to fall off. Even if this 3.8 lacks the low-end punch of the new 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged Carrera engines, the increased displacement (the first-gen Spyder boasted a 3.4L) means more power down low and enough torque so that taller gears can be used around town. Those who appreciate a well-polished powertrain especially will love the idyllic interaction between second and third gears on a tight road. The 3.8-liter is a refined powerplant that begs to be driven hard, really comes to life once the tachometer passes 3500 rpm, and gives up none of its character until the tach needle bounces off the rev limiter. Hands-down our favorite part of the new Boxster Spyder has to be its engine. The biggest island in the Hawaiian chain, the Big Island, is laced with incredibly scenic roads, though with speeds limited to just 60 mph we obviously could not test the Boxster Spyder’s maximum stated velocity - three times the posted legal limits.

Speed limits are typically lower than on the Mainland, the roads are not particularly smooth, and the locals usually drive at leisure velocities that reflect the laid-back atmosphere of life in paradise.

#Porsche boxster spyder manual

Unlike most everyone else in the industry, Porsche still offers vehicles available only with manual gearboxes (needless to say, the clutch is effortless to use, perfectly balanced with predictable take-up), welcomed by enthusiasts who still want to feel connected to the machine, even at the expense of ultimate performance.Īnyone who has visited the Hawaiian Islands will tell you they aren’t especially welcoming to driving enthusiasts. On a dyno, the direct-injected powerplant is rated at 375 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque, and though those numbers don’t put the Spyder in supercar territory, the two-seater weighs just 2,899 pounds and will make the 0-60 run in 4.3 seconds, says Porsche, which is notorious for conservative estimates of their cars’ performance.ĭropping into the open cockpit reveals even more goodness - three pedals on the floor and a transmission shift lever jutting from the center console. Although impossible to see without the right set of tools, buried mid-ship in the chassis is a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter with a spintastic 7800-rpm redline. Twisting the left-mounted key ignites the Spyder’s flat-6 to life. The front and rear fascias also received cosmetic enhancements, and there is a subtle air outlet at the leading edge of the front trunk - much like that seen on the nose of the GT3. To differentiate it from standard Boxsters, Porsche designed two prominent streamliners behind the occupant’s heads that pay tribute to the Porsche 718 open-cockpit race car of the 1960s. To best appreciate the styling of the Type 981 Spyder, keep the roof stowed away. Better yet, it still retains title as the lightest model in the automaker’s street legal lineup.ĭetermined to thoroughly explore the new Spyder’s capabilities, and have more than a bit of fun in the process, we grabbed an oversized bottle of SPF 50 suntan lotion and boarded a Boeing 757 jet bound for the Big Island of Hawaii. The new convertible echoes the classic styling of its predecessor but of course rides on the latest, third-generation Boxster platform and boasts even more power and performance from its mid-mounted flat-6. And even those who thumbed their noses at the roof had to raise their thumbs to the car’s fulfillment of that promise.Ī little more than five years later, Porsche has introduced the successor to that original Boxster Spyder.

Derided by many as over-engineered and unpractical, the removable roof did, however, reflect engineering’s prime objective - to build the ultimate open-air sports car for the driving enthusiast. Weight reduction is a succinct but insufficient way to explain why Porsche engineers gave the first-generation Boxster Spyder an incredibly complex roof mechanism, a skimpy bikini that barely kept occupants dry.