At the debut of the Porsche GT4 in Geneva, my jaw hit the ground. Since then, I’ve had it wired in place. And that’s a good thing, too, not only do I look a bit more like Kanye, it’s saving me from further injury. In fact, my jaw might have sailed clear off my face today when Porsche pulled the covers off the new Boxster Spyder, if it weren’t for the chain-link holding it in place.
My jaw has good reason to jettison, too, as the Boxster Spyder is the fastest Boxster that Porsche has ever built. With its 375-horsepower 3.8-liter flat six-cylinder cranking at full tilt, routed through the six-speed manual transmission, the Spyder will go like Teutonic lightning from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds and onto 180 mph.
And how is it so darn quick to 60 mph? That’s because it has fewer things, like a roof for instance. In place of that wholly unnecessary piece of metal, Porsche offers buyers a stretch of tarpaulin, which is affixed to the body with some hooks – high-tech stuff to be sure.
If you’re keen to get your hands on this stripped-down and lightweight driving dynamo, it’ll set you back a cool $82,100. If this seems steep to you, then you clearly don’t know German automakers very well.
After all, the world-class designers spent so much time and effort designing the original car that, if they’re going to turn around strip it down and Spyderify (totally a word) it, they need to be reimbursed for that effort. Makes sense, when you think about it.
When I chatted with a Porsche rep about the car, he was quick to point out that such a car should prove that Porsche is not shying away from hard and fast, traditional sports cars. I, for one, wasn’t really concerned with Porsche’s sporting credentials. If the German automaker feels it has something to prove, though, who am I to stand in its way. Might I suggest a Macan Spyder, while you’re at it?
So far, that’s all we know about the fast, featherweight Boxster Spyder. We’ll surely learn more, though, over the course of the 2015 New York Auto Show. As soon as we do, we’ll be sure to bring it to you. So check back often.