The 0.8-inch lowered suspension includes shorter and stiffer springs, firmer dampers, modified front and rear anti-roll bars, and a slightly wider track, and it all combines to noticeably improve the Boxster’s already stellar handling. Carving through the tight and twisted sections of Highway 1, we find that the reduced weight of our six-speed-manual Spyder-at about 3000 pounds, it’s the lightest in the entire Porsche fleet-is easily apparent. Any doubts about the Spyder’s performance enhancements drift out to sea among the breakers as the extra 10 ponies in the now 320-hp, 3.4-liter flat-six are put to work. With the Pacific Ocean crashing into the cliffs below us, we waste no time putting the Porsche to work.
Nonetheless, the top is down as we begin our journey on scenic Highway 1 near Monterey. With brisk 50-degree temperatures, our California environment has declared its intention to remain chilly. It has yet to be officially confirmed, but expect to see the new wheel available as an option on all Porsche sports cars in the near future.
BOXSTER SPYDER MANUAL
There is an optional steering wheel with proper paddle shifters for cars equipped with the seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual (PDK). The center console and dash trim are color-matched to the body, and the inside door releases are now cloth slings finished in red to match the seatbelts. The radio and the cup holders are deleted unless requested at no cost, but buyers will have to pay to get the air conditioning reinstalled. Customers can opt for normal seats at no cost. Standard are the new carbon-fiber-backed sports seats that reduce weight by 26 pounds and add a healthy dose of bolstering, which nicely snugs up the seats but does make ingress and egress a challenge. Like the exterior, the interior is purged and reworked, and-as with all Porsches-it can be customized to each owner’s request. Porsche says its engineers improved the aerodynamics of the Spyder through a modified front lip and fixed rear spoiler, and a lower trim bar bearing the Porsche name is affixed to recall the 908 and 909 race cars of the ’70s. Additionally, the LED running lamps are smaller, the side scoops are done in black mesh, and the standard exhaust is now finished in black.
The gas tank is reduced in capacity by 2.6 gallons to 14.3, and an optional 13-pound lithium-ion starter battery ($1700!) can save 22 pounds. Aluminum doors from the 911 Turbo and GT3 shave 33 pounds, and the 10-spoke, Spyder-specific 19-inch wheels are actually lighter than the Boxster S’s 18s. With the top stowed, the most visually alluring detail becomes the new one-piece aluminum decklid with two aero humps like those found on the Carrera GT, saving 6.5 pounds over the regular car’s rear trunk and half-tonneau.
BOXSTER SPYDER WINDOWS
In its place sits a 13-pound, manually operated, two-piece bikini-like cover that can be fully sealed in dire weather-it’s not approved for carwashes, though-flanked by newly shaped windows that match the pitch of the new lid. Ditching the conventional convertible-top mechanism was the first step. (A version of the Cayman could wear the spyder badge properly, but what sense would that make?) With the reworked-for-2009 Boxster S serving as the starting point, Porsche engineers set their sights on a distinctive design and saving weight, pulling out a claimed 176 pounds. But given that the Boxster is already a convertible, “spyder” is simply a marker that this iteration is unique.
Typically, the “spyder” moniker denotes a roofless model. So on our maiden voyage with Porsche’s newest, lightweight 2011 Boxster Spyder-said to be a successor to the 550 Spyder, as if there really could be such a thing in modern times-it seemed only fitting to ditch the planned press-trip route and hustle from Carmel, California, to the Dean memorial in Cholame, some 150 miles distant. Of course, in years to come, iconic status would be cemented for both Dean and Porsche, with the German company becoming known as the quintessential sports-car manufacturer. When James Dean set out to a race in Salinas, California, on that fateful morning of September 30, 1955, he and his beloved Porsche 550 Spyder were already viewed by many as icons.
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