Quick Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Despite almost buying a ’99 Boxster, I was never a big fan of the model. I never loved the original’s 996-based looks and its stigma of being a Porsche for people who could not afford a 911 always bothered me.  It grew on me when the first generation Boxster S came out in 2000, but performance-for-dollar it still could not compete with the Honda S2000, a roadster I have always been in love with.

However, everything I thought I knew about the Boxster went out the window when I got to drive a 2011 Boxster Spyder. This is definitely not a cheaper version of the 911, nor is it cheap. Over the years the Boxster has grown up and looks to have firmly established its own identity; confident and mature too.

I briefly drove two Spyders, a six-speed manual and a PDK-equipped model; both equipped with carbon-fiber sports seats. The black six-speed car was a rather base model, with radio and A/C whereas the white PDK car was just about fully loaded with nav, climate control and Sport Chrono Package Plus (I love the names Germans give these things).

Ingress is rather conventional, with the exception of planting your butt into the deeply sculptured seat.  Despite the lack of rake adjustment on the sport seats and the non-tilt (telescoping only) steering wheel, I was able to find a comfortable sitting position quickly. The dash is rather low, something rarely seen in these days of big screen infotainment systems, yielding great visibility. Gauges are typical Porsche, steering wheel and PDK paddles were just about perfect. The only interior bit I didn’t like was the center console painted in the external color; never understood why Porsche does that, it looks like something a seventeen year-old would do to his ’97 Civic.

With a suspension lower than the S and nineteen-inch wheels one would expect the Spyder to be rough, but even on Brookline’s crappy streets the ride was never harsh. Steering is very direct and quick; your old 3-series will feel like a ’72 Caddy in direct comparison. I couldn’t really get on it but obviously it is not a slow car. Speed, however, is not what roadsters like this are about. These cars are about driving pleasure, a direct connection between driver and machine, and a fine balance between those two. Judging just by my quick drive, the Spyder seemed to have nailed those prerequisites superbly.

To achieve the Spyder, Porsche did to Boxster S what I call Type-R-ing of a model (note to self, trademark that term). There are dozens of such examples in automotive history, but my name stems from the ’94-’01 Acura Integra GS-R and its lighter and more powerful kinky sister, the Integra Type R, which came out in ‘97. Take an existing, somewhat aging, chassis and perform the following:

• Add a dozen or so horsepower, ten in this case and seven torques.
• Throw in an LSD, a $950 option on the S.
• Add fancy lightweight wheels, in this case the lightest 19s the Porsche offers wrapped in sticky tires.
• Remove weight, as much 176lbs here, bringing the total to a relatively light 2811lbs.
• Drop the ride height and properly adjust suspension for less weight.
• Throw in semi-race seats and interior bits wrapped in Alcantara.
• Make few subtle but meaningful stylistic changes.

And…, ta-da, a special version, cuter and slimmer than its older sister in every way. In most cases, and certainly in this one, this recipe works flawlessly and results in rare and highly sought-after cars. Current owners of lesser models line up at dealerships to trade-in for the “better one” and don’t mind paying a hefty premium, car maker makes a ton of money on an older chassis and everyone is happy.

In my opinion Porsche has done everything right with the Spyder. In its creation, it has become one of the best sport-cars in the world, one that will never be driven by any hairdresser. In terms of value, a comparably equipped S would be about the same in price but without the Spyder exclusive bits. While it is not an ideal daily driver for the masses, mostly because of its top operation (judge from the below video), it would make an ideal weekend fun car. The Spyder recalls the Porsche classics of yesteryear and was created for so-called purists, geeks such as me who enjoy and appreciate proper and uncompromising design.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]