So the new Porsche Boxster Spyder doesn’t have a convertible roof?
Well it does. Sort of. To create the Spyder Porsche has binned the folding roof and all its associated mechanics, and in its place comes a bit of cloth that attaches to the windscreen and hooks onto the new rear deck. Even with the side windows up and the glass wind deflector in place, there’ll still be a few gaps letting the wind in. It’s only meant for low-speed driving – Porsche quotes the 166mph top speed without the roof. Shouting to be heard, we presume.

And that new rear deck?
It’s the most noticeable difference between the Spyder and a standard Boxster – there’s now a big pair of power domes behind the rear seats and a larger rear spoiler. Other tweaks include revised side intakes, a new front bumper and those retro stickers.

What about inside, or under the (mid-engined) bonnet?
The interior gets some fancy door pulls from the GT3 RS and weight-saving carbon buckets. Sports suspension, a lower centre of gravity and – at a relatively trim 1275kg – an 80kg weight advantage over a Boxster S should make the Spyder the sharpest Boxster yet.

And with an extra 10bhp from the engine – taking the total from the 3.4-litre flat-six to 316bhp – and the Spyder is also two-tenths quicker to 62mph than a regular S, knocking the benchmark sprint out in 4.8 seconds.

Normal Porsche options like PDK, sat-nav and ceramic brakes will be available, the stickers will be a delete option, and customers should also be able to swap the hardcore seats for more comfort-oriented items. UK sales start in February 2010 with prices set at £44,643, just a few grand more than a Boxster S. Want one?

source: www.carmagazine.co.uk