The upcoming 718 Boxster Spyder promises to provide
Speedster-like thrills for significantly less money. While we’ve seen the car a
handful of times in the past, the latest spy photos show a virtually
undisguised prototype with a red fabric soft top doing some laps at the
Nurburgring.
Starting up front, the model has been equipped with
a sporty bumper that appears to carryover from the 718 Boxster GTS. Moving
further back, we can see lightweight alloy wheels and a high-performance
braking system with red calipers.
The biggest changes occur at the rear as
the 718 Boxster Spyder has been equipped with a unique rear lid that features a
double bubble design. The two humps are connected by a floating third brake
light and this helps to give the model a little extra pizzazz.
The styling changes don’t stop there as designers
installed a modified rear bumper and a huge diffuser which looks slightly out
of place on such a small roadster. Other changes include a new dual exhaust
system and a unique soft top with a sportier appearance.
While the rest of 718 lineup has turbocharged
engines, previous reports have suggested the Boxster Spyder will use the same
4.0-liter six-cylinder engine that resides in the 911 GT3. The engine develops
500 hp in the latter model but it will be detuned for use in the 718
for obvious marketing reasons.
The final output remains a mystery but the previous
Boxster Spyder had a 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine producing 375 hp.
Given that the 718 Boxster GTS has 365 hp, it’s likely that the new
model will have at least 400 hp and some reports have claimed the car
could have as much as 430 hp. And yes, it will have a manual gearbox.
Regardless of the final numbers, the Boxster Spyder
is expected to be significantly lighter than the 718 Boxster. Like its
predecessor, the car is slated to have lightweight sport seats and a minimum of
equipment as both the air conditioning system and audio system should be
optional.
The Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder could debut later
this year but nothing is official as of yet. The German car maker has been
testing the Boxster Spyder and its sibling, the Cayman GT4 for quite some time
now, so we must be close to the big reveal.
Cr : Carscoops