By: Dave Abrahams
New York motor show - Porsche is celebrating the northern spring with the world premiere of the 2015 Boxster Spyder, new flagship of its drop-top two-seater series.
As with the previous Spyder, it's a lot more than a jazzed-up Boxster. It has a classic manually-operated fabric roof, and it's only available with a manual transmission.
The new roadster also rides 20mm lower than the Boxster on 'firm' (read 'race-track stiff') sports suspension, with more direct steering, brakes borrowed from the 911 Carrera and a 276kW, 3.8-litre flat six.
That's good enough for a 0-100 sprint in a quoyted 4.4 seconds and 290km/h flat out, at a nominal cost of 9.9 litres per 100km.
DRIVING FOR ITS OWN SAKE
Echoing the 1960s 718 Spyder, there are two streamlined fairings extending down the rear lid behind the head restraints, while the front and rear styling is straight off the Cayman GT4.
More than in any other Boxster, the Spyder's cockpit is focused on driving for sports-car driving for its own sake, with deeply-bolstered lightweight bucket seats and a special steering wheel just 360mm in diameter, for kart-like steering and agility at the expense of a little extra effort.
Consider yourself a driver's driver? The Boxster Spyder is available to order now, starting at R1 010 000 with three-year maintenance plan; first deliveries in South Africa are scheduled for August 2015.