Thursday, November 5, 2009

Porsche Boxster Spyder breaks cover

Porsche AG introduced today the new Porsche Boxster Spyder, a new top version of the mid-engined roadster which will be officially revealed in December, at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

Weighing just 1,275 kg or 2,811 lb, the Boxster Spyder, is in fact a lighter version of the standard Boxster and, according to the manufacturer, is the lightest model throughout the entire range of Porsche cars. The new car has been developed to be driven in open air but it also comes with a light soft top extending far to the rear serving exclusively to protect the driver and passenger from bright sunshine, wind and weather.

When closed, the soft top, together with the extra-low side windows and the two striking bulges on the single-piece rear lid, boasts a stretched and sleek silhouette reminiscent of the Carrera GT. The Boxster Spyder is powered by a 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine with Direct Fuel Injection upfront of the rear axle capable to deliver 320 bhp, with 10 bhp more than the Boxster S.

With these numbers, equipped with PDK Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe and the Sports Chrono Package, the new Spyder, using launch control, can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds while the top speed is 267 km/h or 166 mph – with the roof open. With the optional PDK the vehicle also shows an impressive fuel consumption: 9.3 litres on 100 kilometres (equal to 30.4 mpg imp) in the NEDC New European Driving Cycle. The Porsche Boxster Spyder will be introduced on the market in February 2010: the base price in the Euro countries is 53,100 Euro without taxes while the full price will be 63,404 Euro.