Porsche Boxster stripped for action
* Even the door handles have been ditched
* On sale in February for 44,643
Porsche's new Boxster Spyder was developed with the principle that 'everything not essential for driving pleasure had to go', according to Porsche sales and marketing chief Klaus Berning.
Naked racer
The regular Boxster's radio and air-conditioning have been ditched along with the cupholders and interior door handles.
The result is the lightest Porsche currently on sale 80 kilos lighter than a Boxster S. With an uprated 315bhp 3.4-litre engine and the choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed semi-auto gearbox, it becomes the first Boxster capable of blasting from 0-62mph in under five seconds.
Aerodynamic and chassis changes, plus an aluminium engine cover and doors, help make the Spyder an even more focused sports car than other Boxsters.
The manually operated canvas roof is there purely to provide the minimum of shelter from the sun and rain the Spyder is designed to be driven top down.
The roof weighs just 13 kilos and is another contributor to the weight-saving. It also helps lower the car's centre of gravity, which benefits the Spyder's handling.
Comfort comes without cost
Buyers who can't live without a radio or cupholders can specify them as no-cost options, and climate control is available for a little less than 1000. You'll just have to live with red pull-straps in place of interior door handles, though.
How much and when?
The Spyder goes on sale in the UK in February for 44,643 an increase of less than 3000 over the Boxster S when the upcoming VAT increase has been taken into account.
