That's twice the price of a base Boxster. All in, the 718 Spyder I'm testing costs $120,530, including $1,350 for destination. Plus, this test car has little bells and whistles like silver seatbelts ($360) and that fantastic shade of Gentian Blue ($650) that jack up the price even higher. You'll need to pay extra for niceties like dynamic-cornering headlights with washers ($1,500) and automatic climate control ($770), and don't even think about adding driver-assistance features - there aren't any to be had. And being Porsche, it's not like you're getting a whole lot more in the way of standard equipment for that price either. At $96,300 to start, the 718 Spyder is $13,500 more expensive than the incredibly competent Boxster GTS. If you're not a top-down-all-the-time kind of person, just buy a Cayman GT4. And in a weird way, it kind of makes the whole car feel more special - there's a stronger connection to open-top driving, even if most folks just see it as a hassle. Yes, that's quite a process, but after opening and closing the top multiple times over the course of a long weekend, I got used to it. With the roof on, the car is as pleasant inside as any other Boxster with its top up. When it's time to latch the roof closed at the windscreen, you hold the convertible top button on the center console and an electronically operated latch seals everything shut.
#PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER ANDROID#
If you're an Android fan, however, you're out of luck as far as smartphone connectivity is concerned.
#PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER SOFTWARE#
If you want embedded navigation, that's a $2,320 upcharge, though if you're an iPhone user, you can bypass this and just use the map software found in Apple CarPlay. The graphics are crisp and the response times immediate, but this isn't the newest version of PCM, and this system is indeed showing its age. Onboard tech is handled by the same Porsche Communication Management software you'll find in other Boxsters, with a 7-inch touchscreen in the middle of the center stack.
Step inside, and it's basic Boxster appointments, save for the generous helping of Alcantara and a couple of weight-saving measures, like fixed-bucket seats (a $5,900 option) and fabric pulls in place of proper door handles. A link to Porsche's GT models, the 718 Spyder has a small outlet just ahead of the hood to channel air up over the car after it flows through the radiator. The nose has larger air intakes below the running lights, and the fascia wears more attractive, three-opening design. Its long rear deck is prettier than the one on the 911 Speedster, the dual humps resolving cleanly at the rump with a small ducktail spoiler. The ceramic discs offer right-now stopping power, but are easy to modulate around town, even if they do give off a characteristic low-speed squeal.īig wheels and brakes are only a couple of the visual cues that set the Spyder apart from other Boxsters, and taken as a whole, I think this is the best-looking car in the 718 range. The 718 Spyder comes standard with a set of six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes with steel rotors, though Porsche will sell you the beefier carbon-ceramic setup seen here for a not-insignificant $8,000. The pedals themselves are spaced properly for heel-and-toe downshifts, but if you're not super-skilled with that art, the 718 Spyder can automatically blip the throttle for you. The gearbox offers short, crisp throws, and the clutch pedal is just the right amount of heavy. If you're really concerned about miles per gallon, the 718 Spyder is not for you.
Even so, this car simply begs you to drive it harder and harder I saw numbers in the high teens most of the time. Nifty tricks like stop-start tech and cylinder deactivation supposedly help with efficiency, though official EPA fuel economy numbers aren't available as of this writing. More than that, though, I love that you can punch the throttle at 6,000 rpm in second gear and slam it into third as the needle kisses 8,000, the flat-six engine screaming behind you. I don't really care how quick the Spyder is in a straight line - though make no mistake, it's certainly no slouch. Instead, focus on the 8,000-rpm redline, and the fact that the 4.0-liter engine absolutely loves it if you rev the bejesus out of it in each gear. Porsche's spec sheet claims the 718 Spyder can accelerate to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds.
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