Vehicle: 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder with Bi-Xenon headlights with Dynamic Cornering lights
Price as tested: CDN$77085

Performance: Given the Spyder is positioned at the top of the Boxster food chain, it doesn’t come as a surprise it only comes with the same powertrain as the S does. However, that mid-placed 3.2 liter DOHC 24-valve flat-6 with VarioCam comes with 10 more horses to 320 ponies and 273 lb/ft of torque, also 15 more than the S. That makes the Spyder more responsive to the throttle right from the lower rev to the upper range, add to the 80 kg diet from the S. That makes the Spyder the quickest Boxster ever produced. As one would expect from a Porsche, the engine note is simply astounishing. Our tester comes with the sweet 6-speed manual. Porsche’s manual gearbox has always been one of the best in the world, when it comes the throw and precision. Its the same case for the Spyder. As the throws are short and well-defined. Clutch has plenty of bibbing points for proper engagement, as well as provides lots of feedback.

Handling: Take the world benchmark rear-wheel-drive midship chassis, then add an awesomely calibrated suspension. Then you have the world’s most capable roadster ever. The Spyder’s cornering is flat as a gravy on a plate when pushed through the track or black top twisties. Porsche’s PSM, or what Porsche stands for electronic stability control, remains the most uninstrusive ESC in the world. There are 3 thresholds that allow any enthuisastic driver to choose the most uninustrusive mode for the racetrack. Press it twice and it returns to normal setting for a safe cruising on a hot sunny day. Even without the PASM as with the other Porsche while using the stiffer setting as on the Cayman S, Spyder’s ride quality remains civilized. Spyder’s stiff chassis is the reason why there are any kinds of cowl shakes when driven through railroad tracks or expansion joints. The steering is sharp and precise, with plenty of feel and feedback. There are many carmakers which are trying to produce sports cars that are able to combined daily civility with sharp handling. But there is no one who is able to make such a delicate compromise as great as Porsche does.

Brakes: With Porsche’s large 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Spyder’s braking prowess is as impressive as any Porsche we have ever tested. The stopping distance is short, while pedal feels strong and solid all the time. The pedal remains fade-free even after a couple of hard stops, which is downright impressive indeed. Extra credit has to go to PCCB, Porsche Ceramic Brake Composite, for their exceptional braking prowess and fade-free track performance.

Interior: As with all Boxsters, there are 2 trunks for maximum cargo capacity on the front and rear.

While you can’t close to the roof like other Boxsters do, one has to opt for the optional canvas roof if you happen to live in rainy regions. Given the extra fun and style of the Spyder over the regular roadsters, that option is well worth the premium.

The rest of the interior is typical Boxster. That means great driver’s environment with easy adjustment of the sports seat to the steering column. All the materials are top-notch with excellent fit-and-finish. The leather sports seats hug both driver and passenger on all the right places without feeling confining.

Conclusion: Its really hard to improve a roadster that has been widely considered as a world benchmark in the industry. Porsche is able to improve such a breed by introducing the Spyder version of its existing Boxster. Make sure you test drive both Boxster S and Spyder while shopping for a roadster, cause you might end up with latter after test driven both.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder
=====================================
Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5