Porsche Boxster Spyder (2015 – 2016) Review

With less weight, more power and revised suspension compared to the standard Porsche Boxster of the period, the Porsche Boxster Spyder is the ultimate incarnation of this mid-engined sports car delight. There are no direct rivals, but you might consider the faster Audi TT RS or even the BMW Z4. And from Porsche’s own stable, there is the Porsche 911 Cabriolet. Read on for our full Porsche Boxster Spyder review.

Offering eye-catching good looks, a thunderous noise and a top speed of 180mph, the Porsche Boxster Spyder is the compact supercar experience.

Even as a used car, it isn't cheap, but few roadsters get anywhere near the performance or reward of the Porsche Boxster Spyder.

The key to the performance is found in its mid-engine set-up, which uses the same six-cylinder engine as the Porsche 911 Carrera S. As a result the Porsche Boxster Spyder is supercar quick, with its 375PS 3.8-litre engine producing 420Nm of torque, enabling 0-62mph to be covered in 4.5 seconds.

Like the previous Porsche Boxster Spyder, this one is aimed at track enthusiasts, with the company using aluminium body panels, lightweight bucket seats and a manual folding fabric roof to shed weight.

The radio and air-conditioning have also been dispensed with in the quest for performance, although both can be added as a no-cost option.

As you might expect, the handling is light and nimble, with direct and responsive steering that combines sharp responses with near-perfect sports car balance.

The Porsche Boxster Spyder will easily reach 100mph in under six seconds, while its 1300kg kerb weight will leave all but the most accomplished of track drivers in its wake.

As with any track-focused roadster, there are sacrifices to be made in regards to refinement and comfort. The Porsche Boxster Spyder sits 20mm lower than the standard version, and employs stiff sports suspension, which can feel harsh at lower speeds or when travelling over less than perfect road surfaces.

However, if you can live with the bumpy ride, there is a huge amount of fun to be had, with the high-revving engine delivering peak power at 6700rpm.

The Porsche Boxster Spyder is easy to drive and howls along with Porsche 911-like gusto, its race car mechanicals producing huge levels of grip in corners.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a short-shifting six-speed manual gearbox, but the wide ratios are perfectly suited to the high-revving nature of the engine, which means you can hold it in a relatively low gear for corning.

The Porsche Boxster Spyder is thirsty – official fuel consumption is 28.5mpg, but spirited driving will easily half this.

The manual fabric folding roof is fiddly, too, which can leave you frustrated when trying to quickly secure the fittings in a sudden rain shower. That said, with the top down, it is one of the most rewarding roadsters that money can buy, the good looks complemented by a thunderous soundtrack.

Some might take issue paying £60,000 for a used model, but Porsche’s Boxster Spyder is undoubtedly a classic in the making.

Fancy a new Porsche Boxster? Read our Porsche 718 Boxster review here.

A Sport Chrono package is fitted as standard to the Porsche Boxster Spyder, and power to the rear wheels is controlled via a mechanical differential to prevent wheelspin and improve stability when cornering.

The brakes are sharp too, with the calipers and rotors carried over from the Porsche 911 Carrera S, which means it can be pushed hard without fear of the back-end snapping out.

However, even in the wet, the Porsche Boxster Spyder is easy to drive, with its firm suspension and excellent steering system providing huge levels of feedback through the wheel.

Limo-like refinement is not an area where the Porsche Boxster Spyder excels. Porsche has trimmed the kerb weight to just 1300kg, with the use of aluminium body panels, reduced insulation and a lightweight manual folding fabric roof.

The sports suspension sits 20mm lower to the road compared to the standard Porsche Boxster and the ride can get quite bumpy on the standard 20-inch wheels, especially on potted roads or at lower speeds in and around town.

However, that is a price worth paying for this car’s heightened abilities.

The Porsche Boxster Spyder is powered by a detuned version of the 3.8-litre engine found in the Porsche 911 Carrera S.

It might be 25PS down on the latter, but with 375PS, the Porsche Boxster Spyder loses none of the six-cylinder’s potency, covering 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds before thundering on to a top speed of 180mph.

As you might expect, the car works best with the roof down. It sounds fantastic, with the twin-exhaust emitting a deep rumble that builds as you increase the throttle.

At motorway speeds the exhaust quietens down, which makes it comfortable enough to use on long trips without the need to raise your voice to speak with your passenger.

Phenomenally quick in a straight line, it is easy to achieve supercar-rivalling performance, with 420Nm of torque providing rapid acceleration through all of the gears.

Activating the Sport button improves the throttle response and makes the exhaust louder, with peak power arriving at 6700rpm.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, and the long ratios are well matched to the high-revving nature of the six-cylinder engine.

It may be a lightweight for performance needs, but the Porsche Boxster Spyder is no lightweight when it comes to taking safety seriously.

It has ABS anti-lock brakes, Porsche Stability Management traction control, a limited slip rear differential and the same airbags and roll hoops that every other Porsche Boxster of this generation enjoys.

The company did not go to the bother of making the Porsche Boxster Spyder as light as possible to then fit a tow bar, so you will be unsurprised to hear that there is no towing capacity quoted for the car.

The cabin reflects the ‘purist’ approach that has been adopted with the Porsche Boxster Spyder.

There are few creature comforts. Both the infotainment and air-conditioning have been removed to save weight, although both can be added as a no-cost option.

As with the standard Porsche Boxster, the Porsche Boxster Spyder is strictly a two-seater affair, with a pair of bucket seats finished in part cloth and leather.

Both provide lots of comfort and all-round support, but there is no height or seat back adjustment.

However, for the driver, the positioning is near-perfect, with an excellent view of the road and a small, Alcantara-clad steering wheel that is identical to that found in the Porsche Cayman GT4. 

The instruments are all clear and easy to read, with the speedo and rev counter placed deep into the dashboard to stop the sun from reflecting off the glass and preventing you from understanding how quickly you’re travelling with the roof down.

If truth be told, the cabin feels more supercar than roadster, with the handles replaced by cloth tags and simple controls for the heating and ventilation.

Getting the roof down is a bit fiddly, as you have to press a switch in the cabin to pop the holding latch, before getting out of the car to manually lower the roof by unclipping the side fins and folding the roof behind the cabin.

After a dozen or so times, it becomes second nature, but initially we found it tricky to locate the buttons to unclip the fins, with the button hidden beneath the cloth that covers the top of each fin. 

With the roof down, the Porsche Boxster Spyder can get a little blustery, but seldom feels overwhelming and wind noise levels are low enough to hold a conversation with your passenger without the need to shout.

As is to be expected, things become a bit more refined with the roof in place.

As with the standard Porsche Boxster, there are useful pockets and a glovebox. Fold-out cup holders are also standard, while the boot – located at the front – will easily take a small suitcase or a couple of overnight bags.

There’s not a lot of space behind the seats, though, so taking the Porsche Boxster Spyder anywhere requires you to pack light. 

It might be a lighter version of the Porsche Boxster, but that doesn’t mean the company has compromised on quality.

Far from it, in fact; the Porsche Boxster Spyder has that same solidly hewn feel that is a hallmark of all models from the company.

As standard, the Porsche Boxster Spyder came without any infotainment at all in its pursuit of lightness.

However, new customers could add this back in and have the benefit of the seven-inch screen for the Porsche Communication Management system.

This offers sat-nav, a USB connection and CD player.

When it was new in 2015, the Porsche Boxster Spyder cost from £60,459. To own one now as a used buy, you’ll need at least £65,000 to bag an example that’s covered around 20,000 miles, which is considered quite high for this model.

An absolutely mint, low-milage example for the serious collector can make up to £70,000 as a modern classic.

The official fuel economy claim for the Porsche Boxster Spyder was 28.5mpg, and in the real world you can expect to see that figure matched on the road. Use the car on a track, however, and it will halve.

Emissions of 230g/km mean annual road tax comes in at £710, although this will not bother its owners unduly.

Insurance might be more of sting on the finances, as this Porsche sits in group 49, one bracket down from the highest possible.

Servicing a Porsche Boxster Spyder is also going to add to the stack of bills. Porsche said the car only needed a service every 20,000 miles, but owners would be well advised to have it checked annually by a Porsche dealer or specialist to protect its condition and value.

This generation of Porsche Boxster Spyder comes with 20-inch light alloy wheels in silver, a six-speed manual gearbox, sports suspension, Porsche Stability Management (PSM), Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with rear diff lock, and sports seats finished in Alcantara and partial leather.

It also has xenon headlights, door trims with opening loops in black, tyre pressure monitoring, a sport design steering wheel covered in Alcantara, floor mats, tyre-pressure monitoring, headrests with a stitched Spyder logo in black and the Sport Chrono package with Sport and Sport Plus button.