'THE TRUE, PURIST FORM OF THE PORSCHE SPORTS CAR'

+ Click to Enlarge DESIGNED FOR OPEN-AIR DRIVING: The Porsche Boxster Spyder will do 267km/h - with its top down.

November 6, 2009

If you make a car more powerful, said Lotus founder Colin Chapman, it will go faster on the straights. If you make it lighter it will go faster everywhere.

So Porsche is making a point when it says the new Boxster Spyder, due to make its world debut at the Los Angeles auto show in December, is the lightest car in its range.

It weighs only 1275kg - 80 less than the Boxster S- and Porsche says it represents "the true, purist form of the Porsche sports car – light, powerful and very efficient".

It stands out clearly from earlier Porsche mid-engined roadsters because it's been developed first and foremost for driving in the open air.

Even with the low-slung, light soft top in place, extending far to the rear over the twin bulges in the one-piece rear deck, this is obviously a roadster with a raincoat rather than a convertible.

The Spyder is significantly lighter than its siblings, has a lower centre of gravity and uprated sports suspension.

Its 3.4-litre, six-cylinder engine is rated at 239kW, seven more than in the Boxster S. Fitted with the optional dual-clutch transmission, sports chrono package and launch control, Porsche says will sprint from 0-100 in 4.8sec and reach 267km/h – 6km/h more than the S - with the roof open.

Lightness also lends efficiency: Porsche claims average fuel consumption of only 9.3 litres/100km.

The Boxster Spyder will go on sale in Europe in February 2010 at €63 404 (R720 000) as the third model in the Boxster range, joining the Boxster and Boxster S. Pricing and availability for the South African market is yet to be confirmed.

The Boxster range is the successor to the legendary 550 Spyder of 1953 in terms of its mid-engine roadster layout, low weight, agility and back-to-basics driving style.

The original Spyder was Porsche's first sports car developed specifically for racing but also homologated for the street and got its name from its weight – only 550kg.