Written by:
SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
Porsche will introduce a new lightweight version of its mid-engine Boxster next month at the Los Angeles Motor Show, the automaker said today.
The twin bulges behind the seats are designed to give the new Porsche Boxster Spyder the look of the Carrera GT. (Photo: Porsche)
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At just 2,811 lbs., the 2011 Boxster Spyder will be the lightest Porsche available, representing what Porsche calls “the true, purist form of the sports car – agile, powerful, open and efficient.”
The Spyder will be the third model in the range, along with the Boxster and Boxster S.
“Fundamentally, the entire Boxster family is the successor to the legendary 550 Spyder and RS 60 of the ’50s and ’60s, all sharing the same mid-engine roadster concept,” Porsche said in a media release. “Low weight and supreme agility combine to provide outstanding driving pleasure.”
Stylistically, the Spyder differs from the other versions of Porsche’s mid-engine roadster, with two aerodynamic bulges behind each seat on the single-piece deck lid, which recalls the silhouette of the Carrera GT. When the roof is up, it extends far to the rear past those bulges.
The Boxster Spyder features a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection mounted ahead of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 horsepower, 10 more than the Boxster S.
The new roadster weighs 176 pounds less than the Boxster S and has a new sport suspension that lowers the Boxster Spyder 20 mm. Aluminum door skins and lightweight interior door panels from the 911 GT3 RS contribute to the weight reduction.
The 2011 Boxster Spyder goes on sale February 2010. U.S. pricing is $61,200.
