Autoblog

Which Spyder is the fastest? EVO finds out [UPDATE]

Zach Bowman — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Videos, Porsche

At first glance, pitting the Porsche Boxster Spyder against the Audi R8 Spyder is a bit like throwing a trout in a five-gallon bucket with a piranha. After all, the big Audi boasts over 100 horsepower more than the baby Porsche. Throw in the fact that the R8 puts its power to the ground through all four wheels while the Boxster Spyder is left to manage with just two, and the fight looks even more bleak for Stuttgart's finest. Still, the Audi R8 Spyder isn't a lightweight by any stretch of the imagination. The vehicle needs all 430 horsepower from its 4.2-liter V8 to move the sports car's 3,858 pounds around the track.

The Porsche Boxster Spyder, meanwhile, weighs in at over 1,000 pounds lighter. That 100 horsepower gap doesn't seem so big now, does it? EVO Magazine recently took the time to put the two vehicles to the test and worked up a quick video of their exploits. Who came out on top? ~~You'll just have to hit the jump to find out for yourself.~~

UPDATE: EVO's embed code is busted, so click through to watch the video.

Which Spyder is the fastest? EVO finds out [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #237

Dan Roth — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Podcasts, Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Porsche, Toyota

Cruze beats Camry, V8 Supercars to race in Austin, HOV stickers expire, 2012 Toyota Camry

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Episode #237 of the Autoblog Podcast is done, a day later thanks to us celebrating the 4th of July holiday. Chris, Zach, Dan and Chris Paukert start with the Chevrolet Cruze outselling the Toyota Camry in June. Other topics include Australia's V8 Supercar race series invading Austin, California's Hybrid HOV access stickers expiring and the 2012 Toyota Camry. Your questions and comments finish us up, and live podcasts will be back soon at our UStream channel. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #237:

In the Autoblog Garage
2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible
2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder
2011 BMW 1M Coupe

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Chris Paukert
Runtime: 01:12:19

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Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #237

Autoblog Podcast #237 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: 2012 Porsche Cayman Clubsport headed for LA Auto Show

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Rumormill

2010 Porsche Cayman S - Click above for high-res image gallery

According to Porsche enthusiast site Planet-9.com, a hardcore version of the Cayman, dubbed CS or Clubsport, will be shown at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show in December. This isn't the first time we've heard rumblings of a lighter, more powerful Cayman, but now that Porsche has successfully launched the Boxster Spyder, it's only fitting that the same sort of package be offered on its harder-core hardtop sister.

Expect the Clubsport to produce around 333 horsepower from its 3.4-liter flat-six, an increase of 13 hp over the Cayman S. From there, lightweight 19-inch wheels will be standard, as will fabric door pulls, aluminum body components and a slightly revised front fascia that we've seen on the Boxster Spyder. Obviously, the real goal with a Clubsport model is lightness, and Planet-9 reports that the CS should be about 162 to 184 pounds lighter than the stock Cayman S.

If the LA Auto Show reveal stands true, the Cayman CS should be hitting the road sometime in 2011 as a 2012 model, priced from around $66,300. Fingers crossed, everyone.

Gallery: 2010 Porsche Cayman S

[Source: Planet-9]

Rumormill: 2012 Porsche Cayman Clubsport headed for LA Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unlikely Ire: Dan Neil excoriates 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Chris Shunk — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Porsche, Design/Style

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder - Click above for high-res image gallery

When we look at the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder rap sheet, it's hard not go get a bit excited. It looks seriously terrific, it weighs but 2,811 pounds, and it packs 320 mid-mounted ponies. Good stuff. When we spent some time behind the wheel of the Spyder, we fell more than deeply in love with this, the purest of Boxsters. If only automotive super-journo Dan Neil agreed.

Neil's review of the Boxster Spyder in The Wall Street Journal falls somewhere short of glowing prose - in fact, it's about 500 miles short of glowing and a mere six inches past poor. The Pulitzer prize-winning author pans the Spyder's top as beyond difficult (we called it "trick"). Okay, so a convertible top that was designed to save 46 pounds is probably going to shape up as less than ideal (Neil: "Find me the guy who designed the canvas top. Bring me his head on a platter"), but if Neil thinks this top is Erector Set hell, he should get his hands on a Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster.

Anything else wrong here? Well, there's the power for starters. Neil feels the Spyder's 320 horses are hamstrung by 273 pound-feet of torque that can only be best accessed when pushing the flat-six hard. And then there is the six-speed manual transmission, which Neil feels is inferior in every way to the PDK dual-clutch tranny ("Those purists out there still clinging to your six-speed manuals, please go home. Your black-and-white TV is on the fritz.").

So... is the Boxster Spyder God's gift to lightweight roasters or is it a reason to fire the engineers who designed this Porsche's lightweight top? We know Dan - he's a swell guy and one hell of a writer, but even though we're decidedly short on Pulitzers, we can't help but think that to slate the Spyder for not being a great everyday car is to miss its point altogether. Factory lightweight specials like this one are always a bit silly for street use, always ask for more concessions of their drivers, and, if they're German, they always cost a bunch more, too. And yet... we'd still rock the top Boxster any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Oh, and we're just fine with the three-pedal setup, thanks - like seemingly every dual clutch gearbox, the PDK still has lousy low-speed drivability - and you can call us hopeless romantics, but when it's not about chalking up lap times, we still love to row our own gears.

Head over to the WSJ to read Neil's scathing review for yourself.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal - sub. req.]

Unlikely Ire: Dan Neil excoriates 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder drops a weight class and hits harder than ever

Michael Harley — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Porsche, First Drives

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder - Click above for high-res image gallery

The blueprint goes something like this: Take an aging sports car and raid the corporate parts bin for a few high-performance items likely stolen from a flagship model. Tweak the suspension tuning, throw on some wider rubber, pare down the standard features, add a smidgen more horsepower and then make a few cosmetic changes so it stands out on the showroom floor. Finally, slap on a more expensive price.

We've seen it done many times, but rarely executed so well. Using the recently freshened Boxster S as a starting point, Porsche has developed an entirely new Spyder model that joins the Boxster lineup as its new flagship. While the two-seater follows the aforementioned recipe, we have to admit that it appears to be anything but kit-based and shortsighted.

Porsche recently gave us some seat time with its latest concoction in the mountains above Malibu. What has the automaker done to distinguish the Spyder from its lesser Boxster siblings? What key ingredients have been added - or are missing - to make it so special? Is it the best-handling Porsche model in today's lineup? This and much more to be answered after the jump.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder drops a weight class and hits harder than ever

First Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder drops a weight class and hits harder than ever originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: MT pits Tesla Roadster Sport against Porsche Boxster Spyder

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Videos, Porsche, Tesla, Electric

Tesla Roadster Sport versus Porsche Boxster Spyder - click above to watch video

We've been fortunate enough to drive a number of different Tesla Roadster models now, including a week-long review that was just published. Owners of high performance sportscars like the Roadster sometimes like to take their rides to the track for some of the kind of fun you can't really have when you are constantly on the lookout for hidden constables. While we haven't had the chance to track a Tesla, one of the favorite cars for such activities is the Porsche Boxster.

Motor Trend magazine's Kim Reynolds and Arthur St. Antoine took the latest edition of the Boxster, the new Spyder to Willow Springs along with a 2010 Roadster Sport. It makes for very interesting comparison since the 2011 Boxster Spyder is the most minimalist version of the Porsche and the Tesla has a slightly more upscale interior than its Lotus Elise progenitor.

At nearly twice the price of the German, the Tesla offers tremendous performance but requires more effort to learn its limits in part because of the reduced feedback it offers. Nevertheless, St. Antoine in particular was surprised at how well Tesla's "science experiment" works. When considered purely from a bang-for-the-buck perspective, the Roadster makes no sense compared to the Porsche, but to be fair, on-track performance has never been the Tesla's raison d'etre anyhow. Check out the video after the jump.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport

Gallery: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Video: MT pits Tesla Roadster Sport against Porsche Boxster Spyder

Video: MT pits Tesla Roadster Sport against Porsche Boxster Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2009: Porsche debuts lightweight 2011 Boxster Spyder

Michael Harley — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:19:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertible, Performance, Porsche

2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder - Click above for high-res image gallery

Porsche rolled out the 2010 Boxster Spyder, the third model in the Boxster lineup, for its world debut at the LA Auto Show, with an entirely new look and - we are led to believe - a driving personality nearly on par with the 911 GT3 RS.

Hidden deep and low in the belly of the Spyder is a tuned version of Porsche's 3.4-liter flat-six, rated at 320 hp (ten more than the Boxster S). While the added horses are welcome, it's the 176 pounds of mass lost that really raises our interest. To achieve these savings, Porsche has fitted the Spyder with a lightweight carbon fiber-ribbed soft top, unique rear decklid, low side windows, aluminum door skins and interior door panels with straps swapped from the 911 GT3 RS. Air conditioning, cupholders and an audio system have been left back on the factory floor (don't worry, Porsche will let you add them back for a price). With a curb weight of just 2,811 pounds, it is the lightest model in Porsche's lineup. With a power-to-weight ratio rivaling the Carrera S, the Boxster Spyder with a dual-clutch PDK transmission will now rip to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.

However, that's only part of the enthusiast-oriented story. Porsche replaced the dampers with an all-new sport suspension, riding 20 mm lower than the other models, to drop the center of gravity and improve handling over the standard Porsche Boxster and Boxster S. Fitted with a standard limited-slip differential and lightweight wheels, the package looks just fine to us. As expected, the pure driving enjoyment of the Porsche Boxster Spyder won't come cheap - base pricing starts at $61,200 when it arrives in February 2010.

Gallery: LA 2009: 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading LA 2009: Porsche debuts lightweight 2011 Boxster Spyder

LA 2009: Porsche debuts lightweight 2011 Boxster Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: Porsche Boxster Spyder

Noah Joseph — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertible, Performance, Porsche

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder - Click above for high-res image gallery

Porsche drivers don't like waiting. That's why they buy a Porsche, after all. So while a few weeks might not seem like a long time for most people, to a Porsche driver used to rocketing to 60 miles per hour in four-point-right-now seconds, the span of weeks must seem like an eternity.

Although we're still weeks away from the LA Auto Show, where Porsche is set to unveil the new Boxster Spyder, Zuffenhausen has kept its enthusiasts placated with a fresh batch of photos showing its newest, lightest vehicle in all its glory. We'll be on hand for the unveiling next month, but before then check out the updated high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

[Source: Porsche]

Pics Aplenty: Porsche Boxster Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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