2015 Porsche Boxster Spyder first drive

You’ll probably remember the previous Porsche Boxster Spyder. It was the particularly pretty one with an ugly, fiddly canvas roof that had to be raised and lowered by hand, the removal of its operating mechanism being part of a comprehensive weight loss programme that shaved around 80kg from the cooking model.

It received a new engine, too, in the shape of the 3.4-litre flat six from the Cayman S, so it revved a little more enthusiastically than the standard unit. Problem was, it was only slightly more powerful than the cheaper Boxster S, and as Porsche had gone to the trouble of stiffening the chassis, the car still felt like it might make good use of yet more power.

Five years later and the manufacturer has endeavoured not to repeat the same mistakes with this new version. Firstly, while there’s still a manual fabric roof to open and close, the hood is simpler and semi-automatic in its fastening - saving you from all the fuss of unfurling it like a newbie Caterham owner. Secondly, and most notably, Porsche has decided to drop the larger capacity 3.8-litre flat six from the current 911 Carrera S into the Spyer’s belly, a transplant already perfected in the Cayman GT4.

At 370bhp, it’s 45bhp more powerful than a 3.4-litre Boxster GTS and only 10bhp shy of the GT4. It’s the most powerful Boxster yet, and will be for the foreseeable future (a racier version was discussed but the idea was dropped). Almost as importantly, it shares the GT4’s proper six-speed manual gearbox and gets the same front and rear end.

What it doesn’t have are all the trick underbody elements that made that car a product of Porsche’s GT motorsport division. Instead, much as before, the Spyder is lowered by 20mm on the same firmed-up passive sports suspension that’s already available as an option on the GTS - only a tweaked rear anti-roll bar differentiates the two. Elsewhere, it gets the bigger brakes that were previously the preserve of the 911, and has a faster steering ratio to go with its marginally smaller steering wheel.

By default, the inside is as spartan as the outside is fabulously pretty. At 1315kg, the Spyder is not only lighter than a GTS but it’s also marginally skinnier than a GT4. Some of this weight loss is clearly accounted for by the stripped-back roof and the requirement for you to do the heavy lifting, folding and lid slamming yourself (a doddle - but a two minute, walk-around one). Some of it, though, is in the doctoring or deletion of kit.

When it comes to the marvelous slimline bucket seats and fabric door pulls, that’s a good thing, but when it means the removal of the infotainment and the air conditioning, it's less so. Returning them is a no-cost option (mercifully) although it does come with the guilt-laden acceptance of a 15kg weight penalty.

Nevertheless, doing so is recommended, especially as, initially, the Spyder makes little discernible virtue of its abstinence. Lighter on the scales it may well be, but as it requires more heft at the smaller wheel, a leg-press thrust to operate the clutch and dogged determination to engage a gear, it’s clear that Porsche’s idea of unfiltered driving pleasure doesn’t necessarily translate into an immediate ease of use.

Unexpectedly, this extends to the acceleration. Torquier the new motor may very well be - to the healthy tune of 45lb ft over the GTS - but the nature of the flat-six is unchanged, which means you won’t see the 310lb ft peak until nearly 5000rpm is showing on the tachometer. In and around town, and even on the tight Tuscan switchbacks of our test route, a shortage of space and the gearbox’s longish ratios mean you’ll be lucky to encounter the engine’s tastier sweet spot.