IN THE SPYDER’S WEB
718 will prove popular, mainly because it feels more authentically Porsche than Boxsters past, says David Booth.
I am confused. Here we are celebrating the return of the Spyder, this time in 718 form — and with one of those naturally aspirated six-cylinder engines I thought had gone the way of the dodo bird, at least in non-racing Porsches. And to add to my befuddlement, according to no less a source than Top Gear, the 2020 Spyder’s 4.0-litre non-turbo flat six is actually a modified version of a turbocharged engine, namely the 3.0-litre turbocharged six found in base 911s.
Now, many sources seem to have it pegged as the last gasp of the 911 GT3’S flat-six, albeit detuned for Spyder use, but England’s most famous motoring magazine swears that it’s just the current 911 engine with the “turbos binned, its capacity bored out, and even some cylinder deactivation worked in.”
Whatever its provenance, the big six is a sweetie. Completely civilized at low speeds and mildly underwhelming in the midrange, past 4,000 rpm, you finally get a taste of that Porsche Boxster howl without a whole bunch of fan blades in the exhaust tubing dulling the music. It may not be as rorty as a 911 R, but my Lord, in these days of stunted exhaust tuning, it’s a welcome respite.
The price you’ll pay for all that full-throated authenticity is a comparative dearth of low-end grunt. Turbochargers may indeed blunt the sound of internal combustion fireworks, but they do make little motors awfully punchy at low speeds. In this case, the normal Boxster’s optional 2.5-L turbo-four is way beefier at low speeds and even the base 2.0-L version feels at least as ample when punched at low revs. But once you get the 4.0-L on song — again, past four grand — the full might of its 102-millimetre pistons makes itself apparent. Once you have the 414 horses on board all galloping in unison, the Spyder takes just a smidgen over four seconds to scoot from rest to 100 km/h.
All that it takes is a thorough rowing of the six-speed manual gearbox. Not so long ago, Porsche was trying to dispense with manual transmissions in favour of its higher-tech PDK dualclutch unit, imbuing its 911 only reluctantly with a seven-speed stick. Yet here we are in 2020, and lo and behold, the sportiest Boxster convertible of late has an
H-pattern six-speed.
Boxsters have traditionally been the cute, cuddly poodles of Porsche sports cars. Not the Spyder. With essentially the same adaptive suspension of the 911 GT3, not to mention carbon-ceramic brakes and some super sticky Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires — P245/35ZR20 in front and P295/30ZR20 in the rear — this 718 is serious about railing down twisty roads. Indeed, were it not for the fact that it sacrifices a little structural rigidity in going droptop, the Spyder would make a great track car.
Check that — it is a great track car. In fact, there’s none of the usual weight penalty demanded of most convertibles, the Spyder weighing the same 1,420 kilograms as the hardtop Cayman GT4. It also rides some 30 mm lower than lesser 718s, steers almost telepathically, and those big Michelins have fantastic grip.
There’s really only one chink in the 718 Spyder’s armour. Unfortunately, it’s a doozy. In a quest to reduce weight, the soft fabric top is manually operated. Oh, the little hook that firmly latches the forward portion of the roof to the upper windshield is power operated, but the rest of its stowage — and resurrection — is manual. And it’s a pain in the you-knowwhat.
Is that enough to render the Spyder less than worthy? Not to the true-blue Porschephile, especially one who covets a ragtop that is truly sporty or one as overtly sexy as the 718 Spyder. That foldable roof may be ungainly, but it’s pleasing to the eye.
It’s also expensive. At $110,500, it’s the second-most expensive, behind the GT4, of all 718 models. And by the time you get it fully outfitted — this particular tester wound up near the $130,000 mark — you’re looking at a pretty nice 911. It’s also worth reminding that you can get a new mid-engined Corvette for barely more than half that price. Even the most dedicated Porsche fanatic has to wince at that value equation.
Nonetheless, I suspect the 718 Spyder will prove popular, mainly because it feels more authentically Porsche than Boxsters past. The engine is wonderful, its handling even more so, and it’ll please your eye every morning when you open the garage door. Whether it’s worth the asking price, I’ll leave that for you to decide.