981 Spyder - 2016

A little history on the Porsche Spyders as they are a unique variable of the Porsche Boxster. Spyders are a lightweight, driver focused, limited production version of the Boxster. The inspiration behind the Spyders is the Porsche 550 which might be the most beautiful Porsche ever built if you ask me. The 550 was built between 1953 and 1956 and only 90 were ever made. One of those was James Dean’s Spyder which he crashed and died in on September 30, 1955. The success of the 550 on the track led to the 718 which was produced from 1957 to 1962. Those too were highly successful on the track and led to some of Porsche’s most iconic race cars. After the early 60’s there weren’t any Spyder created until 2004 with the Boxster S 550 Spyder 50th Anniversary Edition. This was a one year production run where they made 1,953 cars. They picked 1,953 to match the first year the 550 was produced (1953). The difference between the standard Boxster S and the Boxster S 550 Spyder was mostly cosmetic (GT Silver exterior, Cocoa Brown interior and soft top, and badging) but they did come with a sport suspension and if you opted for a manual you received a short-throw shifter. Then came the 2008 Boxster RS 60 Spyder which was a single year production run tribute to the 718 RS 60 Spyder from 1960. The Boxster RS 60 Spyder had a slight performance bump in horsepower, was limited to 1,960 (to match the year of the tribute car), GT Silver exterior, Carrera Red leather interior, badging, Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), and a few other goodies. You could get a Boxster RS 60 Spyder as a manual or automatic. Next was the 2011 - 2012 Boxster Spyder (987.2) where they made 1,900 with only 891 coming to the US. These had a slight bump in power (10 horsepower) as they borrowed their engine from a Cayman S. These also were lighter than the Boxster S, had a performance suspension, and came with two or three pedals. Unlike prior Spyders, you had color options rather than just GT Silver and these were not a tribute car as these were a limited edition variant of the Boxster S meant to be raw, driver focused, and more performance focused. That brings us to the 2015 - 2016 Boxster Spyder 981 which is a departure from all prior Spyders. Only 2,486 were made with around 829 coming to the US. They had a different engine from the Boxster or Cayman lines as it was borrowed from the 911 Carrera S producing 45 more horsepower than the most powerful Boxster, the GTS. It was also the first time a Boxster Spyder was only available as a manual (as it should be). And it had a lot more options available between seats, colors, brakes, and packages. Out of the 829 that came to the US there were only 4 that were Rhodium Silver, Spyder Classic Interior Package (red), and with LWBS (the carbon fiber racing seats borrowed from the GT3)……and we have one of those. Some might say the most classic spec would be the GT Silver, with red interior, and the bucket seats and they would not be wrong. But, there are 38 examples of those so while they are rare they are not as rare as our spec. We also think the Rhodium Silver is a nice modern twist to the timeless GT Silver. Then came the 718 Boxster Spyder which debuted in 2019 - 2023 with a 4.0 L, flat-six naturally aspirated engine, the option of a manual or PDK transmission, and many other options to pick from. The current generation is the 718 Spyder RS. They dropped the “Boxster” name, they picked up more power more GT3 parts, but they dropped the manual (which was a terrible decision if you ask me). Porsche Spyders have a long history, starting out as race cars, then tribute cars, then limited editions, and now variants. All are special in their own way, but if you ask me the 981 Boxster Spyder is the right balance of comfort and performance while still being rare and unique.