2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder and 2011 Porsche Boxster Cayman

The History new Boxster Sypder which was revealed to the world at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late 2009 and went on sale in February of 2010 has brought even more excitement to Porsche’s renowned mid-engine model lineup that includes the 2011 Porsche Boxster and the Boxster S roadsters and Cayman and Cayman S coupes. For the 2011 model year, the Boxster, the Boxster S, the Cayman and the Cayman S now offer more standard features at the same MSRPs as last year. For example, standard equipment this year includes Bluetooth hands-free phone interface and a universal audio interface that provides connections for a MP3 player.

Also new for 2011 are popular equipment packages for the 2011 Porsche Boxster and 2011 Porsche Cayman models, with the exception of the new minimalistic Boxster Spyder. These new packages include the Convenience Package, the Infotainment Package, the Design Package, and the Design Sport package, all of which group attractive options at a value. For example, the Design Package groups 19-inch Spyder wheels, as well as black treatment of the exhaust pipes, rollbars (Boxster line only) the side panel intake, the outside rear view mirrors, dashboard trim cover, gear shift/selector lever trim cover, and dashboard air vents. Also new for 2011 are fresh metallic color options: Platinum Silver Metallic, Ruby Red and Amethyst Metallic.

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Designed and built as a classic Porsche engine, the flat-six power in the Spyder offers optimum qualities for the Spyder, including low weight, a flat engine structure with a low center of gravity, and a reduction of inner friction. Furthermore, the crankcase is split up into two sections and comes as a closed-deck structure, while the car’s engine mounts are optimized to firmly connect the power plant to the body and thereby minimize movement.

The 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder Making headlines around the world, Porsche’s newest mid-engine sports car, the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder model, offers a very high level of pure driving enjoyment. The newest member of the Boxster family stands out from the other versions of Porsche’s mid-engined roadster. Its low-slung, lightweight soft top when closed extends far to the rear to protect the driver and passenger from bright sunshine, wind and weather. This top, when combined with shorter side windows and two striking bulges on the single-piece rear lid, provides the Boxster Spyder with a sleek silhouette reminiscent of the Carrera GT super sports car.

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Weighing in at just 2,811 lbs, the Spyder is the lightest Porsche available today this from a company known for lightweight, proficient sports cars. In many respects, it represents the most pure form of the sports car agile, powerful, open and efficient, combining maximum driving dynamics with minimum weight. The Boxster Spyder features a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine with Direct Fuel Injection upfront of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 horsepower (hp), 10 hp more than the
Boxster S.

Engineers were able to create the lightest Porsche by developing new weight-saving features and also by simply removing others. For example, the doors of the Spyder are made of aluminum a decision that saves 33 lbs from the conventional Boxster doors. Also, Porsche engineers used two extra-light sport bucket seats that save 26 pounds, and side windows that are lower and lighter. Another example of weight-saving engineering is the use of a strikingly designed single-piece rear lid made of aluminum, which saves nearly 7 pounds. Also newly developed for this car were the lightest 19-inch wheels in the Porsche pallet.

The unique, two-piece manual top not only saves 46 lbs but it also helps in lowering the new Boxster’s center of gravity by almost one inch. Of course, one of the most effective ways of saving weight is to simply leave out certain features that for the true driving purist are frivolous. For example, this new car does not come with a radio or with air conditioning (although both can be added as a no-cost option). Even interior door handles have been eliminated and replaced with light weight
cloth straps.

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Under the hood, the engine’s extra power is primarily the result of an even more consistent use of Porsche’s high-speed concept, with the power unit featured in the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder reaching its peak output at 7,200 rpm, or 800 rpm more than the maximum engine speed of the Porsche Boxster S. The redline on the Spyder is 7,500. And while the Boxster S develops it maximum torque of 266 lbs/ft between 4,400 rpm and 5,500 rpm, the power unit featured in the Boxster Spyder reaches it peak torque of 273 lb-ft at 4,750.

Of course a particular highlight of the 3.4 power unit featured in the new 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder and 2011 Boxster S is Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) with a homogeneous fuel/air mixture formation. DFI ensures a particularly smooth and consistent distribution of air and fuel within the combustion chamber. The result is a more optimum combustion quality at all times. DFI has a positive impact not only on the efficiency of the engine, but also on its performance characteristics. With fuel being injected within fractions of a second prior to the actual combustion process, the engine responds spontaneously to even the slightest movement of the gas pedal.

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder Interior

Also contributing to the Boxster Spyder’s outstanding engine performance is the use of four oil sumps with on-demand controls. The oil follows the principle of an integrated dry sump, and as a result, the oil pump does not consume more energy than required and ensures exactly the right level of lubrication at all times. Feeding the Spyder engine with lots of fresh air is a high-flow intake system. This system uses a resonance distributor manifold between the right and left intake distributor pipe. Switching according to what is required at the time, the resonance flap adjusts the oscillation of air within the system to the current engine speed and demand, providing high torque at low speed, a smooth and consistent torque curve, and a high level of maximum power.

The combination of 10 more hp and 176 pounds less weight than the award-winning 2011 Porsche Boxster S, plus an all-new sport suspension that lowers the Boxster Spyder 20 mm, a lower center of gravity, a standard limited slip differential, and exclusive wheels provides the kind of driving dynamics that back up the unique look. When equipped with Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission and the Sports Chrono Package, the new Spyder, using Launch Control, accelerates from a standstill
to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Top track speed is 166 mph with the roof open. EPA figures are 19 city/26 highway and 20 city/29 highway with a manual and PDK gearbox, respectively. The 2011 Boxster Spyder is priced at $61,200, plus $950 for destination.