2009 Porsche Boxster Spyder (987.2) Photos, engines & full specs

Porsche put the 987.2 Boxster S on a diet and made the Spyder, a car that was the lightest in the automaker’s lineup, and the car instantly became a collectible vehicle.

Even though the financial crisis started to claim its first victims in the automotive world, Porsche knew that there were some customers who could still pay more for a track-oriented two-seater that could be driven on regular roads. Furthermore, that car shouldn’t cost them too much over a regular, street-oriented vehicle of the same category. That’s why it introduced the Boxster Spyder at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2009. While the car used most of the underpinnings from the Boxster S, it also featured a few unique parts that made it distinguishable from its stablemates. Porsche was so keen on getting a lightweight vehicle that even the infotainment unit and the AC were offered as an option. At the same time, the car manufacturer provided standard lower suspension, stiffer damper settings, and a mechanical locking differential that helped the car achieve great performance on track.

There were no significant aesthetic differences between the Boxster S and the Boxster Spyder front fascia, albeit a keen eye for detail could notice them. Porsche installed the same side scoops on both cars, but on the Spyder, these were adorned with satin-gray trims instead of body-colored ones like in the regular Boxster. While it used the same headlights as its stablemates, the LED daytime running lights were removed from the standard equipment list and provided as an option.

The low-slung profile of the car impressed customers with its racy styling. Porsche installed lower windows for the doors as part of the weight-reduction plan. However, the most striking difference was noticed behind the cabin, where the automaker installed an aluminum deck with double bulges that resembled those from the mighty Carrera GT. Furthermore, it placed the third brake light between these two humps. Out back, the automaker removed the automatic retractable wing and its entire mechanism and installed a fixed one. Lower, under the bumper, the Spyder featured the same twin exhaust as the Boxster S. Finally, the automaker installed aluminum doors and the trunk lid to cut weight down. To make the car even more distinguishable from the rest of the Boxster range, Porsche installed unique 19-inch alloy wheels, which were unavailable for any other vehicle in the carmaker’s range.

Inside, the automaker provided the car with leather-wrapped carbon-fiber sports seats. Most of the storage areas and the cup holders were removed, and Porsche added some body-colored parts instead of those. Furthermore, there were no pockets in the door cards, and the door handles were replaced with red pull-straps like in a genuine race car. Another weight-saving solution was to remove the cover for the instrument cluster so the three dials were left out in the open.

The Boxster Spyder, also known as the RS60, was 80 kg (176 lbs) lighter than the Boxster S. Its almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution made it an excellent track vehicle while still comfortable for open roads. Its 3.4-liter, direct-fuel injected engine was carried over from the Boxster S but went through some modifications to provide ten more ponies than that. Customers could get the vehicle with a six-speed manual or Porsche’s seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) PDK. Furthermore, carbon-ceramic brakes and the Chrono package were available as well.