Porsche Boxster Spyder is coming

As inevitable as death and taxes, Porsche’s hottest Boxster, the Spyder, will make its current-gen resurrection – hopefully by year’s end.

The formula is a no brainer – take the mechanical package from the recently launched hard-core Cayman GT4 and port it into what’s essential its drop-top twin, the Boxster.

However, while that’s the broader concept, given structural differences between Porsche’s two entry sportscar ranges, exactly how much GT4 componentry the Spyder will benefit from is currently unclear.

It’s confirmed that the Spyder will pack 280kW, presumably from the same Carrera S-based 3.8-litre flat-six found in the Cayman GT4.

The current top-dog Boxster is the GTS with 243kW; extracting another 37kW from the 3.4-litre seems unlikely when there’s an easier solution ready to go.

With the larger engine installed, the Boxster Spyder, like the Cayman GT4, will be six-speed manual only, as the PDK has not yet been engineered for this application.

Given Porsche claims a 4.4sec 0-100km/h time for the new Cayman GT4, we’d expect the similarly engined Boxster Spyder to be a tenth or two slower.

What’s currently unclear is how much, if any, of the Cayman GT4’s extensive chassis upgrades will make their way into the open-top car.

Will it be a full-on car from Porsche’s GT4 department? On current information, it’s expected that the Boxster Spyder will be a regular production model, benefitting from the extra power but only limited chassis upgrades.

With that in mind, we’d expect Porsche’s new hi-po convertible to list at around $170K, reaching Australia in the first half of 2016.

Get your free weekly report from the world of fast cars - subscribe to the MOTOR newsletter!