Suicide Jockey

I do recall what I think you are referring to: a report by someone incurring paint/body damage as a result of one of the wings flying around loose at speed. But I thought it was unclear in that case if it was due to a failure to properly attach the fin to the rear lid. We know Porsche has felt compelled to come up with a stand-alone supplement to the owners manual instructing owners how to attach the flaps correctly because apparently enough people weren't doing it properly, thus resulting in the wings flapping around at speed and causing damage. I'd call that operator error. Here, however, in DK's case we have a different scenario (at least as I see it - maybe I'm splitting hairs) where a wing which was latched properly and then double-checked to make sure it was latched, just pops loose while the car is at a standstill. That's a different story -- one not involving operator error -- and much harder to figure out given the car was inanimate with wind turbulence a non-contributing factor.

digitalrurouni

Agree, I feel that's not needed at all! And that would probably result in a bit less weight as well :P

hf1

That's what we all do here on RL -- express opinions and make supporting arguments, often more than once and with more than one poster. Maybe Porsche listens.

The 15lbs saved are irrelevant and unnoticeable. The "tails" are a contradiction in a purist car -- they are added for no other reason than making the car look special/different.

Finally, no need to remove the "tails" and manual top from the Spyder. Just put the 3.8 and LWBs in the GTS and charge $10k less (than the Spyder) to compensate for the loss of "purity". Win-win.

Suicide Jockey

My understanding from Porsche's info below is that the weight savings is actually 24 lbs.:

Systematic lightweight concept ensures outstanding driving dynamics

The purist features of the Boxster Spyder are the result of a systematic lightweight concept. At 2899 pounds, the Spyder is the lightest model in the current Boxster range, weighing 66 pounds less than a Boxster GTS with manual transmission. The large trunk lid, for instance, is made of aluminum, and the lightweight top with its unheated polymer rear window weighs 24 pounds less than the conventional automatically operated top of other Boxsters. Reduced noise insulation also lowers the vehicle's overall weight. The results are clearly noticeable to the driver. This car's center of gravity is lower than that of any other Boxster, and its power-to-weight ratio has been improved to 7.7 pounds per hp. This makes the Boxster Spyder handle particularly nimbly, yet it accelerates as vehemently as a high-performance sports car.

I was going to say that in isolation 24 lbs. may not seem like much, but actually 24 lbs. is a pretty hefty amount. Try adding a 25 lbs. to your normal bench press and you'll find out pretty quick! LOL Joking aside, in isolation is not how weight savings should be viewed. Engineers scrape and claw to shave 1 lb. off part X, 4 lbs. off part Y, maybe 10 lbs. off part Z. It all adds up and each pound saved is important. If you take the attitude that a few lbs. saved on this part or that really isn't worth the effort, then at the end of the day you end up with a seriously bloated car. So I would hesitate to characterize a 24 lb. savings as "irrelevant."

I would normally ask how making a car look special/different (while also shaving 24 lbs.) is a bad thing, but I get your point. Form is not exactly following function.

hf1

Most of that 66lbs comes from the LWBs which aren't available in the S/GTS. Not sure if radio/AC delete were options on the 981 Spyder. If yes, they too would contribute in the difference since they were not available in the S/GTS.

Don't have the data but, to me, the Spyder's longer humped aluminum trunk lid looks heftier (much more substantial) than the much smaller standard lid.

24lbs is less than 4 gallons of gas. Personally, I'd drive with 4 extra gallons in the tank in return for a top that I could open and close without stopping. More power to you if you can sense a 24 lb weight diff in your cars. Again, I have no problem with the Spyder. I only wish that the same performance package was also offered with an auto-top under a different model designation.