is the engine actually going to be a 3.8?

why do I doubt that?

thinking a 3.6 would be about perfect for this spectacular Boxster,

and if the past is any indictor, as far as Porsche might be willing to go with the roadster.

 

It will definitely be interesting to see the final finished product, but I have to agree, that I don't love those ridged humps. While it does match the car, it does look very jagged and angular although I suppose this makes it more aggressive looking, as opposed to the clean flowing shapes of the 987.

 

And you have an understandable buyer's perspective, but I'm looking at it from the view point of the manufacturer and I want to sell as many of whatever I build as possible. So if it were me, I'd want to make certain that everyone who loved the Spyder's ride and could afford one, would buy one. If that meant a top redesign, you better believe that it would get done. I can't believe that Porsche would lose any sales because the 981 Spyder has a top which can be opened and closed with the push of the button.

 

Wouldn't the non extreme purists just buy a 981 GTS or just suck it up and get used to the manual top? I don't think they would be losing sales because of a manual top, at least not the typical customers they should be worried about. If anything, you could argue it would help sales.

 

I believe many bought the 997 Spyder ( and many who did not but still admire it even if the newer 981 generation Boxster S and or GTS have better test numbers ) did so not just because of better handling or quickness vs a 997 Boxster S, but because the manual " bimini " top allowed the use of that long lift up double hump engine lid and bridged third brake light that gave the car the junior Carrera GT look when topless. I think potential buyers expect the 981 Spyder to still have that look when top is off and if not, will be disappointed . I sure would be .

 

If the new Spyder only gets the 3.4L, then yes. If it gets the 3.8L, then no. The 3.8L really transforms the car.

Don’t forget that “no Porsche” is also an option, one the Porsche likely wants to avoid. “No Porsche” is the choice I made after I saw the way the 987 Spyder’s top worked. I would have been fine with a real manual top, like a Miata's top, but the Spyder top pretty much made the car unusable for me.

And if Porsche had not fixed the roofline when it redesigned the Boxster, I would not have bought a 981 either. Heck, if BGB hadn't offered the 3.8L conversion, I might still be sitting on the sidelines.

 

A Spyder without the brilliantly simple manual roof isn't a Spyder. Operating it adds to the excitement and occasion. It makes the car more honest, raw, different, simple, & lighter. I wouldn't buy the new Spyder without it.

 

What do you find simple about that roof?

 

Agreed.

The top is one of the reasons I love the car. How often are designers given the freedom to develop a cars performance with no consideration to convenience and comfort. It's rare these days, especially for Porsche. It's this focus on performance and the actual driving experience that makes me want to keep this car.

I'll also say that just adding power to the standard Boxster really won't differentiate this new Spyder. Hopefully they consider weight loss beyond the sport buckets and A/C removal although I think it would be hard to achieve if they throw the 3.8L engine in it.

 

The absence of motors, hydraulics, cables, etc. needed operate the electric roof. There's no mechanism to break.

 

I have a feeling that you guys are going to be disappointed with the roof operation. If you look closely at the rear attachment points you can see that the base is a door flap of some sort. This to me looks to be an automated operation. I personally love the 987.2 roof, but I am a realist and know it was the number one complaint about the Spyder.



This is my prediction:

Roof: It will be a electronic roof operation. The Roof Attachment points are separate from the rear hatch (compared to the 987 which is on the hatch itself to provide tension when closed. My big question is if the roof itself can be used two separate ways... With and without the back weather protector. As mentioned in an earlier post, the ability to just use the sunshade is a huge plus for the 987 roof. If Porsche deleted this feature it would be a huge miss for me... to the point I might skip it and just keep my 987.

Engine:
Detuned 3.8 around 370hp... just makes more sense than a 3.4 (BTW the 3.8 is not a Porsche Motorsport Development).

Suspension:
X73 Sport Suspension

Brakes:6 Pot Calipers and Rotors from the Carrera S (Spy shot confirmed)

Front Bumper:
GT4 Skin, Mesh Grilles and Marker Lights with a modified front lip (not super aggressive like the GT4)(Spy shot confirmed)

Rear Bumper:
Standard Boxster with the GTS diffuser... Prototype has the backup sensors and camera. (Spy Shot Confirmed).

Rear Hatch:
Has the humps, but the center is camouflaged. This makes me think that they are hiding something. Some have commented a engine vent. I think it's simply a design element... The internal "cleavage" might have a clean crease versus a smooth hump like the original. The 981 has some flat angular surfaces and this might translate here as well to blend with the rest of the car?

Interior:
Same options as with the GT4 minus the Yellow accents... More color options (like the red in the Spy Shots). This includes OPTIONAL sport buckets, ac delete and radio delete.

BTW... The latest round of photos of the Spyder were strategically launched from Porsche. Timing, high resolution quality, limited shots (No interior shots) with a group of other prototype Porsches. If you look at the reflections of the cars you can see people standing around the cars. You can't tell me that didn't notice someone taking photos up close.

 

I guess it is simple compared to Porsche’s standard electric top. But the Spyder top is *not* simple compared to other manual tops. In fact, the Spyder top may be the most needlessly complicated manual top I have ever seen, so I have great difficulty thinking of it as “simple” or "brilliant"...

Nothing on my S2000’s electric top ever broke over the 13 years I owned it. I don’t think a modern power top should have any reliability issues to worry about. If the top on my Boxster doesn’t last more than a decade-and-a-half without problems, I would blame Porsche’s engineering incompetence, not the fact electric tops are not simple enough.

Personally, I feel like the Spyder is more of a form-over-function exercise ... The fact that the top limits top speed to a Corolla-like 120mph really prevents me from seeing it as a performance enhancer. Beautiful car though...

 

I agree all of your predictions except the roof part! My prediction: it will be manual. A flap can be opened manually to latch/unlatch. It is pointless to design and engineer an automated top for a very low volume model. The point of Spyder is to save weight wherever possible. The top is a low-hanging fruit to cut weight.

Also, the prototype's top doesn't look cohesive to be automated. It does look like two-pieces. And, the forum member 'Acky' (I think) mentioned that the top is manual. So, I am pretty hopeful it is manual.

Personally, I will "not" be interested in an automated top for the Spyder. I "want" a manual top. I am not looking for an instant gratification; willing to spend the time/effort for the experience! :-)

 

+1

The roof cannot be automated or else the one-piece trunk / roof storage lid would need to be hinged in the rear.

I want the two-piece manual top as well - and the 3.8 too while we're at it!

 

I hope you are right on the roof... That would make me happy!