In the early 1990s, Porsche bosses looked to support mainstay 911 sales by phasing out front-engined models and introducing a new sports car platform. A concept prepared by Dutch designer Harm Lagaay was prepared for the 1993 Detroit Auto Show, revealing the Boxster as a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive roadster. It was inspired by Porsche’s past as a modern-day fusion of the 356 Cabriolet, Speedster, and 550 Spyder. The 986-generation Boxster shared many underpinnings with the 996-coded 911 of the same era and quickly gained acclaim as a comparatively affordable Porsche with nimble handling and attractive looks.
Succeeded by the 987-generation Boxster in 2004—again, bearing a striking resemblance to the type-997 update to the 911 it was revealed alongside—key changes were made to the roadster’s exterior and interior styling. The greatest development in the model’s performance progression came with the introduction of the Boxster Spyder at the 2009 Los Angeles Motor Show. The Spyder was 80 kilograms lighter and more powerful than the Boxster S that it usurped as the fastest car in the range, offering a hearty 316 horsepower from its 3.4-litre flat-six.
The example offered here was completed by the factory on 23 February 2010 and delivered new to Germany. Its first owner elected for the six-speed manual gearbox rather than the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch alternative. The Boxster Spyder left the factory finished in Carrera White over a Black interior and with a Black soft-top; a colour configuration it retains. Its black-and-white colour scheme is complemented by black Porsche decals affixed to both sides of the car, and 19-inch white alloy wheels.
Its first owner configured the car to be built with many desirable options including the Sound Package Plus, fully automatic climate control, ParkAssist, Sport Chrono Package, locking limited-slip rear differential, sports bucket seats, part-leather and Alcantara interior, windscreen top tint, aluminium doors, and more. The full build sheet configuration is available to view in the car’s history file. The Boxster Spyder’s odometer shows just 24,846 kilometres at the time of cataloguing.
Notably the only Boxster in The Carrera Collection, this desirably configured Spyder would no doubt give its rear-engined marque stablemates a run for their money for both excitement and performance.