Based on these spy shots, it appears Porsche is getting very close to releasing the third installment of the Boxster Spyder, this time bearing the 718 moniker. The car shown above has effectively no camouflage, and it doesn’t appear to have any faux panels or temporary lighting. Being the follow-up to the non-718 Boxster, it also has a number of aesthetic changes.
Up front, the 718 Boxster Spyder features the same front bumper as the GTS model. It’s a slightly more aggressive version of the stock bumper, and it’s available as an option on plain and S Boxsters. It also features the LED headlights that are optional on lower-trim Boxsters.
Moving around the side, nothing appears to have changed, and the engine covering still has the signature double humps leading up to the seats. Those humps look like they may be slightly lower and less pronounced than on the previous model. It seems there will even still be “Spyder” badges in the black sections around the latches for the canopy, though on this prototype tape has been placed on them. The top also appears to be the same sort of multi-step type found on the last model.
The biggest change is actually at the rear, specifically with the rear bumper. The diffuser has large outlets, and there aren’t many of them. This is also the first Boxster Spyder, and the only version of the 718, to have the exhaust outlets set apart from each other. On all other 718 models, the tips are mounted in the center, and if there’s more than one, they’re immediately next to each other. Also, being a 718 Boxster, this Spyder has the dark gray taillights that partially blend into the spoiler with the black slats.
One of the questions surrounding the new 718 Boxster Spyder is what will power it. The 718 line moved to turbocharged flat-four engines, but that’s no guarantee the Spyder will use one of those engines. The reason is that the last Spyder used a version of the 911 Carrera S naturally aspirated flat-six. That engine was also shared with the Cayman GT4, which made slightly more horsepower. That presents the possibility of the current Carrera S turbo flat-six. But because the upcoming 718 Cayman GT4 will stay naturally aspirated, and so likely will use an older 911 engine, it’s possible the 718 Boxster Spyder will share that engine, perhaps with less horsepower. Considering how close this car looks to being production-ready, we would expect to see a fully revealed model within a year.
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