2011 Sexy Car Buyer's Guide by Martha Hindes

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

A Porsche by any designation has to be larger than life. No matter the model.  No matter the size – like the 2011 mid-engine Boxster Spyder roadster. If it bears that famed German sports car moniker it has the same kind of presence as, perhaps, the newly unveiled gigantic, and very  leggy, Marilyn Monroe sculpture in Chicago where one presumably can seek shelter from the rain under that airborne skirt and near the most famous pair of skivvies in the world.

But while size definitely does matter, it's really the reputation you bring to the game. Like the wildly erotic lifestyle of yesterday's most legendary femme fatale, Boxster is no slouch when it comes to peeling off inhibitions and blasting into the wide open world of performance. Just the sight of the Boxster Spyder in profile with its race car inspired rear deck humps can leave one  more breathless than a nearly clad Marilyn's sultry rendition of  Happy Birthday for President John F. Kennedy.

What's inside the Spyder is consummate Porsche with its renown for caressing the road with magical performance ability. In this case, less also is more. Aluminum, a lack of some electronics and controls and a cloth top, when covered, skim weight for added performance... The flat six 320 HP boxer engine cruises near redline and surges at the slightest acceleration. .
 
If you're bitten enough to shell out $61,800 for one of the few on the market, plan on some compromises, although – surprise – mileage isn't one. (The 19/27 manual or 20/29 auto on premium is respectable for any sports car.)   But expect to duck your head getting in or out with the top on – especially if you're sporting a helmet that almost seems a requisite accessory for no other reason than appearance. (It might provide unexpected weather protection following a just completed pricey hair salon session, however, since the top reportedly can take several minutes for an armchair mechanic to install.)

The Boxster S – sans Spyder iteration – is no slouch. We've happily blasted them at breakneck speeds spiked with raw adrenalin and tons of envy in their wake and could happily live at that lofty level. But choose Spyder and this has to be the pinnacle of passionate street legal driving – assuming you can talk your local cop into believing it's lawful. We don't think you'd need to argue the passionate.

For more information on the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder, click here.