First Drive: 2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder

June 16, 2008June 16, 2008 Omar Rana

The 2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder made its U.S. debut in April at the 2008 New York Auto Show. We were lucky enough to be invited out by Porsche last week to take the new Boxster RS 60 Spyder, which pays tribute to the 1960 Type 718 RS 60 Spyder, around the Barber Motorsports Park track in Birmingham, Alabama.

Only 1,960 units of the 2008 Boxster RS 60 Spyder will be built; which coincides with the 1960 12-Hours of Sebring won by the 550 Spyder Type 718 RS 60. However, only 800 of those will make it over to the U.S. with prices starting at $64,900. Now you’re probably wondering if the extra $9,200 over the Boxster S (which starts at $55,700) is worth the ‘R’, ’60’ and the ‘Spyder’ badging on the back.

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What are you paying extra for?

Well on the outside you get the GT Silver Metallic paint work, a red convertible top, 19-inch alloy wheels and umm – that’s about it. On the inside, you pay for the beautiful Carrera Red leather interior (which we couldn’t get enough of) along with a plaque on the dashboard that reminds you that you own one of 1,960 limited edition models. Other than that you get a ‘RS 60 Spyder’ kick plate, body color paint work on the rear seat and a $700 sexy gear-shift knob that reminded us of Iron Man.

Do I get extra performance for the extra cash?

Now don’t be confused here. The ‘RS’ badging on the back doesn’t mean you get a super high-performing, lightweight version of the Boxster S as in the case of the 911 GT3 RS. However, you do get an extra 8-hp for a total of 303-hp which Porsche says comes courtesy of some ‘engine management upgrades’ and a sports exhaust system.

Driving both the Boxster RS 60 Spyder and the Boxster S around the Barber Motorsports Park track, we barely felt any difference between the two other than the brilliant sound of the sports exhaust system. Like the regular Boxster S, the performance of the RS 60 Spyder is just sensational. The steering and handling is very crisp along with very responsive acceleration. However, an additional $9,200 is very high price to pay (at least for us). You don’t really need to spend that much to get the best Boxster.

But of course, if you have the money and you can’t get over the Carrera Red leather interior, the sound of the sports exhaust and want to have the bragging rights to own one of the 1960 units of a limited edition Boxster; the RS 60 Spyder is worth every additional penny.

2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder: