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Porsche announces limited edition Boxster

A more powerful version of Porsche's entry-level roadster pays homage to the company's heritage in motorsports.

Laura Burstein
Laura Burstein is a freelance automotive and technology journalist. She covers car news and events for a variety of companies including CNET, General Motors, and Mercedes-Benz. Laura is a member of the Motor Press Guild and the BMW Car Club of America, and spends much of her spare time at high-performance driving schools, car control clinics, and motorsports events. She's also an avid Formula 1 fan. When she's not at the track, Laura's rubbing elbows with car cognoscenti at auto shows, auctions, design events, and various social gatherings. Disclosure.
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Laura Burstein

Porsche is putting a bit more oomph into its somewhat ho-hum Boxster with a limited edition 2008 RS 60 Spyder.

The car is a nod to Porsche's racing victories of the 1960s, including its first overall win in the 1960 Twelve Hours of Sebring with its Porsche Type 718 RS 60 Spyder, driven by Hans Herrmann and Olivier Gendebien. In this vein, the RS 60 features a Porsche SportDesign aero kit on the front end, 19 inch SportDesign wheels, and special GT silver metallic paint.

Interior of the new 2008 Boxster RS 60 Spyder Business Wire

While styling cues on the Boxster RS 60 Spyder evoke images of race cars past, don't expect the powertrain to blow anyone away at the track. A modified, dual-tailpipe exhaust brings the engine output up to 303 horsepower, but that's only slightly more than the 2007 Boxster S, which puts out 295 horsepower at 6250 rpm. And also unlike the sports cars of the 1960s, the RS 60 Spyder comes standard with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM).

Inside, the souped-up poor-man's Porsche has sport seats, a race-inspired gearshift lever, and wider-set gauges.

The 2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder will make its North American debut in March of next year at the New York auto show, and will go on sale shortly thereafter with an MSRP of $64,900. Production will be limited to only 1,960 (get it?) cars; fewer than 800 of those are expected to be sold in North America.