First Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder drops a weight class and hits harder than ever

The blueprint goes something like this: Take an aging sports car and raid the corporate parts bin for a few high-performance items likely stolen from a flagship model. Tweak the suspension tuning, throw on some wider rubber, pare down the standard features, add a smidgen more horsepower and then make a few cosmetic changes so it stands out on the showroom floor. Finally, slap on a more expensive price.

We’ve seen it done many times, but rarely executed so well. Using the recently freshened Boxster S as a starting point, Porsche has developed an entirely new Spyder model that joins the Boxster lineup as its new flagship. While the two-seater follows the aforementioned recipe, we have to admit that it appears to be anything but kit-based and shortsighted.

Porsche recently gave us some seat time with its latest concoction in the mountains above Malibu. What has the automaker done to distinguish the Spyder from its lesser Boxster siblings? What key ingredients have been added – or are missing – to make it so special? Is it the best-handling Porsche model in today’s lineup? This and much more to be answered after the jump.