He called it “Little Bastard”, and if James Dean had not been killed at the wheel of his Porsche 550 Spyder in 1955, chances are he would have affectionately named its spiritual successor, the new Boxster Spyder, “Big Bastard”. The latest Spyder weighs nearly 2½ times as much as Porsche’s original road racer, but the philosophy remains much the same: give the driver a no-frills, seat-of-the-pants ride.

To that end, Porsche’s engineers have shaved 80kg off the Boxster S model. It is not hard to see where the saving comes from. In place of the elegantly folding electric roof, the Spyder comes with a glorified tarpaulin that you put on and take off yourself and is suitable only for low-speed use. Also missing are air-conditioning and a stereo system. All this signals how serious the company is about positioning the Boxster Spyder as a car for dyed-in-the-wool petrolheads — the sort of driver prepared to verify the new Boxster Spyder’s 165mph top speed rooflessly.

Despite this limited appeal, Porsche is making the Spyder a permanent addition to the Boxster range, with no prescribed limit on the numbers to be built. And when it goes on sale in February, it will cost only a modest amount more than a Boxster S — £46,563, including seven-speed semi-automatic PDK gearbox, compared with £42,766.

Visually, the Spyder has a more sporting front nose, a fixed rear spoiler and a pair of “speed humps” behind the seats’ headrests. Look carefully and you may just spot the two simple lashing eyes, painted in red, sunk into recesses in the bodywork and used to secure the makeshift roof. Inside, a pair of thin, lightweight racing seats dominate the cockpit, while red fabric door-release handles save weight and pay tribute to past racing Porsches.

Beneath the engine cover sits a lightly tuned version of the Boxster’s latest 3.4-litre, flat-six, naturally aspirated engine. In the Spyder it boasts 315bhp — a modest 9bhp gain — while fuel economy is a respectable 30.4mpg.

When combined with Porsche’s twin-clutch PDK transmission the engine powers the Spyder to 62mph in just 5sec. (If that’s not enough, the optional sport package takes the 0-62 acceleration time down to 4.8sec.) Porsche aficionados have often looked down their noses at the Boxster range, regarding it as, well, a bit lightweight. Perhaps the addition of the driver-focused Spyder, which appears to be a fitting tribute to the original 550 Spyder, can convince them otherwise. Even if it is the most expensive car in the world without a proper roof.

Porsche Boxster Spyder

Engine 3436cc, six cylinders

Power 315bhp @ 7200rpm

Torque 273 lb ft @ 4750rpm

Transmission Seven-speed PDK

Acceleration 0-62mph: 5sec

Top Speed 166mph

Fuel / CO2 30.4mpg / 218g/km

Road Tax Band L (£405 a year)

Price £46,563

Verdict Not so incy-wincy, but we like it

Release date February 2010