The Spyder is a lightweight high performance version of the Boxster and the lightest Porsche in the model lineup at the time, weighing 1,315 kg (2,899 lb).

[11] The styling of the car is similar to the previous generation Spyder, continuing the twin hump rear deck and manually operated canvas top.

Total weight savings amounted to 66 lb (30 kg)[12] when compared to a manual-equipped Boxster GTS despite the Spyder's upsized engine and chassis upgrades.

The Spyder's brakes are enlarged over other Boxster models, using six-piston calipers with 340 mm rotors at the front and four-piston calipers with 330 mm rotors at the rear shared with the 911 Carrera S. The Spyder features a sports suspension with 20mm lower ride height than the standard Boxster.

[15][16] In 2019, Porsche revealed that in 2015, the executive board commissioned a project group from Weissach to build a sports car based on the 981, that was to be as light and minimalist as possible.

The 981 features upgrades including a new body, a longer wheelbase, a wider front track, and a redesigned interior that matches the firm's contemporary 911 models.

The new model gained acclaim in the motoring press as one of the best handling sports cars at any price, due to its-mid engine layout and driving dynamics.

It featured a marginally more powerful engine, a new body kit, new 20-inch Carrera S wheels, new Bi-Xenon headlights, and a new sports exhaust system.

It has a vented front bumper to improve cooling for the additional radiator, with a lower lip spoiler as well as a fixed rear wing for providing downforce.

A Club Sport Package is also available, featuring a rear half rollcage, preparation for a battery cut off switch, a fire extinguisher and a six-point racing harness for the driver, compatible with a neck saving HANS device.

Sport Chrono Package with unique Track Precision app is also available specifically for the GT4, adding an additional ECU to the car to deliver telemetry data to the driver's smartphone.

As opposed to the road going Cayman GT4, the Clubsport version is fitted with Porsche's PDK double clutch transmission (albeit with the 7th gear disabled) with shift paddles on the steering wheel, as well as mechanical rear-axle locking differential.

The Cayman GT4 Clubsport weighs 1,300 kg (2,866 lb) and shares the same Performance Friction brakes and lightweight suspension strut front axle found on the Porsche 991 GT3 Cup.

In addition to its lightweight features, it is supplied fitted with an FIA welded-in roll-cage, six-point harness and racing bucket seats.