What's better than a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car? One that's topless and lightweight, of course. If you need more convincing (we don't), watch the short video above. It features the new Porsche Boxster Spyder doing its thing on narrow high altitude roads.

Unveiled at last month's 2015 New York International Auto Show, the Boxster Spyder is the lightest yet most powerful model in the 981 Boxster range. It's moved by a 3.8 litre flat-six with 375 hp, enough for a 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 4.5 seconds. Top speed is 290 km/h. Radio and air con are not standard fit to save weight, but one can tick those boxes at no extra cost.

Like the previous-gen Spyder, the classic fabric roof is opened and closed by hand, and it's only available with a good ol' manual transmission. This is a roadster for the purists, who will also appreciate the Spyder's 20 mm lower sports suspension, brakes taken from the 911 Carrera and more direct steering.

It's easy to tell the Spyder apart from a normal Boxster, thanks to the two prominent bulges that extend down along the long rear lid behind the headrests, a tribute to the 718 Spyder from the 60s. The front and rear ends appear sportier because they are lifted from the new and hardcore Cayman GT4.