OK, I recently joined the Porsche club. I bought a 2006 Boxster that was in new condition, it's fantastic.

One thing that has me stumped though is the rear spoiler. When I'm driving on the highway I can't see it. When I'm parked and extend it manually, it looks like the picture here.

Does that look correct? I have googled 987 spoilers and the very few images I can find don't look like this. Call me crazy, but a spoiler should be more wing-like and aerodynamic, right? So I can't understand how I can get better control or mileage by popping up what is essentially a little wall across the rear bumper.

Can someone tell me if this is what it's supposed to look like?




Porsche 987 spoiler in the up position?

 

That is correct. It creates additional downforce on the rear end.

 

Then why do all other photos of Porsche spoilers look like a wing, not like something that blocks the air?

For example, this photo: https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...0&d=1501791993

 

You don't have a fixed wing. You have that spoiler. Same as my '08 Boxster. And yes, you can't see it direct when it's in the up position. But late in the day you might see its shadow if you're traveling with the sun perpendicular on your right! Trust that it works and don't leave it up all the time.

 

At the risk of starting a spoiler vs. wing war in the case of your Cayman the aerodynamic aid is intended to "spoil" air flow over the car to decrease the lift this air flow can create. Thus is doesn't look very aerodynamic, doesn't look like a wing.

No picture handy but the "spoiler" of my 2002 Boxster is just a metal wall that comes up a few inches at "speed".

OTOH, my 2003 Turbo has a "wing" that is much more aerodynamic looking -- looks more like a wing albeit shaped not to create lift but is shaped to create downforce at the wing and to possibly increase the air pressure over the engine compartment lid -- just ahead of the wing -- to force even more air down through the lid to help remove engine compartment heat.

With my Boxster I can't see the spoiler deployed. I can see its shadow with the sun low and the car being at right angles to the sun. Early on in my Boxster ownership to "verify" the spoiler actually deployed when it was supposed to I carried a small hand mirror which if I held just right I could see the spoiler and in no traffic on a straight road could watch the spoiler deploy then retract. After one or two of these though I left the mirror at home.

With the Turbo I can see the wing rise up from its resting position to its fully deployed state and see it retract when the car slows down.

 

This photo is of a Boxster with a Cayman spoiler. I personally prefer this look.
By the way you can pick up an inexpensive Cayman spoiler and do this upgrade too

 

I doubt that wing gives the downforce of the OEM spoiler. Big difference in the contour of the Cayman versus Boxster. Aero isn't about aesthetics.

 

I am talking from aesthetics perspective only. No doubt Porsche engineers came up with the design that works best for Boxster.

By by the way I have a Cayman R fixed wing on my Cayman and it definitely generates significant downforce at high speeds. And it looks good too!

 

True ... looked great on my Cayman R. It and the front R splitters made a noticeable stability difference.