A New York road trip in a classic Porsche Boxster Spyder
Beyond the skyscrapers of New York City, you’ll find some incredible driving roads
Living and working in bustling New York City, there’s nothing that entrepreneur Krishna Manda loves to do more to unwind than head out of town and seek great driving roads in his Porsche Boxster Spyder
“I pinch myself every day that I get to wake up in this beautiful city,” says Krishna Manda. “But I find that I’m constantly in the New York state of mind – immersed in the hustle and bustle. Throughout the working week, I am often tense and stressed. This is where my self-imposed weekend ritual comes into play.”Start-up founder Krishna lives and works in the iconic Financial District of Manhattan, but the constant buzz that the city generates means that when he has some free time, he loves to escape – and his favourite way is to embark on a road trip in his Porsche Boxster Spyder. Perhaps surprisingly, the New York State is home to some of the finest driving roads in the country, so come the weekend Krishna is out early on a road trip in his Boxster Spyder. “Saturday morning, I wake up before the sunrise and head towards some of the best driving roads you’ll find east of the Rockies,” he says. “Few people realise that New York City is surrounded by a driver’s paradise. I’m grateful to be able to enjoy it to the fullest.”Exiting New York on the search for the perfect road trip | PHOTO: Andrew ShaylorBuying his dream carKrishna has always had a love of cars and motorcycles. In fact, he turned his passion for the latter into a business. His company, Etho, which he founded after a period of time spent working as a rocket scientist, makes smart motorcycle helmets. These helmets show important information on a heads-up display so riders can keep their eyes on the road. Over the years, its success has allowed him access to an eclectic range of performance and supercars – but this recent purchase, a Porsche Boxster Spyder (type 987), was the fulfilment of a dream. He says that he searched high and low for this rare model. “I have always been fascinated by the Boxster Spyder, ever since I first saw it on Top Gear as a child,” says Krishna. “I adored the design and how it handled being thrown around the track. So, when I was nominated for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2021, I wanted to celebrate by buying my dream car – the Boxster Spyder. I flew out to Chicago to pick it up from a collector and drove it back to New York City. I racked up more miles on that one drive than the car had seen in eight years.”Being part of an active Porsche community is one of the highlights of classic Porsche ownership for Krishna | PHOTO: Andrew ShaylorThe joys of Porsche ownership“I have been lucky enough to own several great cars, but none feel as special as a Porsche,” says Krishna. “That’s mainly due to the amazing owner community, which is very active and enhances the ownership experience.” During his road trips, Krishna often takes part in local cars and coffee meets, where like-minded owners from all walks of life, and in all manner of cars, meet up to indulge in their passion.As you might expect given his day job, Krishna has a deep passion for motorcycles too. He says that it was an early childhood memory back in his native India that fuelled his love for all things with wheels. “One of my fondest memories is riding with my dad on his motorcycle on a rainy night,” he says. “I remember signalling him to race the passenger train next to us, and he twisted open the throttle. I leaned forward and got into a racing stance. I could feel my heart beating and my first adrenaline rush. I think I became addicted to riding and driving after that day.”The State of New York is home to some of the best driving roads in the USA| PHOTO: Andrew ShaylorToday, Krishna gets the same thrills out of driving his Boxster Spyder, a car that he says hits the sweet spot when it comes to driving experiences. “It’s nimble, light, perfectly balanced and has just the right amount of power to allow me to really savour the road. It’s an exquisite experience. Everything is audible and palpable. There aren’t many cars that can match my Boxster Spyder on the smiles per gallon scale.”Krishna loves the analogue thrills served up by the Porsche Boxster Spyder | PHOTO: Andrew ShaylorPorsche Boxster Spyder – a modern classicFrom 2023, the Porsche Boxster (type 987) joins the Porsche Classic family. For Krishna, it has all the hallmarks of a modern classic – analogue dials, mechanical steering, a proper key and no buttons on the steering wheel. “I absolutely love the type 987 Porsche Boxster and consider them to be the last of their breed,” adds Krishna. “They have all that contemporary dependability. They’re the best of both worlds.”Krishna is excited about the prospect of his car now officially coming under the responsibility of Porsche Classic. It means that he will be supported by products and services designed exclusively by the manufacturer for his era of car, from classic oils right through to original parts and accessories.Twisty roads are where the Porsche Boxster Spyder truly comes alive | PHOTO: Andrew ShaylorThe future of sportscarsWith the automotive world going through rapid change, Krishna believes cars like his will become even more sought after and cherished in the future. “There’s a fundamental shift happening in the way we think of cars today,” he says. “There will be cars that serve no purpose other than to emulate pure joy. They will become instruments that only need to do one thing: deliver the best driving experience. In that sense, my Boxster Spyder was ahead of its time and is truly the car of the future.”As for Krishna, his classic Porsche will not be locked away in a garage and only brought out for special occasions. “It's one thing to be able to own your dream car and entirely something else to be able to drive it,” adds Krishna. Rain, snow, summer, winter; come what may Krishna will be out there driving his car with a big grin on his face. And he will have one mission in mind: “To make this the highest mileage Porsche Boxster Spyder in the world.”Come rain or shine, Krishna wants to keep driving his car and make it the highest mileage Porsche Boxster Spyder in the world | PHOTO: Andrew Shaylor
