Porsche will put its new 911 Speedster concept into series production in 2019.
New Speedster Confirmed For Production
Porsche has confirmed that its latest 911 Speedster will enter series production. The model, which is largely based on the 991 Carrera 4 Cabriolet and 991 GT3, was presented in virtually production-ready form at the Paris Motor Show, though we expect some minor detail changes prior to the start of production early in 2019. Porsche will build a total of 1,948 examples, a nod to the year it began building sports cars. The project has been developed in a collaboration between Porsche Motorsport, Style Porsche and Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur as something of a 70th birthday present to the brand itself and its customers.
What Porsche is calling ‘this year’s second Speedster Concept study’ (as seen here) is finished in Guards Red paintwork, a reference to the original G Series 911 Speedster of 1988.
New additions to the design study include fresh 21-inch centre-locking wheels and a partly perforated black leather interior dominated by a pair of carbon fibre bucket seats. Several design cues have been inspired by Porsche racing cars of old; the tinted daytime running lights, two ‘Talbot’-shaped door mirrors and a fuel filler cap positioned centrally on the car’s bonnet. The future 911 Speedster will be the first car to be offered with Porsche’s new Heritage Design Packages – an exclusive accessory line created by Porsche Exclusive allowing a higher degree of personalisation.
While the car’s body is taken from the 991 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, the chassis is pure GT3, so too the engine which means the GT3’s 4.0-litre 500hp naturally-aspirated flat-six is running the show – it revs to 9,000rpm. That is mated to a manual six-speed gearbox, there is also a newly developed GT exhaust system with titanium tailpipes designed to save weight. The new Speedster features shortened window frames, a carbon-fibre rear deck lid, front wings and bonnet – with the iconic double-bubble cover at the rear. In place of a convertible soft top comes a lightweight Tonneau cover that is attached with Tenax buttons. Continuing the lightweight theme there’s no PCM or air-conditioning systems. There are no official weight or pricing numbers for the new 911 Speedster as yet.
