It's got to be tough being a Porsche 911 Turbo S.
You spend most of your time as one of the top-performing models Porsche offers,
then something faster, more advanced, and more exotic comes along. So what did
the Turbo S do when the 918 Spyder took its place at the top of Porsche's
lineup? Why, it pretended to be a 918 Spyder, of course.
Well, sorta. Meet the 2012 Porsche 911 Turbo S
Cabriolet 918 Spyder Edition. It was an exclusive
version of the rear-engined, forced-induction drop-top made exclusively for
customers who'd ordered a 918 to keep them happy while they awaited delivery.
It was based on the 997-generation Turbo S, so it
packed 530 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque from its 3.8-liter
twin-turbocharged flat-six engine, driving all four wheels through a
seven-speed dual clutch transmission. No hybrid assist here, but it at least
tried to look the part with acid-green accents inside, out, and behind the
wheels (on the brake calipers) to mimic the 918 it was made to accompany.
Since there were only 918 of the Spyder made, there
were only 918 of the special-edition Turbo offered. This was the 43rd of them,
and with only 260 miles on the clock, it's coming up for grabs in a couple of
weeks as part Mecum Auctions' Monterey sale, where it's expected to sell for
between US$ 150,000 and US$ 200,000. Now for that kind of money, you could get
yourself into a brand-new 911 Turbo Cabriolet (with a starting MSRP of US$ 174k)
or even a Turbo S Cabrio (US$ 203k), but for what it's worth, this limited-edition
is bound to hold its value better in the long run – especially for Spyder
owners who want the 911 to match.
