Rumors about a Porsche 911 Speedster have been
swirling around for months and now spy photographers have finally caught the
model undergoing testing. Designed as a last hurrah for the current-generation
sports car, the 911 Speedster is apparently based on the 911 GT3. While much of
the design carries over, the Speedster has a unique hood and eschews the GT3’s
massive rear wing.
The styling changes don’t stop there as the model
will adopt a unique soft top and rear deck lid. Porsche attempted to hide the
changes by disguising the model as a traditional Cabrio but we can see the soft
top is significantly smaller than what the company wants us to believe. The
rear deck also appears to be sportier than the one used on the last 911
Speedster which arrived in 2010.
If the GT3’s powertrain carries over, we can expect
the model will have a naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine that
produces 500 hp and 459 Nm of torque. It enables the model
to accelerate from 0-60 mph in as little as 3.2 seconds before hitting a top
speed of up to 318 km/h.
However, it remains unclear what exactly will power
the car. The previous 911 Speedster was based on the 911 GTS so if the company
went the same route with the new model, it would have a twin-turbo 3.0-liter
six-cylinder engine developing 450 hp and 548 Nm of
torque.
While a lot of details remain unknown, we shouldn’t
have to wait much longer to see the production model as Porsche is already
teasing the next-generation 911. That particular model is expected to debut at
the Paris Motor Show in October so it’s likely that the 911 Speedster will be
announced before then.
