Sleeker than the 911 Cabriolet
and more potent than the 718 Boxster, the 911 Speedster follows in a grand
tradition of chopped-down, open-cockpit Elfens.
The manufacturer first showcased the new concept
with a throwback livery at its Zuffenhausen home in Stuttgart this past June,
before taking it on tour around the world. And to coincide with its production
announcement, Porsche is showcasing it again in Guards Red at the
Paris show.
The crimson paintjob is drawn from the 1988
original, as the car also features 21-inch cross-spoke alloys and a black
leather interior. Otherwise it looks pretty much like the one we already saw,
right down to the chopped windscreen and double-bubble rear cowling – which is
no bad thing, considering how striking it is.
The finished product will be produced by Porsche
Exclusive in a limited run of 1,948 examples, referring to the year in which
the company was founded. It’ll feature a lightweight tonneau cover with Tenax
buttons in place of the convertible soft top, and it’ll be the first model to
be offered with an array of Heritage Design Packages that we can expect to see
popping up on other models in the near future.
Porsche has released little in the way of
technical details as to the production model’s specifications. But it points
out that the concept’s bodywork was based on the Carrera 4 Cabriolet, with
carbon-fiber fenders and hoods, plus the suspension from the 911 GT3. The
six-speed manual transmission and titanium tailpipes were also furnished by the
GT division, while the naturally aspirated flat-six engine was tuned to develop
over 500 horsepower.
With production set to begin early next year, we’ll
just have to wait for Porsche to release more details about the final product.
Of course, you can bet it’ll be rather pricey.
