Porsche has confirmed it's going to build the 911 Speedster it has been showing as a concept. The open-top 911 was on display at the Paris show. It will be a mashup of some of Zuffenhausen's best components and serve as a bit of an anniversary present to the company.
The Speedster Concept was first revealed in June, boasting a double-bubble behind the driver instead of the usual pair of tiny seats and roof. The Speedster was originally a 356 with a more spartan open top and a lower windshield designed to sell more affordably in the US. The name and style have been brought back a few times over the years, including in 1988 on the 911.
The new model started with the 911 Carrera 4 Cabrio's wider body (and lack of hard roof). It gets shortened window frames, more sleekly raked front glass and carbon fibre for the rear deck. The fenders, as well as the front and rear hoods, are also made from the lightweight composite. Instead of an opening roof, the car will have a tonneau cover fastened with snaps.
Under that carbon rear hood is the drivetrain from a 911 GT3. That means a 4.0L flat six that makes "more than" 500 hp and can rev to 9,000 rpm. It also wears that car's titanium tailpipes. The suspension setup is from the GT3 as well, meaning that it should handle as good as it looks. The car wears new 21-inch cross-spoke centre lock wheels that borrow from Porsche's racing cars for style.
The company is going to build this one. They're going to make 1,948 of them, which is a big nod to the 70th anniversary of the first car to wear the Porsche badge. This will also be the first car offered with new Heritage Design packages that let buyers customize their 911 even further.
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