New GT3 based 911 Speedster

[masraum]

This may be old news, but I just got the email from PCA today.

https://www.pca.org/news/2018-10-02/porsche-make-1948-911-speedsters-2019

Porsche to make 1,948 911 Speedsters for 2019
Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Article by Damon Lowney
Photos courtesy Porsche

Porsche will produce a new 911 Speedster in limited quantities, the automaker announced today. The car will be based on the GT3 and uses its engine, a 4.0-liter flat-six with more than 500 horsepower.

Production will be limited to 1,948 examples, a number chosen to reflect the first Porsche, the mid-engined 356/01, present to the public on June 8, 1948. The new Speedster, which was developed by Porsche Motorsport in Weissach with Syle Porsche and Exclusive Manufaktur, is nearly identical to the Speedster concept presented earlier this year, which you can read about here. The Guards Red paint on this example is a nod to the 1998 911 Speedster.

The Speedster will have a shortened windshield as well as shorter side windows. Like 911 GT2 RS, the front fenders are made of carbon fiber, as well as the hood. When lowered, the tonneau cover is stored underneath the double-bubble carbon-fiber panel behind the rear seats. When raised, it's fastened by Tenax buttons. The Talbot-style mirrors will make it to production, as well as the centrally-positioned fuel cap. The 21-inch wheels are inspired by those seen on the Porsche 911 RSR and GT3 R race cars.

The new Speedster also marks the introduction of Porsche Heritage Design Packages, a program by Porsche Exclusive that allows even more customization. The car will go into production in the first half of 2019, Porsche says, though a price has not been announced yet.
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Full Porsche Press Release

The Porsche 911 Speedster will go into production

Stuttgart. The concept study, presented during the 70th birthday of the sports car manufacturer, will be produced as a limited special edition: Porsche has decided to start producing the purist Porsche 911 Speedster in the first half of 2019. Exactly 1,948 units of the open-top two-seater will be built. The number reminisces the Porsche 356 “Number 1” that received its operating license on June, 8 back in 1948. In Paris, Porsche presented this year’s second Speedster Concept study. Its Guards Red paintwork is a reference to the 1988 911 Speedster of the G-Model generation. The new cross-spoke 21-inch wheels in cross spoke and the black leather interior create a tasteful and sporty appearance.

Dream becomes reality: The driveable 911 Speedster Concept, initially presented on June 8 in 2018 in Zuffenhausen as a “Heritage” version, will go into production in 2019. The car was developed at Porsche Motorsport in Weissach in cooperation with Style Porsche and Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.

The future 911 Speedster, based on the 991 range, will be the first car to be offered with the new Heritage Design Packages. This exclusive accessory line by Porsche Exclusive allows for an even higher degree of personalization for the 911.

In addition to the eye-catching paintwork, 21-inch center lock wheels are another visual highlight of this latest concept study presented in Paris. Their cross-spoke wheel design is similar to that of Porsche racing cars such as the 911 RSR and the GT3 R. The tinted day-time running lights were also inspired by racing. Matching the study’s paintwork, they are kept in red. The two “Talbot”-shaped exterior mirrors as well as the fuel tank cap – centrally positioned on the bonnet – shine in black-chrome and platinum. In contrast to the previously shown “Heritage” version, the interior is using partly perforated black leather upgraded with red highlights.

All body components as well as the entire technology of both the 911 Speedster Concept cars are identical. This includes the shortened window frames with their lowered cowl top panels and the smaller side windows as well as the carbon-fibre rear bonnet with the double-bubble cover behind the seats. Both cars come with a lightweight Tonneau cover, fitted by Tenax buttons, instead of a convertible soft top.

The concept cars’ body is based on the 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet. The fenders, as well as the front and rear bonnet are made from lightweight carbon fibre composite while the chassis was taken from the 911 GT3. Furthermore, the GT development department provided the exhaust system with its titanium tailpipes and the drivetrain including the manually operated six-speed gearbox. The same goes for the centrepiece of the limited special edition: The Speedster Concept is powered by a naturally-aspirated flat-six engine developing more than 500 hp and capable of engine speeds up to 9,000 rpm.

I'm sure it'll be cheap, but I suspect it'll be a hoot.

[Nickshu]

Neato.

[masraum]

It's not a turbo!

Now THAT'S a special edition!!

[Craig T]

fu@king love it! A track day with the top down...BOOYA!

[masraum]

What do you think? $200k or $250k?

A standard GT3 starts at $144k and a GT3RS starts at $187k. I priced out a GT3 and that ran another $20k for $163k (I skipped the carbon brakes).

[Tobra]

Yeah baby, maybe in aubergine

[Superman]

In a thread here many years ago, we posted quotes from people when they are driving our 911s. They are amusing. The one from the guy who is accustomed to 356s:

"This feels heavy."

That thing must weigh 3700 lbs.

[jorian]

Cool to see the 4.0 liter and three pedals. Dig the door mirrors.

Doubtful any of these will go for anything close to MSRP. Will probably go the way of the 911R. Brief appearance on showroom floors. Allotments already spoken for by the "chosen ones." Then speculators will drive the prices sky-high on the secondary market.

Would be nice to flog around a track though.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by jorian

Cool to see the 4.0 liter and three pedals. Dig the door mirrors.

Doubtful any of these will go for anything close to MSRP. Will probably go the way of the 911R. Brief appearance on showroom floors. Allotments already spoken for by the "chosen ones." Then speculators will drive the prices sky-high on the secondary market.

Would be nice to flog around a track though.

Egg-zactly. Porsche has already become Ferrari-esque w their special cars, only doling them out to good customers who then flip them for $$. I ran into a friend last weekend who has a new GT2RS on order as well as the two new uber Ferrari models. It basically costs him nothing to own all these cars because he just flips them when the newer one comes out. Definitely has a few million tied up, though. At least he drives them all.

[speeder]

I'd love to see this Speedster in charcoal grey or black. It doesn't need loud color, IMO.

[pwd72s]

[tabs]

Which end is the front?

This stuff gets to be ridiculous...over blown and over wrought.

The charm of the original Speedster was its simplicty..a lithe little car that u could whip around.

[plexiform]

That is beautiful!

[Tervuren]

One of the few special editions from Porsche of late that I find exciting.

I wonder if with how I tall I am if the lowered windshield would give me visibility issues.

Still, out of my present price considerations, so no worries.

[Geronimo '74]

Lovely!

[911boost]

Eh.

Besides have 3 pedals, it is not exciting to me. I agree with Tabs on this one.

This will be another super expensive addition to collections and I doubt I will ever see one on the road.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by speeder

Egg-zactly. Porsche has already become Ferrari-esque w their special cars, only doling them out to good customers who then flip them for $$. I ran into a friend last weekend who has a new GT2RS on order as well as the two new uber Ferrari models. It basically costs him nothing to own all these cars because he just flips them when the newer one comes out. Definitely has a few million tied up, though. At least he drives them all.

Nailed it.

Otherwise it's a cool looking car. I wonder how a center fill fuel tank will work for a street car? Sure seems like it would be hard to avoid dripping fuel onto the hood.

[cairns]

Stunning. Blows away that over priced 997 Speedster with an awkward hump.

[Scott Douglas]

I was going to post pics of it way back after Rennsport but figured you guys all knew about it.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by cairns

Stunning. Blows away that over priced 997 Speedster with an awkward hump.

They certainly succeeded this time, must have taken a lot of work in the 3D studio to pull this one off.

A shortcut would have been to use the Boxster as a base in my opinion, the massive rear heavy haunch of the current 911's in an attempt to make look wedge-like seemed insurmountable in my mind - but they did it.

The concept cars’ body is based on the 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet.

So these new Speedsters are going to be AWD/4WD or that was just the prototype?

EDIT:

One of the details in particular reminds me of a detail I used in a scheme for the Factory Five design contest about seven years ago.

The way the slope goes down after the driver to form a double scallop.

The design shown below was based a contest criteria that was dimensional very similar to the Boxster. I did something like a dozen schemes, only one of them was a homage to Porsche.



The mid-engined Subaru powered Factory Five 818 ended up being designed in house, and was rather Mazda Miata looking in my opinion, a mild disappointment. I did learn that 9 out of 10 people could not get anything good looking without going outside of the template (lower and more cab-forward than humanly packaging would allow for). I myself thought it was going to be impossible until I compared it to the Boxster and had the realization that it could be done.

The 911 Speedster shown at the top of this thread may not be to everyone's taste, but knowing what they had to work with and the results, they pulled off a minor miracle in my opinion.

EDIT-2:

Now that I'm thinking of it, just had to do a quick update and mark-up.



Looking once again at the photos Scott Douglas posted, it seems not all angles and lenses are showing this creation in it's best light.

A job well done considering the hog heavy tail they had to deal with.