What is a speedster?

I see for the 80s they made a convertible Carrera style called a "speedster." What is different about this car that's worthy of a different name?

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Kurt B
1984 911 Carrera Cabriolet
75 914 1.8

The Carrera speedsters were made in the late 80's with widebody versions in '89 if memory serves. The major difference between a speedster and a cabriolet is the windshield on the speedster is much shorter and the convertible top is covered by a tonneau cover or "clam shell". Some came with removable hardtops as well. Cool looking cars.

As far as I know, the differences are the low windscreen and the moulded top cover (oops, RarlyL8 beat me to it). See the picture below. It is reminiscent (sp?) of the 356 Speedster, in a sort of pumped up on steroids, 80's kind of way.



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Cameron Baudinet
1975 911S

[This message has been edited by CamB (edited 09-20-2000).]

For the pre 964 cars (i.e. the 84-89 years) the Speedster was only made one year, in 1989. They are all wide bodies (as opposed to subsequent speedster versions).
Not a whole lot of them were made. Many still have very low mileage, because lots were bought by speculators and investors, hoping it would greatly go up in value. They have universally been disappointed, however, because a 2,000 mile example isn't really worth more today than it was when it was new. I think its hard for anyone to get more than $60,000 for one today, and they cost more than that when they were new. In fact, in the early 90's, people were paying close to $100,000 for them, as I recall.
So, it turned out to be not a great investment for speculators (If you would have put the purchase cost in 1989 in just about any mutual fund, in 1989, you'd have a TON of money, even if it were just the S&P 500 fund).
Still, a super cool car in my book. If I could chose any normallly aspirated 911 from 78-89, it would probably be the car pictured above!! I just love the wide-body-with-no-spoilers look, along with the cut down windshield. Looks really cool with the top up, to, like the old speedster you can barely see the driver when the top is up.

The 89 Speedster mechanically was the same as the Carrera. In fact it was badged as a Carrera on the engine hood. As an option you could get no badge. The windshield is actually raked back in angle. The side vent windows were alleviated concsequintly. The Cabrio top was redesigned to work with window and windshield and the car was not warrantied against leakage. But they do look cool.

If I remember correctly, the term "Speedster" was the marketing brainchild of 1950s NYC Porsche importer Max Hoffman, who thought the term was sexier than Roadster.

Later, the hybrid was cross-bred again with boxer (as in engine) to create "Boxster." Of course, the Boxster is only barely a Speedster, strictly speaking, and its engine is not a boxer.

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe

Wasn't it a 356 Speedster that James Dean was driving when he was killed?
regards,
jlex.

I think he was driving a 550 Spyder, if I'm not mistaken.

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Jeff
1976 911S

Yep, Dean was driving a 550 Spyder. I am pretty sure it was/is silver and is sitting in a museum. That car is said to have a curse because the next guy that got it completely restored it, and two weeks after he finished, he himself died in a crash with the car.

Paul

Once again, thanks!
I now relish the one speedster I did see.
Too bad a old kid was driving it..the "speedster" lettering on the back was half ripped off...in fact, that's how I noticed it was different...Then after a closer look, I noticed the windshield etc.
I guess his daddy musta given it to him, 'cause from what I saw, it hadn't been washed in a while and looked as though it had been a little abused...
ah well.

That 550 Spyder- the 'Little Bastard' has one hell of a story attatched to it.
After Jimmy D came to his unfortunate demise with his mechanic as a passenger, the hulks' remains went on to maim or kill a huge number of people. I've got the stats somewhere, but believe me, if anyone has them handy, then share. They make frightening reading. Just about every action that involved a part of the car's remains resulted in tragedy of some sort.
Interesting bit of Porsche associated history (arn't they all?).
The original 356 speedsters are killer looking machines, especially with the low-as-heck hardtop (glaspar?).
I can understand Porsche's marketing department wanting to cash in on all that imagery and bring out a modern version, but I don't think the 911 Speedster really does it, hence the failure for it to rise in the manner the speculators envisaged. It's cool sure, but kind of wannabe rich boy cool- rather than a budget stripped out aesthetic masterpiece of functional perfection.
That it raced and won is what gives it the cred today to warrant its adulation.
I'm not sure Luke Perry appreciated all that though.

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'72 911 TE

The Boxster does indeed have a boxer engine. The term "Boxer" describes a horizontally opposed engine (as opposed to a V shaped engine). Just because it's water cooled doesn't make it a non-boxer engine.

The 996 has a boxer engine as well.

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Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2

The Boxster does indeed have a boxer engine. The term "Boxer" describes a horizontally opposed engine (as opposed to a V shaped engine). Just because it's water cooled doesn't make it a non-boxer engine.

The 996 has a boxer engine as well.

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Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2

Let me make it clear: I know very little about engine design. I say the Boxster (or the 911) doesn't have a true boxer engine based on other posts I've read on this board, most recently in the following thread:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/Forum3/HTML/003005.html

Specifically, I'll quote Roger Kirkham, who wrote:

If the 911 was a true boxer engine, the timing and hence firing order would be different, since each pair of cylinders would be on the same stroke...

It's kind of hard to explain without a diagram...

But if you look at the firing order of your 911 engine, it starts with 1, followed 6, and while No: 1 is firing, No: 6 is on the compression stroke...

The Ferrari Boxer is no more a boxer than a 911 - it's a V12 with a 180 degree "V."

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe

[This message has been edited by JackOlsen (edited 09-22-2000).]