If you’re a Porsche fan, mark your calendars for the upcoming New York Motor Show as the Zuffenhausen automaker is planning to unveil the final variant of the superseded 991-generation of the 911. Just as it had before with the run-out 997, the 991 Speedster will send off the 7th-generation rear-engine sports car.
An extremely grainy photograph has been circulated online, purportedly showing a near or fully production-ready prototype of the two-seat limited edition 911, definitely eschewing some of the more extreme stylistic cues showed in concept form.
The formula is pretty much set in stone at this point with regard to its Speedsters: it will sit upon the same suspension and powertrain as the 991.2 GT3 but features a body that notably has all the room behind the front seats filled, allowing a curvaceous rear deck to take its place.
Other than that, the windscreen has been shortened and given correspondingly trimmed side windows. Up front, as a nod to classic 911s, there are retro ‘Talbot’-shaped side mirrors and the fuel cap has been positioned at the centre, but otherwise the car does look awfully identical to the facelifted 991 GT3 from the waist down. Finally, to complete the look, each Speedster will be fitted with unique 21-inch alloys.
Mechanically, as you might already have guessed, the Speedster shouldn’t differ from the GT3 it’s based on at all. This means a 373kW/460Nm output from its 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat six that sings to 9,000rpm, sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission.
We aren’t sure how many examples Porsche intends to make, though it’s certain that there will only be enough to satisfy only a small portion of the collectors and connoisseurs that can afford its asking price. For reference, the previous 997 Speedster was limited to just 356 units, a nod to the first street legal Porsche to receive the name.
For more on Porsche cars, check out our Showroom.
