Porsche has celebrated the 70th anniversary of it being in the sports car business, starting with the 356 ‘No.1’ Roadster from 1948, and has accordingly lined up some very special presents for itself - one of them being the new and rather stunning 911 Speedster.
This car remains a concept for now, unfortunately, but like the previous 911s to carry the Speedster moniker, it’s appearing right as the current-generation car is preparing to bow out, meaning a production version is very likely on the horizon.
The Zuffenhausen automaker has yet to this will end up as a production car, of course, but considering that the Speedster shown here is only cosmetically enhanced but otherwise mechanically identical to the factory 911 GT models, it really wouldn’t take much of an imagination to see how easy it would be for Porsche to turn this into reality as early as 2019, purportedly the final year the 991-generation car.
That said, it will be a very expensive one to own as neither did they specify to what degree does it borrow from the GT series cars. It could, in theory, be a cherry picked combination from the GT3, GT3 RS, and GT2 RS, which does make for a most interesting prospective sports car. Add to that the general exclusivity that has accompanied each 911 Speedster, and we might be looking at the single most expensive 911 of this generation.
What we do know, though, is that it’s powered by a 373kW 4.0-litre naturally flat-six that revs out to 9,000rpm that sends power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. Porsche’s internal GT car team also help create the Speedster’s bespoke exhaust system with titanium tailpipes.
Like the 356 Speedster that so influences the cues here, the car is defined by its unique carbon fibre ‘double bubble’ humps behind the front seats. Much of the metal alloys have also been replaced by carbon fibre and in the process have been designed to give the 911 Speedster a more ground-hugging stance, complemented by its 21-inch Fuchs design wheels.
Other characteristics of the 911 Speedster Concept include the shorter window frame with a more inclined windscreen and correspondingly shortened side windows, Talbot shape exterior mirrors, and a central fuel cap on the front bonnet. Not only do these features give the sports car study an even stockier profile with a very low fly line, but harks to its various predecessors.
For more on Porsche cars, check out our Showroom.
