Back in June, when Porsche revealed that they had created a permanently open-top ‘Speedster’ out of their current-generation (991) Porsche 911, everyone pretty much assumed it was just a matter of time until the Zuffenhausen sports car maker announced it’s on-sale date, despite it being labelled merely a concept at the time.
At the 2018 Paris Motor Show, which kicked off last week, we were finally treated to the car in its production guise. Like the previous 997 Speedster, this iteration is both extremely exclusive and extremely, achingly pretty.
It’s not as if Porsche could really ignore it, either, as it provided the company with the perfect way to send off the 991 in preparation for its successor model as well as a fitting 70th anniversary present for the first example of the 356 was made.
Seen here in one of the firm’s long-established Guards Red exterior colour in reference to the first 911 Speedster from 1988, this new strictly two-seat Speedster’s production run will only last a precious 1,948 units in order to numerically coincide with “Number 1” Porsche 356 of 1948.
The price? Porsche isn’t telling, though it’s safe to assume that only select collectors and aficionados will be approached and offered the privilege of ownership once production starts in 2019. Naturally, because of this high degree of exclusivity.
Aside from that iconic silhouette, retro-inspired design touches, absence of roof of any kind, this Porsche 911 Speedster will commence a new options pack called Heritage Design which will be available on future models to add certain iconic cues from the company’s past cars. If those delicious 21-inch alloys look familiar, that cross-spoke wheel design is similar to that of Porsche racing cars such as the 911 RSR and the GT3 R.
Mechanically, the Speedster shares the most with the present-day 911 GT3, which of course includes its high-revving 373kW naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six petrol engine and six-speed rather excellent manual transmission.
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