The Latest Limited-Edition Porsche 911 Speedster Is One For The Purists, But It Comes At A Cost

Those that follow Zuffenhausen’s product releases with the avid fervor that many of its models seem to elicit may have noticed that the more desirable variants tend to be released nearer the end of a specific model’s production lifecycle. The 911 is a great example of this; the GT3 and Turbo models are always late to the party and every so often we get a really special limited-edition variant to celebrate a special occasion in the company’s history or perhaps reimagine a classic body style in a modern context.

The 911 Speedster is a bit of both. Offered in the unique body style first introduced in the 356 A 1500 GS Carrera GT Speedster in 1957, it is both a nod to Porsche’s history and an utterly desirable 911 in its own right. Clearly Porsche thinks that it is rather special too; though it’s based on the 991.2 series 911 GT cars, it is being released so late in that model’s lifecycle that its replacement, the 992 is already on sale. Don’t for a moment think that it is anything but cutting-edge though. It is powered by a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six which produces 502hp and 346 lb-ft of torque, a development of the engine found in the 2018 GT3 and uses the same individual throttle bodies as used in the new GT3 R race car. Higher fuel injection pressure and a new lightweight exhaust system, saving about 22 pounds of weight compared to the GT3, are also unique to the new 911 Speedster.

Purists will be further heartened by the fact that this limited-edition 911 (only 1948 units worldwide) will have no air-conditioning and will only be available with a six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel-drive. The chassis is also derived from the GT3 and has a specifically-calibrated rear axle steering system and dynamic engine mounts. Carbon-fiber body panels help keep the overall weight down as do the carbon composite brakes and the fabric top is manually operated too.

There is one small caveat though: the 911 Speedster will reach the US market in late 2019 and has an MSRP of $274,500 excluding delivery charges. That makes this Speedster one of the most expensive new 911s to date but it is unlikely to deter customers, as rare 911s have a habit of appreciating in value almost as soon as they leave the showroom floor. To help ensure that this happens to your 911 Speedster, you might want to add the optional Heritage Design Package to your order. It offers many styling cues and design elements inspired by classic Speedster models from the 1950s and adds a mere $24,510 to the asking price.

Images Courtesy of Porsche