£144k Speedster Gen 111

[daro911]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/paris-motor-show-2010/porsche-911-speedster-revealed/252851/pictures/porsche-911-speedster-revealed.aspx

http://www.porsche.com/microsite/speedster/flash/default.aspx?language=en&market=PCGB&pool=uk&instance=146&variant=&section=&showintro=true&bandwidth=dsl&width=1152&height=864&deeplink=&model=&from_dvd=&dvd_data=&specialguest=0&startWithLogin=false

Porsche 911 Speedster revealed
Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Porsche has resurrected the 911 Speedster 16 years and three model generations after it last featured in its line-up "” and a hotter, turbocharged version could follow.

The new car is just the third 911 Speedster to be placed into series production and it follows tradition by being based on the existing cabriolet version of the model.

See the official pics of the new Porsche 911 Speedster

Paying homage to the car that kicked off Porsche's fascination with the chopped-top look "” the 356 Speedster, launched in 1953 "” the new 911 Speedster uses standard bodywork but receives a 60mm shorter and more heavily raked windscreen than other 911s.

A plastic tonneau cover behind the cabin also receives a double-bubble treatment reminiscent of that which graced the first 911 Speedster in 1988. The overall appearance is further enhanced by the adoption of the widened rear bodywork of the latest 911 Carrera 4S cabriolet, with its 44mm wider wheel housings.

Read the full story on the Porsche 911 GTS

A flat, manually operated fabric hood is designed to provide some protection from the elements, although it is unlikely to be as sturdy as the standard 911 cabriolet's automatic roof.

Created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Porsche Exclusive "” the company's in-house personalisation programme "” the latest 911 also receives an additional chin spoiler at the base of the front bumper, tinted indicator lamps, blackened headlamp surrounds and windscreen frame, unique side sills and a rear bumper with 911 GT3-style air vents behind the rear wheel arches.

Inside, there is a combination of black leather and colour-keyed elements taken from the Porsche Exclusive catalogue.

Read Autocar's scoop story on the next Porsche 911

Power for the 911 Speedster comes from the same 3.8-litre motor that was unveiled last week in the 911 Carrera GTS, with 402bhp and 310lb ft. But insiders say Porsche could follow the original 356's plan by introducing a Super Speedster shortly after this car's launch; it would probably use the 911 Turbo's powerplant.

Standard equipment on the Speedster includes Porsche's seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox, a locking differential, adaptive damping and carbon-ceramic brakes.

Porsche plans to produce just 356 examples of the new model. It's due on sale in the UK in January 2011, priced at £144,100.

 

[997GT3_KO]

I want one !

 

[graham m]

Makes mine look cheap!!
Graham

 

[Nick_USA]

With a limited run of 356 worldwide I would suspect only 1 per UK dealer maximum. It wouldn't surprise me if the dealers have these pre-allocated already as was the case for the Sports Classic. []

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: Nick_USA

With a limited run of 356 worldwide I would suspect only 1 per UK dealer maximum. It wouldn't surprise me if the dealers have these pre-allocated already as was the case for the Sports Classic. []

As an original (Ex) 89 Speedster owner I would have thought this Gen 3 heavy weight every option ticked version may find 10 UK buyers in total

I'm sure USA:China:Russia:Brazil:Germany could easily swallow the entire 356 units without one ever seeing these shores []

Wonder what the marketing men will spin us for this being the first ever full fat heavy weight Speedster []

Would like to see what the car looks like with it's roof and side windows up [&:]

 

[Tony M]

ORIGINAL: Nick_USA

With a limited run of 356 worldwide I would suspect only 1 per UK dealer maximum. It wouldn't surprise me if the dealers have these pre-allocated already as was the case for the Sports Classic. []

I don't think they are all allocated yet as I had a call from my local dealer Principal telling me about the car and if I was interested I needed to be quick !

The Dealer said that the car popped up on the Porsche website before the Dealers were told about it.

On the subject o the website it is awful to navigate and if you don't get the hump with the music you will get the hump with the waiting for things to happen.

The speedster is tempting but I think I will stick with my Turbo until the new model launch.

 

[daro911]

Porsche 911 Speedster review
Porsche 911 3.8 Speedster First DriveTest date 31 October 2010 Price as tested £144,100


Speedster takes the wide body of the C4 S Cabriolet
What is it?
To understand the point of the new Porsche 911 Speedster requires rewiring your brain to accept that cool, detached logic has really very little to do with. For if you allow common sense even a glimpse of the Speedster, it will start to ask questions. Awkward ones like, "˜couldn't I buy a GT3 and a Boxster Spyder and still have a five figure sum left over?' Ah yes, Porsche will tell you, but they will not be exclusive.

Or, put more properly, Exclusive. The Speedster follows hot on the heels of last year's Sport Classic as the latest product retailed by Porsche's Exclusive department. These are the wacky folks in Stuttgart who over the last quarter century or so have brought you cars such as the shove-snouted 930 Turbo, 968 Turbo S, 993 Turbo S and, last year, the 997 Sport Classic. And they're not kidding about the exclusivity: apparently out of homage to the first 1954 Speedster just 356 are going to be built, each one retailing for £144,100. By comparison the original 356 and subsequent G-series 911 and 964-based Speedsters (of which 4144, 2103 and 930 respectively were built) were positively common.

What's it like?
At its heart this new Speedster takes the wide body of the C4 S Cabriolet but the rear-drive, 402bhp upgraded powertrain from the Sport Classic which will next year become standardised in the 911 GTS. PDK is the only available transmission. Wide Fuchs-style wheels as well as the front and rear bumpers and valences are also Sport Classic carry overs.

But your attention is drawn first to the signature double bubble hood cover and the shortened windscreen, abbreviated to the tune of 60mm. Unlike previous Speedsters the rake of the screen remains unchanged. But also unlike its forebears you don't have to sign papers saying you understand your Speedster is not waterproof: this one emphatically is.

The hood mechanism is more complex than complicated and putting it up or down requires none of the wrestling demanded of you by a Boxster Spyder. To raise it, electrics lift the hood cover, which you then manually hinge back to provide access to the hood itself. You then pull the hood into place, dive inside to secure it Boxster style to the windscreen, before leaping out to lower the cover again, dive back inside to tension the rear roof struts and finally use the electrics once more to clamp it down on the now safely closed roof cover. Porsche says one person suitably trained can do it in under two minutes.

The weight shed by removing various electric roof motors, adding aluminium doors and PCCB carbon brakes is matched exactly by that gained by the wide body and endless equipment list, meaning the Speedster weighs not one kilo more or less than a C2S Cabriolet. The result is that it drives very much as you'd expect, offering flashing performance, admirable body rigidity, superb steering, chassis balance and poise.

But you could say as much about any convertible 911 and this is not why the Speedster will sell. Instead it will go to those who buy into an interior so covered in leather even the air vents and coat hooks are swaddled in the stuff. They'll love the anodised steel kickplates, the unique series number of their car (which they can choose) and the "˜Speedster' inlaid into the handbrake.

Should I buy one?
It is, in short, a car for completists or for those turned on by ownership of something others cannot have. It's a great car but that's more because it's a 911 than a Speedster. It's value, therefore is defined almost entirely by your desire to be Exclusive.



Porsche 911 Speedster
Price: £144,100; Top speed: 190mph; 0-62mph: 4.4sec; Economy: 27.4mpg; CO2: 242g/km; Kerb weight: 1540kg; Engine: 6 cyls, 3800cc, petrol; Power: 402bhp at 7300rpm; Torque: 310lb ft at 4200rpm; Gearbox: 7-spd dual-clutch auto

 

[daro911]

Porsche 911 Speedster

We hit the road in the most exclusive 911 of them all, the limited-edition Speedster.

If you like your 911s low, wide and topless then the new 997 Speedster is your dream come true. It's the fourth generation of Porsche to wear the legendary Speedster badge, and is the work of the Porsche Exclusive department "" creators of last year's exquisite 911 Sport Classic. Limited to just 356 units worldwide, in honour of the original 356 Speedster, the 997 Speedster is a convertible 911 like no other.

Built around the wider 911 bodyshell from the Turbo, the Speedster is only available with rear-wheel drive and Porsche's seven-speed PDK double clutch transmission. It also features the 408bhp "˜Power Kit' version of the familiar 3.8-litre flat-six engine, together with a sports exhaust, PCCB carbon ceramic brakes and PASM suspension.

Visually the Speedster's defining feature is the "˜chopped' windscreen, which is 77mm lower than a standard 911 Cabrio. In turn, the shortened screen has required an all-new roof and double-bubble roof deck, which is quite an engineering commitment for such a small production run. That's typical of the Porsche Exclusive ethos, and goes some way to justifying the£144,100 asking price.

The roof is manually operated and takes a couple of minutes to lower or erect. It's not too fiddly, and unlike the Boxster Spyder offers complete weather protection and no speed restrictions when the roof is up. The lack of electric motors, plus lightweight alloy doors and the PCCB brakes keeps the Speedster's weight down to 1540kg, the same as that for the standard Carrera S Cabrio.

In place of a regular 911's rear seats, the Speedster has two fully trimmed luggage hollows for coats or shopping bags. There's also the regular luggage compartment beneath the front bonnet.

Porsche Exclusive has created a new colour, called Pure Blue, for the Speedster. It won't be available on any other model and looks fabulous. Black contrast detailing and iconic Fuchs-style alloy wheels provide highlights on the exterior, while inside the fabulous leather-lined cockpit mirrors the blue/black scheme.

With more than 400bhp and that 1540kg kerbweight, the Speedster is no slouch. The 0-62mph sprint takes just 4.4 seconds and top speed is 189mph. We'd prefer a manual option alongside the standard PDK gearbox, as a stick shift would feel more in keeping with the Speedster's sporting character. Nevertheless those PCCB brakes and adjustable PASM suspension give the Speedster all the stopping power and road-holding you could wish for. It sounds magnificent too.

While there's no question the Speedster is a car for the most committed and style-conscious Porsche collector it's also a car of substance. Clearly if you crave eye-catching exclusivity then only the Speedster will do, but it's still worth remembering you could have a faster 997 Turbo S Cabrio for less money, or a track-sharp 997 GT3 and a super-cool Boxster Spyder for the same money. Then again, if you have to justify a car like the Speedster then it probably isn't for you.

 

[daro911]

DRIVEN: PORSCHE 911 SPEEDSTER

Collectable future classic, or cute sales job from Stuttgart? Delete as appropriate...

£144,100 is an awful lot of money for what is essentially a roofless, naturally aspirated 911. So whatever else you read about the new 911 Speedster, however impressive (or not) you find its specification or its exclusivity, the debate usually gets back to that price tag.

This is another 911 variant launched as the current 997 'generation' reaches the end of the line. Think of it as a twin brother to the Sport Classic model of last year, for like that car it's a product of the Porsche Exclusive department, usually associated with individual and sometimes garish one-off interiors as well as assorted bodykits and other modifications.

The Speedster itself is a much older phenomenon, born in the 1950s through a request by Porsche's importer in America for a back-to-basics 356 that cost less and went harder. Porsche reintroduced this idea with both 3.2 Carrera and 964-based versions back in the late 80s/early 90s, and although more 'collectors curiosity' than 'weekend warrior' they're enjoyable cars full of character. Now they're having another go.

But first back to the price issue. Whatever your thoughts, the fact is that Porsche spoke to the people it thought would want such a creation in advance, and then built the car accordingly for them. There will be just 356 made (see what they've done there?) and Porsche expects to allocate them to customers after the car has been shown in America, sure to be a receptive market. All of the UK's allocation are sold already and seeing as we know there will be slightly less of them coming here than the Sport Classic, the best guess is that something like 25 will reach these shores. You can bet that their owners will already have a Porsche, or three, in the garage.

Much like the Sport Classic, I reckon the Speedster has a more impressive aura 'in the metal' than it does in some of the photos, where its bulbous rear could at best be called ungainly. The width to height ratio and the eye-wateringly strong 'Pure Blue' paintwork (white is the only other option); the retro Fuchs-style wheels and subtle gloss black details all combine to make it look more than the sum of its parts.

Those parts, of course, are the amalgamation of various 911 models. The Speedster has a wider body normally reserved for the Carrera 4 and Turbo models (and the GT3 RS) but with rear-wheel drive. To that is added a powerkit 'S" engine (402bhp and 310lb ft of torque), carbon ceramic brake discs, a twin-clutch 'PDK' gearbox (manual is not an option), limited slip diff, adaptive sports seats, cruise control and sat nav - almost every option possible on the list.

The genuinely special parts - and where real money has been spent in homologation - are the new roof and safety systems. In true Porsche Speedster style the windscreen has been cut down by 60mm, while the roof is unique. It's raised and lowered via a combination of electric and manual effort, and its quality and weatherproofing are far removed from the tent-like affair on the Boxster Spyder. When lowered it's stowed underneath the distinctive aluminium rear deck. Despite this material usage, along with aluminium doors and the simpler hood mechanism, the Speedster weighs exactly the same as a standard Carrera S convertible.

Otherwise, the car is peppered with small details from Exclusive: blue chequer pattern on the black leather seats; leather air vents; anodised black sills with build number; glossy black exhaust pipes - you get the idea.

Again, like the Sport Classic the combination of the wider track with the rear-wheel drive chassis seems to elevate this car above the regular Carrera models for ride and handling (something that bodes well for the forthcoming GTS). The unvalved sports exhaust has a delicious note too: less rasp than the usual sports exhaust, but a deeper, more melodious tone that's addictive on the ears. Unsurprisingly, it's very quick indeed.

Of course, for most of us the thought of what could be bought for the same money - even still buying within the current Porsche range - make this car an absolute non-starter. And it doesn't exactly live up to the purist, simple spirit of the original 356 model. But the Speedster looks different, feels and sounds special and drives very nicely, and you can't help but feel that those who have bought one already will be pleased, not only to bolster their collections, but also for the occasional drive. For Porsche, that's job done.

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: Aldo

Great posts with a ton of information [].

I must admit that as a 911 speedster goes against what I feel a speedster should be which is a light weight, spartan alternative to the Cabriolet that is priced a a point where true enthusiasts can afford to buy one as a second weekend car.

I have not seen the new car in the flesh but will be surprised if it looks better than the 911 (see below) or 964 speedster and of course none of them are a beautiful as the original.

Below is taken from Porsche website describing the brand new Cayman R

This concept is basically the total opposite to the one used to create the latest Speedster! []



How exactly do you refine an existing sportscar concept? Do you add one thing after another, piling more on top, and packing more in?

Many would think so, but we don't. The result is the new Cayman R.

Minimise to maximise was the idea. The guiding principle was the power-to-weight ratio. For us, improving performance is not simply about boosting engine output, but radically dispensing with features that would otherwise mean only one thing: increased weight. This is the principle of Porsche Intelligent Performance.

What does this mean for the driver? More dynamics, more agility, and even more Porsche.