Paris 2010: 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster in the flesh
#17
This. Though I do like the color-coordinated interior bits and that cool pattern on the seat bottoms. I just can't get into the Speedster. I like the Carrera GTS a lot, and I am waiting patiently for the Cayman CS, but otherwise the latest stuff hasn't fired me up. That goes for Lotus, Ferrari, and Lambo, too.
#20
Flash-forward to 1988. Porsche is getting ready to debut the 964 in 1989 and end the era of the "impact-bumpers". They come up with the 911 Speedster for 1989. They designed the hump to go over the rear seats, cut down the windshield, but went with glass roll-up windows and a manually operated top. In the USA it was only available in turbo-look, with the wide fenders, brakes and suspension of the 930 turbo. But, in Europe you could get it in narrowbody as well. The performance wasn't all that impressive, since it didn't have anything deleted from the options or stripped down at all. Basically an '89 Turbo-look cab with the speedster canopy, windshield, side-windows and top.
In 1994 Porsche was again getting ready to bid the current 964 model farewell and they released another run of Speedster cars. This time, it was only available in narrowbody worldwide, although they made some special-order widebodies for the UK market in the end. You could get it in standard or "clubsport" trim (which was more of an appearance group than anything else) and you could even get it in tiptronic. Once again, besides the Speedster-specific parts, it was not all that different from a C2 cab.
Now in 2010, Porsche is bidding farewell to the 997 next year and looking to send it off with the Sport Classic, and now the Speedster. They're once again banking on the success of the previous two 911 Speedsters, which were popular because of the legacy of the 356 Speedster. But, just like its 911 predecessors, we have what is more or less a cabriolet with the power top gone and Speedster-specific parts added. But, nothing close to a truly stripped-down, barebones car for less money than the base Carrera coupe.
Last edited by ZAMIRZ; 09-30-2010 at 02:08 AM.