Porsche 911 Speedster Concept Makes US Debut at Rennsport Reunion VI

Following its world debut earlier this summer in Zuffenhausen and a demonstration at Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Porsche 911 Speedster Concept crossed the Atlantic and visited Rennsport Reunion VI in California.

The near-production concept is expected to enter a limited production run in the coming months, offering “a pure and exhilarating driving experience”. Finished in a two-tone silver Metallic and White, the 911 Speedster Concept is a product of a collaboration between Porsche Motorsport and Exclusive Manufaktur, also giving us a first glimpse of a forthcoming Heritage design strategy.

Based on the existing 991 platform and more specifically on the GT3 chassis, the Speedster concept is powered by the same naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six engine found in the 911 R, paired to a six-speed manual transmission.

Officially the decision for a production version of the 911 Speedster will be made “very soon”, but we’ve seen too many uncamouflaged cars being tested on public roads so far to think there’s a chance of Porsche backing out of the project.

Last time we saw Porsche building a 911 Speedster was in 2010, when the company offered just 356 examples of the 997-based two-seater sports car. The name Speedster carries a lot of history behind it; the forefather of the Speedster was the 356 1500 America Roadster, which came out in 1952 featuring a hand-beaten all-aluminum body and produced in only 16 copies.

That car was followed by the significantly cheaper Speedster version in 1954, which combined the steel body of the coupe with a flat windshield, fewer interior features and a rain top. The same model became immortalized when Hollywood icon James Dean lost his life in an accident. Other versions of the 356 followed but it wasn’t until 1988 when Porsche introduced a Speedster version of the 911.