Did you dig the 911 Speedster concept that Porsche made to celebrate its 70th anniversary this year? Well, we have good news, because while it may surprise precisely no one, the German automaker has confirmed it’s putting the concept into production.
Sleeker than the 911 Cabriolet and more potent than the 718 Boxster, the 911 Speedster follows in a grand tradition of chopped-down, open-cockpit Elfens.
The manufacturer first showcased the new concept with a throwback livery at its Zuffenhausen home in Stuttgart this past June, before taking it on tour around the world. And to coincide with its production announcement, Porsche is showcasing it again – this time in Guards Red – at the Paris show.
The crimson paintjob is drawn from the 1988 original, as the car also features 21-inch cross-spoke alloys and a black leather interior. Otherwise it looks pretty much like the one we already saw, right down to the chopped windscreen and double-bubble rear cowling – which is no bad thing, considering how striking it is.
The finished product will be produced by Porsche Exclusive in a limited run of 1,948 examples, referring to the year in which the company was founded. It’ll feature a lightweight tonneau cover with Tenax buttons in place of the convertible soft top, and it’ll be the first model to be offered with an array of Heritage Design Packages that we can expect to see popping up on other models in the near future.
Otherwise, Porsche has released little in the way of technical details as to the production model’s specifications. But it points out that the concept’s bodywork was based on the Carrera 4 Cabriolet, with carbon-fiber fenders and hoods, plus the suspension from the 911 GT3. The six-speed manual transmission and titanium tailpipes were also furnished by the GT division, while the naturally aspirated flat-six engine was tuned to develop over 500 horsepower.
With production set to begin early next year, we’ll just have to wait for Porsche to release more details about the final product. Of course, you can bet it’ll be rather pricey.
*New images from the Paris Auto Show added to the gallery