In days gone by, road cars without fixed roofs were thought of as being soft and less dynamic than their hardtop compatriots. The 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster is a little different.
Unveiled earlier this year as a send-off for the 991-generation car, the latest 911 Speedster takes inspiration from the 356 Speedster and shares its powertrain with the desirable 911 GT3. Doug DeMuro recently had the opportunity to put one to the test.
Thanks to the screaming naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six pumping out 503 HPand 347 lb-ft (470 Nm) of torque that’s paired exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission powering the rear wheels via a mechanical locking rear differential, the Speedster can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in a brisk 4.0 seconds and hit a 193 mph (310 km/h) top speed.
Not Cheap: Porsche Puts A $274,500 Price Tag On New 911 Speedster, Starts Accepting Orders
Visually, the car borrows many parts from its GT-branded siblings. For example, the front apron has been lifted from the 911 GT3 while the rear apron and spoiler come from the 911 GT3 Touring and the carbon fiber wings have been are from the 911 R. The most eye-catching exterior part is the rear decklid with two huge buttresses that help the Speedster look even better than the GT3 – at least to our eyes.
Porsche is building 1,948 examples of the 911 Speedster, and in the United States, pricing starts at $274,500, excluding a $1,250 delivery, processing, and handling fee. What did DeMuro make of the it? Well, what do you think?