Focusing solely on the Speedster’s acceleration figures is pointless. In this car, driver interaction and speed go hand in hand. Porsche equips the Speedster with the GT3’s steering. It also sports Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 summer tires from the GT3 and a chassis setup with reprogrammed dampers that provides 1.07 g of skidpad traction. Sorry. Here we are with the figures once more.
The Speedster’s top electrically unlocks the buttresses and detaches from the windshield, but the rest of the process needs a person to help. Once you’ve completed it, it can be completed quickly. Speedsters lack rear seats, and instead, the tonneau cover is a huge carbon-fiber clamshell that swings out to cover the top. The lower windscreen and tonneau cover give the Speedster a low, lengthy appearance that is akin to a Boxster Spyder captured in 35 mm. Due to the low canvas, the GT3-spec wheels and tires appear exceptionally enormous.
A Speedster is just as impressive as you’d anticipate a convertible GT3 to be. You can hear the yowls of the little bastard chained up behind the rear wheels more clearly, and you can smell the delicious odors of meat cooking in food trucks stationed throughout Los Angeles. You get more engrossed in the Speedster’s machinery and the sensation of traveling through space, while also becoming more exposed to the outside world, the sky above you, and the Nissan Altima in the lane next to you that is burning oil. Your senses have less to contend with now. Less obstructions to the experience exist. Less can be more.
In This Article...
Conceptual 911 Speedster
The 911 Speedster concept car, a road-ready study of an open-top, very thrilling sports car, made its world debut in celebration of the “70 years of Porsche Sports Cars” milestone in Zuffenhausen, Germany, in 2018. This was the nicest birthday present Porsche could have given itself. The unique car displayed in the Heritage version creates a connection between the company’s early years, when it was formed by Professor Ferdinand Porsche in 1948 and achieved its first motor racing victories with the lightweight Speedster variations of the Porsche 356, and the present.
The 911 Speedster concept car, which stands for maximum driving enjoyment, expresses the brand essence of Porsche with perfect clarity thanks to its purist idea and historically correct design. The brand’s motor sports specialists created this two-seat Speedster, which is the first modern vehicle to be built on a GT model. The concept car was on display in front of the public at the Paris Motor Show, the Rennsport Reunion VI in Laguna Seca, California, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed. With the series production version, the dream is now a reality. Production of the 911 Speedster has just begun.
Speedster (1954)
Everything started when Porsche’s American importer persuaded the Germans that there was a market for an open, bare-bones vehicle for under $3,000 in price. The 356 Speedster was therefore born in 1954. It featured the same body as the Cabriolet variant, but a steeper windscreen and less equipment (because in the day, less money meant a less-equipped car).
The 1957 356 A 1500 GS Carrera GT Speedster, the ultimate variant, was the first production Porsche to reach a speed of over 200 km/h (124 mph).
Speedster 911 Porsche (991)
At the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2018, a concept version of the new Speedster was shown. The 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster, which was created in a limited quantity of 1,948 units, is a unique vehicle. It is incredibly uncommon. It is definitely distinctive. And at a starting price of $277,000 USD, it is extravagantly pricey.
Overall, the results are impressive, especially given the Speedster’s relative lack of contemporary improvements that appear to be necessary to create a fast car these days. Without turbochargers, all-wheel drive, or a dual-clutch transmission, the Porsche 911 Speedster can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.8 seconds.
The Porsche 911 Speedster and the Porsche 911 R share a variety of suspension and handling parts, such as a torque vectoring system, an adjustable sports suspension, and four-wheel steering.
The most extreme, most GT-focused, and unquestionably best-performing Speedster to date is this one. Undoubtedly a future classic.
The review of the most recent Speedster by Car & Driver captured it best “This car redefines the stability and confidence available from a convertible. The 911 GT3-based Speedster and its 9000-rpm 502-hp flat-six have a way of recalibrating the perceptions of high-order hominids; that flappy potato never had a chance. Never assume that birds will comprehend.”
356 Porsche
In 1948 and 1949, the Austrian business Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH and the German company Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH respectively created the Porsche 356, a sports automobile (1950-1965). It was Porsche’s first vehicle built in volume. The Volkswagen Beetle, the Cisitalia Grand Prix race car, and the Auto Union Grand Prix cars are a few of the earlier creations of the Austrian firm.
The 356 is a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, lightweight, and agile-handling two-door that comes in both hardtop coupe and open body styles. As engineering advancements proceeded during the years of production, it became more and more successful and well-liked in motorsports. Porsche constructed about 50 automobiles at Gmund, Austria, where production began in 1948. General manufacturing of the 356 lasted until April 1965, long after the replacement model 911 made its debut in September 1964, when the factory moved to Zuffenhausen, Germany, in 1950. About half of the 76,000 original productions are still alive.
The 356 coupe’s initial purchase price in 1948 was US$3,750, which is equivalent to $42,300 in 2021. The price of the 356 cabriolet was $4,250 USD (about $47,900 in 2021).
most recent slideshows
After years of anticipation and countless spy images documenting the slow construction of the droptop, a new Porsche 911 Speedster is now available. In light of the introduction of the most recent speedster, let’s take a look back at earlier open-roofed models from the German manufacturer. All of these vehicles have considerable historical significance for the firm.
For a better understanding of why a Porsche speedster is so exceptional, click through the slideshow above.
Porsche – a speedy or not?
With a top speed of 200 km/h, it was Porsche’s first production car to do so. The 911 series’ Speedster variant debuted in 1988 and served as the apex of the discarded G model generation. The 231 PS 911 Carrera served as the foundation for the most open of all the 911 models, which featured a wide turbo appearance.
A Porsche 356 Speedster is what?
It seems appropriate to pause and simply be amazed after learning that the new, 640-horsepower Porsche 911 Turbo S can sprint from 0-60 in 2.3 seconds and easily surpass 200 mph. That level of Porsche performance will start at around $205,000.
Or, for an additional $100k to $300k, give or take, you might purchase a vintage Porsche with only 10% as much power. Additionally, it has a lower weight, a lower top speed, and a 0-60 time of around ten seconds. The iconic 1954–1958 Porsche 356 Speedster was produced for roughly $3,000 at its original price and was known for its quick speed.
This brand was left with a shine by the original 356 Speedster that has never faded. There should be one in every Porsche collection, and at the live and online Scottsdale auctions in 2021, we discovered two crimson beauties:
A restored ’57 Speedster with a pre-sale estimate of $275k–350k is being offered by Gooding & Co.
What is the Porsche Speedster’s top speed?
Porsche celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2018 by debuting the Porsche Speedster concept at the Geneva Motor Show.
With very little changes from the prototype, it introduced the production model a year later. Due to laws and safety, only the rearview mirrors differ.
But the entire vehicle is hazardous. With its 4.0-liter naturally aspirated engine, which screams up to a dizzying 9000 RPM, it may steal your heart and wreck your life. The flat-six gasoline engine, which delivers 510 HP and 346 lb-ft of torque, is directly taken from the 911 GT3 variant (469 Nm).
The entire vehicle is designed for die-hard fans of sports cars. Sole some netting to hold your license and some fabric pulls to access the doors serve as the only door handles or pockets inside. Only a 6-speed manual transmission is available, saving 9 lbs (4 kg) over the Carrera’s 7-speed manual and 40 lbs (18.1 kg) over the PDK model. To lose weight, the entire car was put on a diet. In an old-fashioned design, the fabric roof is manually detachable. The air conditioner is optional. Even with all the work, the Speedster only weighs 3230 pounds (1465 kg).
As a result, the performance figures are comparable to those of supercars, with a top speed of 192 mph and a 0-60mph (97 kph) time of 3.8 seconds (309 kph).
Porsche stopped producing the speedster when?
From the 356 Speedster’s introduction until the end of manufacturing in late 1958, Porsche produced 3,676 units, with 1957 seeing the highest annual production peak of 1,171 vehicles.
What is the price of a Porsche Speedster?
Price of a Porsche Speedster What is the price of a Porsche 911 Speedster? Glendale collectors should budget $274,500 as the starting MSRP. There is no denying that the Porsche 911 Speedster pricing is a wise investment for any discerning collector because production is restricted to only 1,948 units.
What sort of automobile is a speedster?
When it comes to automobiles, it might be difficult to define a speedy. The simplest and most common explanation is that a speedster is a roadster that has been stripped down and is made for having fun traveling quickly. The terms speedy and roadster were used interchangeably in the early 1900s, but the Society of Automobile Engineers ultimately decided to use the name “roadster” to refer to any open, two-seat vehicle with a focus on athletic appearance or character.
The definition of a speedy has never been formalized, and over the years, often with the help of marketers, the concept of a basic roadster has been extended and altered. But much like with porn or art, we recognize quality when we see it, and these speedsters are the best we’ve ever seen.
Exactly who creates the best Porsche Speedster imitation?
Who Produces The Best Replica Porsche 356? Chesil would produce the ideal 365 Speedster clone. The Chesil Motor Company is quite proud of being the leading manufacturer of the exquisite car.
What is the value of a 1955 Porsche Speedster?
The Speedster’s design requirement called for a sub-$3,000 sports car, and Porsche crunched the statistics to make it happen with a stripped-down interior, a removable sloped windscreen, and a retractable rain top. It was a success, and even James Dean was won over.
Since these vehicles are now over 67 years old, prices have increased somewhat from the initial $3000 advertised price. A quick search for standard 356s on AutoTrader Classics indicates that entry-level vehicles start at about $40,000, and prices rise sharply from there.
We wanted to look at a Speedster even though several vehicles on the same website are listed for sale for more than $200,000.
A 1954 356 Speedster 1500 is valued on average by Hagerty at roughly $372,000, with a fair condition model going for $262,000 and a “Concours” model going for $635,000.