2019 Porsche 911 Speedster: How I鈥檇 Spec It
In many ways, Porsche would like you to think of the iconic 1950s 356 Speedster when you lay eyes on the new 911 Speedster. That鈥檚 a stretch, as a modern 911 carries far too much girth and an overload of luxuries to truly compare to that stripped-down vintage special. But that doesn鈥檛 mean the 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster should be ignored. It carries a proper motorsports-based engine, a fettled, 510-hp version of the glorious 9000-rpm powerplant found in the 911 GT3, and, happily, a six-speed manual is the only gearbox on offer. Porsche built the first 911-based Speedster as a prototype in 1985, basing it on a Turbo-look 911 Cabriolet. The minimalist rear-engine sports car was the brainchild of the late Peter Schutz, CEO of Porsche from 1981 to 1987. My spec for the new 911 Speedster would stay simple, emulating that original mid-鈥?0s prototype as closely as possible. Paint: Guards Red鈥攖he same red found on the 1985 prototype.
It鈥檚 the only color option as far as I鈥檓 concerned. Wheels: There are four choices of finish for the same 20-inch design. 710 black with red outer lip route is too 鈥淗onda Civic Type R鈥?cheesy. Seats: I like black, copying that original 911 Speedster interior. The standard full bucket seats (versus no-charge, 18-way power seats) are a better fit for the 911 Speedster and should allow you to sit lower鈥攑erfect considering the chopped windshield. 3480 for the full leather interior upgrade because that鈥檚 what the 鈥?0s Speedster had. Some buyers will certainly go with red interior stitching, but the original car was properly Germanic in that it was simple with no color details inside. 24,510 Heritage Design package. Trim: The only option is carbon fiber unless you go with that Heritage Design Package, which adds painted (GT Silver Metallic) trim. I鈥檇 prefer a brushed aluminum option like what鈥檚 found on the 911 GT3 but, alas, it鈥檚 not offered.
Oh my, there鈥檚 a ton of superfluous stuff. That Heritage Design Package adds some nice details including black brake calipers (replacing the bright and unattractive yellow ones), but it forces you to have GT Silver Metallic paint. 25K commanded by the package is a load of money for just cosmetic details. Plus, this pricey package tries to turn the 911 Speedster into a modern 356 Speedster. Again, that鈥檚 not my goal with this build. 1600 Bose audio and no-charge voice control aren鈥檛 needed, as the standard eight-speaker audio is fine for a minimalist car. Note that, unlike in Europe, the U.S. 911 Speedster includes a standard infotainment screen due to the federally required rear camera (despite the photos from the Porsche USA online configurator showing otherwise). 700) would be nice on a convertible but they aren鈥檛 available with the standard buckets. Finally, the plethora of available exterior and interior form-not-function extras simply add dollars and fluff to what I see as a basic, open-top sports car. That鈥檚 certainly not what Peter Schutz envisioned for the 911 Speedster some 35 years ago. 115,000 premium over the GT3. But, hey, it鈥檚 limited to 1,948 units, and what price exclusivity, right?
One step beyond that is the GT3 RS, which takes the GT3 to a more track-ready extreme with stiffer suspension, lightweight body panels, and aero elements. This new, 991.2-generation 911 GT3 RS shares its naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six with the lesser GT3鈥攁nd also every 911 race car built by Porsche Motorsport today, including the RSR. The suspension is pretty racing inspired, too. Compared to its predecessor, spring rates on the new GT3 RS more than doubled up front, and increased by 33 percent in the rear. The rubber front subframe bushings used in the previous GT3 RS are gone, too, replaced by solid connections. The new GT3 RS has tech not allowed in any race series today, like adaptive dampers and rear-wheel steering. No one from Porsche will say it outright, but the new GT3 RS chassis is basically identical to that of the outrageous GT2 RS. That's no big surprise, since Porsche Motorsport developed both cars at roughly the same time.
The aerodynamics are similar too. Those NACA ducts on the trunklid direct cooling air to the front brakes, which allowed Porsche to create a smoother underbody that helps the diffuser behind the muffler generate more downforce. The decklid wing comes from the GT2 RS, manually adjustable to one of three positions. Set to maximum attack, this wing helps the GT3 RS make nearly 1000 lbs of downforce at its 193-mph top speed. I should note that my drive in the new GT3 RS was tempered by rain and fog, which is no surprise when you're in the middle of the Irish Sea. A thick mist enveloped the mountain that makes up the last few miles of the TT course, while temperatures only ever reached the low 50s and rain was persistent. Not ideal conditions for 520 horsepower, rear-wheel drive and aggressive summer tires. But like its highlighter green paint glowing in the fog, the brilliance of the new GT3 RS shone through.
