Porsche 911 Speedster Arrives in NYC with 502 Horsepower
Unique roof treatment, GT3 chassis bits and loads of weight reduction make the 911 Speedster a proper, go-fast drop-top.
Porsche introduced the 911 Speedster Concept last year as part of the 70th anniversary celebration, and at the ongoing New York International Auto Show, the German automaker has rolled out the production version of the sleek convertible. As expected, the newest Porsche Speedster has a lowered roofline, windshield and a set of “streamliners” that extend from the back of the seats to the decklid, effectively creating the fastback convertible look, but this 911 is more than just an aesthetic package.
This 911 combines a 4.0-liter Boxer flat-six engine that delivers 502 horsepower with chassis components from the 911 GT3 and an array of lightweight appointments inside and out. The result is a stunning performance car with a historic name and classic design.
Speedster Design
The 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster is the first model of its kind designed by the Porsche Motorsport division, but it perfectly embodies the key aspects of the Speedster in both form and function. The windshield and side windows are trimmed-down compared to other modern 911 models, and when you fold down the manual canvas top, you will find a set of “streamliners” that smooth out the area between the headrests and the decklid. Of course, this car also maintains the overall design language of the current 911 from front to rear.
In addition to presenting the Speedster form, the Porsche team wanted to get the curb weight down as much as possible, so the front luggage compartment lid, front fenders and rear decklid and made from carbon fiber while the front and rear fascia are made of lightweight polyurethane. The canvas soft top is fully-manual operation, with the exception of the electronic latch assembly, to help cut weight and air condition is removed in standard form, but it can be added as a no-charge option.
The Cockpit
The weight-saving efforts continue on the inside of the new 911 Speedster, with lightweight door panels and door pulls. An all-black leather layout is standard, but buyers can opt for red stitching on the dashboard and on the headrests.
When adding the red stitching, the door pulls are also red and the GT Sport steering wheel gets a red center marker, while much of the standard trim is carbon fiber.
All said and done, the Porsche 911 Speedster weighs just 3,230 pounds, leading to a power-to-weight ratio of just 6.43 pounds-per-horsepower.
Porsche Motorsport Performance
As mentioned above, the 2019 911 Speedster is powered by a naturally-aspirated, 4.0-liter flat-six engine that delivers 502 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque with a redline of 9,000 rpm. This is the same engine offered in the GT3 and GT3 RS, including the individual throttle bodies from the racing program.
The power from the 4.0-liter engine is sent to the rear wheels by means of a GT Sport six-speed manual transmission and no automatic is available with the new Speedster. Even without the lightning-quick PDK, this 911 will dash from a stop to 60 in just 3.8 seconds while running up to a top speed of 192 miles per hour.
Finally, utilizing more parts from the GT3, the 911 Speedster features a rear-axle steering system, 20-inch center-lock wheels wrapped in ultra-high performance rubber, a track-ready suspension system and the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake system.
The Porsche 911 Speedster is expected to be available for order on May 7, with the first units expected to reach North American dealers during the fourth quarter of 2019. Buyers will also get the cool watch shown here from Porsche Design, featuring a look based on the new Speedster on the front and rear.
