"The 993 Speedster"

< Here’s a great site with announcements & reports, both current & historic. A site for true Porsche enthusiasts. In addition, one finds exceptional things: here I found a unique vehicle, the 993 Speedster. And, yes, it was for sale on this site! It’s the absolute pleasure of a superb vehicle, & more than rare since it’s the only one!! Thank you to Claude, as passionate as one would wish to be lucky enough to meet. Go ahead, find me more unique designs ... I’d love it!!! Friends / Sylvain > (phiehdv@wanadoo.fr)

Yes! It’s fitting that on www.flatmotor-vo.com Sylvain found this rare gem. Even among rarities, this Speedster 993 is an absolute pearl. I was already in contact with its former owner in June for a report you’ll see later. However, the 911 changed hands about that time &, of course, the former owner was no longer able to provide what had been his Speedster 993. Very disappointed, I didn’t want to release the article while wondering where the new possessor of this one & only Porsche was. As luck would have it, I soon made Sylvain's acquaintance at the Porsche Days festival. I immediately presented myself, & invited him to participate in this board.

Historic: The unbelievable history of this 993 Speedster starts with that of a 964 Speedster.

The 993 speedster was born on May 11 1994, the result of a purchase order for a 964 Speedster. Options like the bucket seats, the differential, 17” rims, air conditioner, trip computer, & alarm brought the price to 3.138.533 Belgian francs (77.802€; 510.347 French francs). On June 30 1994, the 964 Speedster was put into circulation at Liege, Belgium by Porsche TAG; now ‘Penders.’ Next, it was put into action ... the crazy agreement the dealer had with his customer: to produce one 993 Speedster. They had no idea of future challenges to resolve. Later they learned it would have been easier to convert a 993. So much more, then, was the reward for solving unpredictable problems that the 964 Speedster’s metamorphosis presented. To make this transformation official it was wise to do work within the factory’s own network. D’Ieteren, the Porsche importer, gave their agreement & began a task of untold proportions. The 964 Speedster was completely dismantled. The adaptation study was undertaken with a very high level of accuracy, due to the support of Porsche engineers. Still, problems proved numerous & very complex. The parts list required to transform the body & accessories constituted some 140 change requests. Going through the wings, lights, panels, etc., the only pieces common between the two models were the doors & rear view mirror. The running gear remained that of the 964 series. However, the twin-exhaust (one tip added for appearance), & 993-series wheels completed the visual transformation. Today the rims have been further updated to GT3s; their aesthetic is complimentary & fabulous.

To maintain high standards & finish this 993 Speedster properly, it went through an accordance certificate "testifying that the vehicle is completely in accordance, conforming to the type in the descriptive notice at the request for creation". Therefore, D’Ieteren officially validated this metamorphosis which finished the 993 you see here, a vehicle whose production was almost carried out by Porsche. Especially significant is how well our 993 Speedster corresponds to the lineage of its chassis N° WPOZZZ96ZRS455512, that of a Speedster.

Sylvain invited me to do country driving with wind in our hair - or rather lower, since the windshield is further down than a cabriolet. Pure happiness, not to be refused during a beautiful, sunny day. Slipping into this Speedster is somewhat profound, knowing it’s the only one in the world!!!! The delight of an invitation to enjoy Sylvain’s Speedster was a treat, an immense honor. Oh! I nearly forgot: the motor is no longer 964 standard-issue, since it now delivers 272 hp, thanks to an engine upgrade. How fitting -- the same power as the first 993.

Ah, European life! Registered at birth in Belgium, then to Luxembourg, & now here in the French territory.

You may share my immense regret that Porsche decided not to market this wonderous 993. All previous generations had their Speedsters: the 356, the 3.2L - both narrow & wide, ending in the 964 narrow-body (& 20 wide-bodies). What a pity to pass over 993 production! The 964 wasn’t successful in sales: 925 vs. 2,065 of the 3.2Ls (of which 1,894 were Turbo-Look). To continue with 964 production in NB only, seemed a marketing error that potentially doomed future efforts. Sylvain takes care of this absence, though, presenting the 993 Speedster, a singular example!!! ... & yet, Porsche often presents extraordinary exceptions to their own history. So, after excavating deep into my memory & records, they proved that a true factory-made 993 Speedster exists -- one single specimen. Accordingly, you’ll see it only rarely, such as 1998 at the fiftieth anniversary celebration. It belongs to the Porsche family collection, a gift to Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche, creator of the eternal 911 line. Could Sylvain’s 993 Speedster have served as the inspiration, a prototype for Butzi’s? Ah! I dream that a day will come when new Speedsters are manufactured. However, it’s hard to visualize the Speedster concept applied to the 996. The flowing lines of the 993 are, for me, certainly the better response. Let us fantasize even more while imagining a 993 ‘2S’ Speedster, the pinnacle of beauty.
What do you think?

Don't know about the RS seats but the Speedster seats are a little bit wider than the off the shelf Recaro's. They also has a spring system in the bottom.

these are not like the Speedster seats.. the entire bucket shell is different. The RS buckets have more bracing on the back of the shell.

Here is a pic of the rear of the seats.. the black is the RS and the white is the Speedster.. note they are NOT the same seat.... they're very diff.