Belgium is making history again. We wish the following was a new Porsche production, an exclusive preview for Flat Six. But that would be lying. And yet it is a 993 Speedster!

TAG Porsche center. This speaks nothing to us French, if not the name of Techniques d'Avant-Garde, & Porsche success in Formula 1. Our Belgian friends know what the TAG Porsche center is: a Porsche dealership in Liège. And not least, since Mr. Heinen, who presided over its destiny, has become known overseas by many realizations of the 911. Mr. Heinen is not only a dealer of Porsches, but remains fascinated by them. Weekends when he’s not selling 911s, he’s often driving his car on the track with clubs. It took a man like him to undertake what we present today....

Someone passionate and crazy enough to break down the mountains, and make the impossible: a Speedster 993. At first, you say that this should not be so complicated to do. Just take a cabrio and transform it, as did Sportwagen on the old 3.3s. Here, the feat of ingenuity is on an entirely higher level: the auto you gaze upon is a Speedster ... Carrera 2, whose look has been transformed into the 993’s. Amazing, huh? There’s much behind its development.
We can now recognize the sales of the 964 Carrera Speedster 2 have not been the same success the 1989 3.2. Strategic error? Possibly. When the 3.2 Speedster was launched, it was available with or without turbo-look. History proved that the public preferred the turbo-look. Now narrow-body versions are much rarer ... therefore dearer to collectors. But it would be a grave mistake to think that narrow-body Speedsters were liked more. Regardless, the Speedster Carrera 2 was released as a narrow body.

The 964’s production aesthetics had much less imagination than the previous 3.2s, a probable reason for its relative failure. What do some forecast for the 993? The production of a Speedster is not scheduled yet. One can reasonably expect that to happen, like the two previous models, toward the end of its run. Unless ... Unless, if Porsche, seeing what we present today, reconsiders, eager to release one. Here I daydream somewhat, but it’s wonderful to imagine. Anyway, when we saw the reality of this achievement, a beautiful October day in Liège, its significance was immediately apparent. My, how beautiful! The more pronounced curves of the 993 ensures a Speedster that stirs our imagination. We must see to believe, but simply seeing does not convey the enormous effort it took to create this 911!

Making a Speedster from a cabrio isn’t easy. To begin with, the adaptation of the windshield (when you obtain one) is demanding. But there is an even more difficult path!

At the TAG Porsche center, we now know something ...
The circumstances that brought about this work, as told by Mr. Heinen: “In talking with a client who was looking for a unique 911, we proposed a 964 Carrera Speedster 2. But it wasn’t sufficient for him; thus the idea to transform the look to a 993 Speedster. However, we never imagined the work that would require! Our first action was to ask Belgian importer, D’Ieteren (founded by master coachbuilder Joseph-Jean D'Ieteren), if this was feasible in the context of the official network. We made an agreement, then completely stripped our Speedster to measure all the dimensions. At first, we thought only a few parts wouldn't be shared. Eventually, it became obvious: some of the only common components between a 964 Speedster and 993 were doors and rear-view mirrors." This means, among other things, that even the rear spoiler and gasoline access flap are different! Once work began, there was no option to stop. Being a dealer, TAG worked only with factory parts. That’s another highlight of this Speedster: its body is composed of real 993 elements straight from the factory.

Such a work could only be achieved by a high-level coach-builder. In one’s mind, you can visualize the complexity! Not only the fitment of the pieces was very hard, but also the installation of various accessories posed many challenges, all resolved one by one. A mammoth task, with moments of understandable doubt, but with constant assistance of the importer, even though many more parts were required than originally planned. The customer was pleasantly oblivious to the potential cost increase; he had a fixed price, agreed upon before the start! "It was more of an internal bet and of the desire to achieve a really outstanding car. Now that it exists, it is like a showcase of our expertise. Before this, we were mostly considered high-end engine modification specialists." Now that it’s been brought into existence, the notion of a beautiful creation was immediately confirmed during the photo session.

Regarding the chassis & underpinnings, no other changes have been made to the original Speedster, save for appearance factors such as the rims, & modification to a dual-exhaust (one tip being fake, since the Speedster Carrera 2 was single-exhaust). Of the 964 Speedster it was born as, it retains only the doors, mirrors, windscreen, interior and mechanics. And the owner can now boast of riding in a singularly exclusive 911. Even stiff-necked conservatives of the Stuttgart brand should admiringly turn its way for beauty. They will be astounded!

Is history an eternal restarting? It should be recalled that importer D’Ieteren was instrumental in the existence and construction of 356 roadsters in particular. That the first 993 Speedster comes from Belgium seems a just reward. We now wait for the positive reaction of Porsche, but do not daydream: the illustrations on these pages may remain unique for some time. At the rate of two new models per year, as we confirmed with Wendelin Wiedeking at the last press conference, do not expect factory 993 Speedster production before, at best, in 1996. And yet....


A final word about Belgium: there, the market has not experienced a worrying decline, and sales of new Porsches keep a good pace. Unlike France. There is a reason for that: in Belgium, the sale of high-end vehicles as company cars is encouraged by some tax benefits. That means a lot of Porsches, Jaguars, Mercedes and similar are sold to corporations. We would do well to consider this solution in France, because it seems to be one of the few ways to get out of the crisis. Unfortunately, when you talk high-end cars at home, you will attract outrageous fees, taxes, speed cameras, & professors of ecology. There are times when we would like to live abroad ... In the meantime, nearby Belgium has created this beautiful Speedster. It creates pure desire!"