Porsche 911 Speedster concept breaks cover

KUALA LUMPUR: Porsche is celebrating its 70 years of existence. 2018 then indeed is a special year for the Stuttgart-based manufacturer. Not do they have the Porsche Taycan electric car which was unveiled a couple of days ago, there is also the new 911 Speedster concept. A bit of history lesson here. Porsche’s first ever car built was a roof-less 356 Speedster model. Its a different story altogether that the original car is currently worth its weight in gold.

The Porsche 911 Speedster concept then is a modern take on the 356. This vehicle too doesn’t have a roof and industry sources say that if the production version were to come, it will feature a soft cloth cover for the occupants to protect them from the rain or other elements. The Porsche 911 Speedster concept itself is based on the 991.2GT3 car. For the Speedster design, Porsche has not only lopped off the roof but the windscreen is at a more steeply raked angle.

The centre of the hood is also host to the fuel filler cap. Speaking of which, the hood is done in tasteful gray and white mixed colours. Fuchs 21-inch wheels are on offer at the moment and while there is nothing dramatic about them, the side mirrors do look beautiful. Talbot-style chrome units have been used and these replace your conventional wing mirrors.

Inside, the Porsche 911 Speedster concept gets Aniline brown upholstered bucket seats. There are no rear seats and like the Porsches of yore, the back seats are covered with a bubble cover, which again is a Porsche trademark style. While the image shows aircon vents, the gaping hole in the central console is devoid of an airconditioning unit, music system as well as a navigation system. The engine used is a 500 PS flat-6, 4.0-litre unit from the donor 911 GT3. A 6-speed manual transmission will transfer power to the rear wheels. It is expected that if the car goes into production, it will have the full line of Porsche safety equipment.

It is unclear if the Porsche 911 Speedster concept will go into production or not? If it does, expect a limited number run for this desirable car. Stay tuned!