Orders open for 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster

Porsche is capping off production of the 991.2 edition of its 911 sports car with 1948 examples of the 911 Speedster. Officially introduced at the 2019 New York Auto Show, as of today the 911 Speedster can be ordered at your local Porsche dealer. If history is any indication, however, you’ll have to get there fast to get a spot in line.

The 1948 units represent the year of Porsche’s founding. The firm’s Speedsters go back to the early 1950s, inspired by Southern California’s hot rod scene, and typically feature lightweight bodies and low-cut windshields and side glass. The 2019 Porsche Speedster will be the ninth Porsche to carry that name, but it will be the first to have been developed by Porsche Motorsport. The crew at Weissach gave it speedster-style glass, a lightweight manually operated fabric roof, and streamlined carbon-fiber rear deck fairings for the seat backs.

For even more styling elements inspired by classic Speedsters, acolytes of the Faith of Ferdinand can can opt for the $24,510 Heritage Design Package designed by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. (Yes, the Volkswagen Group has some complete cars that will cost you less than that.)

To save weight, the front trunk lid, front fenders, and rear deck are made of carbon-fiber composite, while the front and rear fascias use lightweight polyurethane. Ceramic composite brake rotors weigh about half of the stock cast iron discs’ mass. Using a six-speed gearbox saves about nine pounds over the seven-speed units, and it’s about 40 pounds lighter than Porsche’s dual-clutch transmission. It is impossible to make a complete comparison because of different equipment, but the 911 Speedster has a curb weight of 3230 pounds, compared to the base 991.2-generation 911 cabriolet’s 3307 pounds.

To visually emphasize the 77-pound weight reduction, the interior features door panels with storage nets instead of bins, and fabric door pulls.

The Speedster gets the next generation of the engine used in the GT3 and GT3 RS versions of the 911. It now has individual throttle bodies for better response, higher-pressure fuel injection, and a Speedster-specific exhaust system that is 22 pounds lighter than the exhaust on the GT3 cars. The 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated flat-six engine produces 502 horsepower and the Speedster is available only with a six-speed manual transmission. That powertrain yields a 0–60 mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 192 mph.

The 2019 911 Speedster also borrows the GT3’s chassis and suspension, with rear axle steering and dynamic engine mounts. Satin black, 20-inch, center-lock wheels come with ultra high-performance tires.

The 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster’s pricing starts at $275,250, including destination. That’s a lot of scratch for any car, but if you’re a certain kind of 911 fan with a fat budget and a penchant for bustle-butt styling, this future collector’s item won’t be available for long.