Crown

do you have a link please?

I found this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds021W21m0Y

a better one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYdJ6JYkqqE

I have to admit that the design is growing on me.
I met a 991 GT3 in the same red color on the highway last week, and I was surprised how much of a road presence it had. It looked so much lower and sleeker than a normal 911, basically only because of the front and rear bumpers... I can imagine that this speedster also has quite a personality on the road...

Porsche, separates Le Mans from Le Boys

Thanks "Boxster Coupe GTS" for posting all the reviews

Tim

2010 997.2 GT3RS;  2008 Cayenne Turbo;  2006 911 Club Coupe;  2016 911 GTS Club Coupe;  2015 Macan S
 

my attention is now turning to the 992 gt3 (touring)

is there a thread?

Targa Tim:

Thanks "Boxster Coupe GTS" for posting all the reviews

Tim, you've got yourself a winner. Hopefully, your dealer will not reconsider the MSRP offer after these glowing reviews.

There is nothing stronger than gentleness.

nberry:

Targa Tim:

Thanks "Boxster Coupe GTS" for posting all the reviews

Tim, you've got yourself a winner. Hopefully, your dealer will not reconsider the MSRP offer after these glowing reviews.

Nah, he is in Canada, they are forbidden to sell new cars above MSRP.

One reason why car allocations are hard to come by. 

Think he only got his because I turned mine down 

All reads fabulous except for the 0 to 62 time of 4.0 sec. 

Whoopsy:

nberry:

Targa Tim:

Thanks "Boxster Coupe GTS" for posting all the reviews

Tim, you've got yourself a winner. Hopefully, your dealer will not reconsider the MSRP offer after these glowing reviews.

 

Nah, he is in Canada, they are forbidden to sell new cars above MSRP.

One reason why car allocations are hard to come by. 

Think he only got his because I turned mine down 

Good one Nick

I actually was promised one over a year ago.  General Manager said I will get the first one before all the 918 owners.  You can call him anytime to confirm.

Needless to said, I have accepted him as my patient afterwards...
--

Tim

2010 997.2 GT3RS;  2008 Cayenne Turbo;  2006 911 Club Coupe;  2016 911 GTS Club Coupe;  2015 Macan S
 

JimFlat6:

All reads fabulous except the 0 to 60 time.of 4.0 sec. 

Spec is 3.8 (and it's usually conservative).  Sometimes the journalists don't realize that the Manual GT models have launch control (which is necessary for best time).

18 GT3 Manual, 73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 16 Cayman GT4, 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550, 79 635CSi

Grant:

JimFlat6:

All reads fabulous except the 0 to 60 time.of 4.0 sec. 

Spec is 3.8 (and it's usually conservative).  Sometimes the journalists don't realize that the Manual GT models have launch control (which is necessary for best time).

They could probably better that with a no lift shifting software bit, some other cars like Aston had that. Still.for the price and exclusivity to lag behind a Audi TT RS or a Camaro in acceleration is a bit silly.

JimFlat6:

Grant:

JimFlat6:

All reads fabulous except the 0 to 60 time.of 4.0 sec. 

Spec is 3.8 (and it's usually conservative).  Sometimes the journalists don't realize that the Manual GT models have launch control (which is necessary for best time).

They could probably better that with a no lift shifting software bit, some other cars like Aston had that. Still.for the price and exclusivity to lag behind a Audi TT RS or a Camaro in acceleration is a bit silly.

It already has No-Lift shifting (though many journalists are ignorant of that too), but the launch control is the more important piece.  No-Lift is only slightly quicker than a proper manual upshift.

There are some youtube vids showing Manual GT3's doing 0-60 around 3.1 sec - this should be similar (at least half sec faster than spec with perfect conditions and using all the features).

But don't think this is terribly relevant as this car's mission is not drag racing...

--

18 GT3 Manual, 73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 16 Cayman GT4, 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550, 79 635CSi

Well then Porsche continues its path of absolute marketing genius. Only they can make a model variant slower and more expensive to buy and get the automobile press to glum to it like limpets.

It's a very pretty car and pretty slow for the money.  They have made automobile history by making  Lamborghini seem like a rational purchase by comparison. All praise to the executive team at Porsche HQ, they have achieved once what was believed to be impossible. 

JimFlat6:

Well then Porsche continues its path of absolute marketing genius. Only they can make a model variant slower and more expensive to buy and get the automobile press to glum to it like limpets.

It's a very pretty car and pretty slow for the money.  They have made automobile history by making  Lamborghini seem like a rational purchase by comparison. All praise to the executive team at Porsche HQ, they have achieved once what was believed to be impossible. 

Jim, you're one of a kind and I agree with you. Too bad you don't post more often.

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

Since nearly all Speedster buyers will already be 918 or R Porsche owners, I doubt many are buying this car to be competitive with those on a 0-60 basis.  It provides a totally different experience and don't think there's much need to be faster than this for its intended purpose of street cruising and canyon carving...

Do I find this car to be a compelling value proposition for myself?  No, but I think they nailed the target for what a Speedster is supposed to be...

--

18 GT3 Manual, 73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 16 Cayman GT4, 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550, 79 635CSi

Exactly. Marketing genius. The car at 50% overpriced, somewhat slow, not very light, kind of ugly bumps, has only 2 seats and is manual... and has a waiting list for it... Amazing.

Just imagine how a 4 seater GT3 touring convertible with PDK and 4 seats would sell...

2019 Porsche 911 Speedster review (Evo magazine)

VERDICT: The Speedster's combination of a GT3 powertrain and road-biased chassis setup combine to create one of Porsche’s greatest performance cars

• One of the greatest engines of our time, manual gearbox, dynamics hard to beat

Porsche's legacy began 71 years ago with a car called Roadster Nr.1, a mid-engined two-seater that owed a great deal to the VW Beetle. And a large proportion of its survival and subsequent success in the United States can be put down to the first Porsche Speedster. Based on the 356, it was a cheaper, faster access point to Porsche’s line-up built to meet a price point set by Max Hoffmann (the official Porsche importer to the US) in order for him to grow his fledgling Porsche concession.

It was a formula that would provide an instant hit, not only with customers looking for a cheaper Porsche road car, but club racers too, looking for an affordable, but still competitive race car. Which makes it all the more perplexing that Porsche reserves the Speedster name for the most limited of special edition models, rather than make it a mainstay of the range as a reminder of its origins.

Restricted to only 1948 examples (the year Porsche’s first road car was made), Porsche’s newest Speedster costs £211,595 and is already sold out. Those fortunate enough to have their name assigned to one of the individually numbered examples are very lucky, indeed, for this is one of Porsche’s finest.

Technical Highlights

Where to start. The current Speedster project started in 2013 when the head of Porsche’s GT road car division, Andreas Preuninger, tasked his design team to think about an open-roof GT3 with the lowest fly line possible. The resulting sketch was considered internally an instant hit, with the decision made that the car would be the model to celebrate the company’s 70th anniversary in five years’ time. Those five years were time well spent.

For the front of the original concept Porsche had used a gen-1 991 GT3 married to the rear of a Carrera 4 Cabriolet (Carrera 4 shells are inherently stiffer), the exercise proving relatively straightforward. The only small hiccup being the Speedster would need to be based on the forthcoming gen-2 GT3, which had yet to start its development. Still, there was plenty more to be getting on with.

The body panels, for example. The front bonnet, rear deck and front wings needed to be designed and manufactured in carbonfibre. A bespoke canvas roof also required designing and engineering to meet the weight and packaging requirements set out by Preuninger. Hence why the roof’s only electronic interaction is for the release/latching to the windscreen header rail (which in traditional Speedster style is lower), the rest of the process requiring manual intervention to lift the rear deck out of the way and fold the roof into the area where you’d expect to find a 911’s rear seats.

Beneath the lighter body (the Speedster registers 1465kg on the scales) are the same springs with the same spring rates as on the GT3 despite the Speedster having 20 per cent less body rigidity. The latest two-stage adaptive damper technology, that Preuninger claims makes the Speedster such a good road car without sacrificing its performance, are also fitted, so too rear-axle steering, torque vectoring and a mechanical limited-slip differential. There is also a pair of lighter MacPherson struts for the front and a lighter multi-link set-up at the rear. Porsche’s carbon-ceramic brakes are standard (410mm and six-pots on the front, 350mm and fours on the rear), with 20-inch wheels and Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. 

Engine, gearbox, performance

Lifted wholesale from the GT3 is Porsche’s 4-litre naturally aspirated flat-six, that, exhaust and the fitment of a dual-mass flywheel aside, is the same unit you will find in the back of the company’s Carrera Cup race cars.

A particulate filter to meet current emission regulations has also been installed, but rather than an expected drop-off in peak power, Porsche has found another 10bhp, lifting that peak to 503bhp. Torque remains the same at 347lb ft. 

With only a six-speed manual gearbox offered, the sprinting times may not impress those who live and die by zero to 62mph times, but 4.0sec is not to be sniffed at, nor the eight seconds required to reach 100mph. Flat out? 192mph, which is plenty for most commutes, and no, Porsche hasn’t set a lap time at the Nürburgring. Not yet, at least. 

What’s it like to drive?

Duck under the low roof line, fall into the carbon-backed bucket, insert the key into the ignition barrel to the left of the 310mm steering wheel. Left foot on the clutch, right hand on the gear lever. Twist the key. Listen for the whirr, watch the tacho dance to its 1000rpm idle.

Depress the switch in the centre console to release the roof from the header rail. Pull on the nylon strap of the lightweight door card to open the door. Get out. Walk to the back of the car and open the rear deck and pull it back, and towards you. Take the roof and fold it back into position, give the deck a firm shove to allow its catch to latch. Walk back to the driver’s door, spot the neat storage hole behind the seat. Get in. And think. Think there is something missing. A sense, a feeling… no, the clatter of the GT3’s single mass flywheel sounding like a brick doing its best to ruin a Miele washer-dryer is absent. That’s it. Shame. It’s also the excuse you give for stalling.

But it doesn’t matter, because every other GT3 sensation is there. That thought you have about the gearing being too short before you tell yourself to stop changing up at 6000rpm when there’s another 3000rpm to go. The first kick at 3000rpm that spikes your senses, the second at 6000rpm ramming home the full force of a Porsche Motorsport motor. The first time you run up through second, third and fourth the Speedster snares you. Resistance is futile, it’s such a raw, pure experience you could stop now and be content. But that would leave you missing out on the Speedster’s fuller offering. 

Across any given surface the suppleness to the Speedster’s chassis is like no other GT3-style car. There’s no kickback through the steering, no wriggle of the hips over lumps and bumps, but there is just the right amount of lean (still not much) to push against when you want those Cup 2s to bite hard into the tarmac. It inspires confidence in every situation. It might be slower on a circuit – it lacks the downforce of a GT3 and that 20 per cent increase in the coupe’s rigidity allows you push it harder and receive even greater rewards – but on the road the Speedster’s flow and precision is as impressive as the GT3’s fierce focus is on a track. The new car has that feeling of working with the surface 100 per cent of the time, instead of fighting it some of the time.

Porsche’s latest electronic power steering remains a great tool to work with, bleeding in the feel as you apply lock, synced with precision to the rear axle to provide that balance between a quick and pointy front end and a progressive rear. It feels very much like a 911 R, rather than a GT3, which is no coincidence considering that’s exactly what Porsche was aiming for.

Roof down there’s less buffeting than in a regular cabriolet, and when its closed there’s no unwanted din, but in both circumstances it could sound better, but that’s particulate filters for you.

911 Speedsters are not traditionally the 911 of choice for those who enjoy driving far more than they enjoy being seen driving. But this Speedster is different. It’s a driver’s car first and foremost, that so happens to have a distinctive and unique look about it. It’s not only the very last 991-generation 911, it’s also one of the very, very best.

Link:  https://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/porsche-911-cabriolet/22649/2019-porsche-911-speedster-review-porsche-takes-on-the-ferrari

Porsche 911 Speedster Review: Proving Weissach Has A Sense Of Humour

It almost seems strange sitting in a brand new car powered by a naturally-aspirated flat-six. And not just any naturally-aspirated six - we’re talking about a boxer-six which sends its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Remember those? 

It’s not like this particular car comes from a company obsessed with looking to the past. It’s built by Porsche, a company busy pummelling billions into developing an army of shiny new electric vehicles, spearheaded by the Taycan. But that’s the whole point: Stuttgart is insisting that the new 911 Speedster is all about showing the world it can still do fast, angry, unleaded-burning sports cars even as it prepares for an electric future. 

So can it? Hell yes, it can. In fact, in the creation of the Speedster, Porsche might just have put together its finest 911 yet.

Certainly not from a technical standpoint - the GT2 RS is significantly quicker, and both it and the GT3 RS would give it a damn good spanking on track. By almost every measure it’s worse than the 991.2 GT3 upon which it’s partly based - it’s heavier, less rigid and doesn’t have that sizeable wing pushing the rear of the car into the tarmac. 

And no, that’s not a mistake in the last sentence: we do mean partially-based. The engine and chassis are lifted from the GT3 - albeit with some modifications to the rear-wheel steering system to compensate for the drop in downforce at the rear - but the body in white is a bit of a hybrid. 

It’s the front end of a GT3 mated to the rear of a 991.2 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, created with tooling that cost Porsche millions to build. The rear bumper is the same part found on the GT3 Touring, while the composite front wings and bonnet are borrowed from the 911 R. 

The windscreen has been cut down, as have the windows, resulting in a car that looks extremely long and very wide. There’s an almost Carrera GT-like vibe to the Speedster, and we dig it. 

All of this sounds like a lot of effort to create a compromised Weissach product. Yes, it has kinda/sorta rivals like the McLaren 600LT and Ferrari 488 Pista, but particularly for Porsche, this seems a bit weird. The old 997 Speedster was, after all, merely a 911 GTS with a fiddly roof mechanism made by Porsche Exclusive. Why follow it up with what is essentially a less capable GT3? 

That’s easy: because it wanted to. There’s been an urge within Porsche to make something like this for years. And we’re glad it’s happened, as with no pesky roof getting in the way of the flat-six’s mechanical violence, every drive becomes immediately stamped on your hippocampus.

God, it sounds good, this thing. You get to the 8500rpm peak power mark thinking “this is the best noise I’ve ever heard,” forgetting you’ve another 500rpm to go, during which it gets even better. There’s a particularly beautiful moment during the 4.0-litre engine’s linear sweep up to the redline where the mid-range howl turns into a high-rev scream. This engine sounds as though it belongs on a race track, and there’s a good reason why: Porsche sticks this engine in the 911 Cup with no changes other than a slightly ruder exhaust.

Even in this era of turbocharged performance car dominance, this car feels fast, so long as you smash that dial round to the exciting end every opportunity you get. It’s well worth leaving gear-shifts a little late, too, with a proper, slightly violent hard rev-limiter to headbutt.

The aforementioned Pista and 600LT make this flat-six’s 503bhp and 346lb ft outputs seem a little tame, and that’s before we get to the relavitely leisurely 0-62mph time of four seconds dead. But this car is about more than just the raw numbers - as far as emotional appeal goes, it knocks the twin-turbo V8s of the Ferrari and the McLaren out of the park.

It’s received a few tweaks, too. It’s had a couple of petrol particulate filters fitted, so it complies with the latest (try memorising this, you’ll fail) Euro 6d TEMP EVAC-ISC (EU6 DG) emissions rating. All you need to know is this means the marvellous N/A lump will be sticking around a little longer. One Porsche spokesperson did cheekily hint that they wouldn’t go to all this effort for just one application of the engine, so watch this space.

It has new individual throttle bodies, making the response even more rabid than before. The high-pressure fuel injectors are new too, giving an “optimised spray pattern”. The icing on the already tasty cake is a 10kg lighter stainless steel exhaust which is a little quieter thanks to new EU regs, but as you might have gathered already, we have no complaints when it comes to the soundtrack.

Gearing is fairly long, so on public roads, you’ll usually find yourself milling around the territory of second or third. When it comes to shifting down, spot-on pedal action and good spacing makes for easy, oh-so-satisfying heel-and-toe action, but if you’d prefer, there is a very slick rev-matching system. It’s just a shame the gear knob itself isn’t a little fancier.

Despite the loss of the roof, it’s not all that easy to detect a sizeable difference between the way this and the standard GT3 drive - you’d have to get them on track back-to-back. On the road, with its Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres and the same under-body bracing as the old 911 Cabriolet keeping things stiff, the Speedster is still an outrageously capable beast.

Like any modern GT 911, it really doesn’t feel rear-engined. The way it changes direction even with the most aggressive steering inputs, the all-wheel steering giving the feeling of a shrunken wheelbase, its ability to stubbornly stick to the asphalt whether you’re loaded up in a fast corner or being a little too greedy with the throttle on exit - this is the work of Weissach we know and love.

It’s not diminished here by the lack of roof - it’s enhanced by the increase in drama. It helps that it’s scarcely heavier, with the weight increasing by only 51kg. The manual roof adding only 10kg certainly helps.

It’s inevitably more involved than an electric setup, but it only takes a few goes to get the hang of it. Once you’re there, it’s possible to do the whole thing in 30 seconds, marvelling at the giant carbonfibre clamshell as it proudly hinges up and away from the car. We did have a little trouble getting it to properly close and sit flush with the car at one point, although weirdly, it wasn’t possible to repeat the problem later on.

Once it’s back up, induction noise rather than exhaust bark becomes the order of the day, with a side-helping of sweat. As standard, there’s no air conditioning, nor an infotainment screen for that matter. But it doesn’t seem worth punishing yourself for the sake of a few kilos - we’d option both back in.

Both are no cost options, thankfully, but that’s small comfort when the base price for the Porsche 911 Speedster is £211,599. Or to put it another way, the price of a GT3 RS and a 718 Cayman combined.

For the engineering that’s gone into creating this strange but wonderful mongrel of a 911, perhaps that’s not so bad. And in any case, it’s probably irrelevant - even with the steep opening price, it won’t be hard to find a buyer for each and every one of the 1948 Porsche is making. Perhaps it already has. Plus, the hilariously inflated used market for these kinds of cars does show that maybe the sought-after likes of the 911 R and GT3 RS are effectively under-priced.

And don’t forget, this is the best 911. Not because of what it’s able to do, but because of the big, dumb grin it puts on your face as you gun it through a tunnel. As you ‘accidentally’ run into the rev limiter yet again. This is a 911 GT car with a sense of humour, and it doesn’t get much better than that.

Link:  https://www.carthrottle.com/post/porsche-911-speedster-review-proving-weissach-has-a-sense-of-humour/

Very happy to get one and futhermore a PTS copy :)

The media's word bombing this car with so much praise that it's almost comical.  The authors must look at this model as a godsend to get more income from more cents per word from new articles. Churn baby churn ! 

From their efforts we have learned that the usual GT3 coupe has hairball throttle response, that Sardinia has bad gas and that the aural delights of the new throttle bodies on the Speedster are sans intake noise. Someone has to be laughing themselves silly on the top floor at Porsche HQ.  Why not just turn over control of Western economies to Porsche, at least they know how to make things happen!

Targa Tim:

 

Good one Nick

I actually was promised one over a year ago.  General Manager said I will get the first one before all the 918 owners.  You can call him anytime to confirm.

Needless to said, I have accepted him as my patient afterwards...
--

997.2 GT3RS;  2008 Cayenne Turbo;  2006 911 Club Coupe;  2016 911 GTS Club Coupe;  2015 Macan S
 

Hehe, think I was his last 918 client, I left for another dealer and the others all are booted out already. Maybe that 18 yr old Chinese kid left

And I turned down mine more than a year ago. 

First post since I have signed up(couple of kids in last 4 years does that I guess ). Been allocated a speedster. Initially wasn’t sure if was gonna take it since haven’t really driven the spyder last couple of years. But this past month started driving the spyder and also drove a friends gt3 in Florida last month while I was there and made me miss the gt3 engine.  Open top and gt3 engine seems like a winning combo while have to agree Priced a little high. Going with silver heritage without decals or black.

Maradona:

First post since I have signed up(couple of kids in last 4 years does that I guess ). Been allocated a speedster. Initially wasn’t sure if was gonna take it since haven’t really driven the spyder last couple of years. But this past month started driving the spyder and also drove a friends gt3 in Florida last month while I was there and made me miss the gt3 engine.  Open top and gt3 engine seems like a winning combo while have to agree Priced a little high. Going with silver heritage without decals or black.

Congrats!  Sounds like lots of fun 

18 GT3 Manual, 73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 16 Cayman GT4, 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550, 79 635CSi

Congrats!  Sounds like lots of fun 

thank you. Better be with this kind of asking price. Looking to put 5000km a year hopefully. Had a 997gt2rs with 20000km when I sold it in 2015 so this car won’t be a garage queen 

Porsche 911 Speedster video review... (Auto Week)

Video Link:  https://www.youtube.com/embed/04vfZfAemYE

...turn up the volume! 

Targa Tim:

Whoopsy:

nberry:

Targa Tim:

Thanks "Boxster Coupe GTS" for posting all the reviews

Tim, you've got yourself a winner. Hopefully, your dealer will not reconsider the MSRP offer after these glowing reviews.

 

Nah, he is in Canada, they are forbidden to sell new cars above MSRP.

One reason why car allocations are hard to come by. 

Think he only got his because I turned mine down 

Good one Nick

I actually was promised one over a year ago.  General Manager said I will get the first one before all the 918 owners.  You can call him anytime to confirm.

Needless to said, I have accepted him as my patient afterwards...
--

 

 

Tim

 

 

2010 997.2 GT3RS;  2008 Cayenne Turbo;  2006 911 Club Coupe;  2016 911 GTS Club Coupe;  2015 Macan S
 

  It is good to be a doctor...sometimes.  

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes E63 S AMG Edition 1 (2018), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)

SciFrog:

Exactly. Marketing genius. The car at 50% overpriced, somewhat slow, not very light, kind of ugly bumps, has only 2 seats and is manual... and has a waiting list for it... Amazing.

Just imagine how a 4 seater GT3 touring convertible with PDK and 4 seats would sell...

Nah, just wait for the Taycan GT2 RS Targa4 special edition..... 

2017 Range Rover Sport S/C,  2009 Porsche 911S

Porsche 911 Speedster: Road Review (Carfection)

Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_hKGYD8gOg

...thanks and all due credit to Rennteam reporter Henry Catchpole! 

Interesting they finally named the auto blip button auto blip. On the 911R it's call Sport button but the only function it does is auto blip.