We all know that the Porsche 911 has a lot of variations. However, the variations are released so incredibly quickly,
that the last version of the 991 is only released now, whilst its successor 992 already is being sold as coupé and cabriolet.
I've got it on paper however: this is the final 991-version. The Speedster, which is a very special name for Porsche.
It's still a car which you drive when the weather is nice. It has some sort of tent as roof, but you've got to open and close it yourself.
So there's some work to it. Steps have been made however, because it once was some poncho which wasn't even waterproof after putting it up.
Those days are over, but this still is a 'nice weather'-sports car. And a very sensational one at that.
If you had to sum up this car, it would be a 911 GT3 without a roof. Because that's what's behind here.
The 4.0-litre flat-six without turbo's. It's not entirely the same though, because it has a new exhaust system with different particle filters.
Despite those filters, the system is 10 kg lighter. It has a new high pressure injection system, which produces 250 instead of 200 bar.
Also, it has six individual throttle valves for a better throttle response. So when you put your foot down, it's not one single valve that opens,
where the air for the cylinder enters. No, it's six valves located at every cylinder injecting air directly.
The engine reacts more sharply to the throttle. But I drove the GT3, and I never thought the throttle response was slow.
Absolutely not. So if this is better and by what percent, I don't know. It's probably a number which we'd think is small,
but which is big enough to make a Porsche-engineer very happy. Anyway, when you do put your foot down...
Man... It's almost like you've got a bomb in the back waiting to explode at the redline. And that redline,
because the GT3-engine has no turbo, is found at 9.000 RPM. And that sounds...
Like something you've never heard before... It's such an sensational machine, it should be forbidden.
So much violence. But it's an engine which needs a lot of attention from you as a driver, because it wakes up at around 6.000 RPM.
The piece between 6.000 and 8.500 RPM is one big orgy of power. Above that, the power flows away, but the sound still is incredible.
Because of the particle filters, it less loud. Because of the open roof however, it's much more intense.
When you drive past a wall, you hear all kinds of banging and great noises. That's a true treat.
You can only get it with a manual gearbox, there's no PDK available. That fits the puristic personality of this spartan car, a manual gearbox.
That also means you've got to be alert. You need to work the car, you need to be in the right rev range. But when you are, it's amazing.
The chassis has a lot of parts from the GT3 as well. Active engine supports, electrically controlled LSD, adaptive dampers, half a million sensors,
ceramic brakes as standard... But, it's 50 kg heavier than a GT3. That's not necessarily bad, but the roof is gone as well. That doesn't help...
the rigidity. And you'll notice that. It's less fierce. Especially when you're cornering. In tight corners, there's a small moment of doubt.
That's very light, but you'll notice it's a tad less rigid. The same goes for driving over bad surfaces. You can fee the chassis flexing a little.
Not a lot, but it's that exact amount you know the GT3 coupé doesn't have. Having said that, it's not some sponge or anything.
It's still pretty sturdy. And if you look deeper...
Sure, there's a little doubt, but when you get it going. It's on.
It has Pilotsport Cup II-tires, which are semi-slicks which need to warm up. But the more you push this, the deeper the capacity seems to go.
Together with the engine, it's an incredibly sensational, spartan and puristic car to drive.
Exactly what a Speedster is supposed to be, just like the first 356 Speedster. Like Max Hoffman, Porsche-importer in the USA, invented.
Dressed down, lightweight, spartan. This is so much more of a Speedster than its 997-predecessor. My colleague Stephan Vermeulen said...
that he couldn't understand why the 997 Speedster only was available with a PDK-gearbox. And when you drive the manual,
you know why this fits this car so much better. That said, this is much more of a worthy interpretation of the Speedster-concept.
The only thing missing, is an affordable price tag. Because that's the Speedster-philosophy as well. Strip everything away and put the...
base engine in it. The 356 Speedster only produced 60 horsepower. That way, it's available to a bigger public.
We can't say that of this car. Only 1948 will be built, as a reference to the launch year of the 356.
And it will cost €350.000 in the Netherlands. And you could ask yourself the question if it's worth the price, which it isn't.
It isn't worth the price because it's €100.000 cheaper in Germany, that amount is all because of taxes.
So no, it's not worth the price, but if you've bought one of them. If you're one of the lucky people who got their hands on one of the 1948,
I can assure you, despite everything, you won't feel screwed over.