1989
Right at the end of the Carrera 3.2 production, Porsche built a limited number of a very special 911. The Speedster was inspired by the classic 356 Speedster of the 1950s. This sleek machine was based on the 356 but had a cut-down windscreen and low hood to give a ‘chopped’ appearance to appeal to American buyers.
The 911 Speedster was based on the 3.2 Carrera and achieved a similar look by way of a lower, more steeply raked windscreen in a lightweight aluminium frame. The hood was correspondingly lower and sat atop smaller, frameless side windows.
When the hood was lowered it was stored under a twin-humped plastic panel that took the place of rear seats. The hood was manually operated, and the hump hinged back to allow the hood to drop. Porsche stress to would-be buyers of the Speedster that the relatively simple hood was not designed to be fully waterproof or windproof. In other words, the car was designed to be a fine-weather vehicle only.
The majority of the 2065 Speedsters built had the wide Turbo-Look front and rear wings, although a few were built with the narrow body, while a handful were Slant-Noses.
Inside, the Speedster had a basic specification similar to that of the contemporary ClubSport. The windows were manually operated, as were the heater and seats. The latter were from the ClubSport and were set lower in their mounts to give sufficient headroom with the lower roof. There were no rear seats because the area was taken up by the hood cover, although there was some storage space below.
The 1989 Speedster is a rare and attractive car, but is not practical as an everyday Porsche – it’s more a fine-weather machine to take out at weekends.
Specification
Capacity: 3164cc
Compression ratio: 10.3:1
Maximum power: 231bhp at 5900rpm
Maximum torque: 284Nm at 4800rpm
Brakes: Front: 304mm discs; rear: 309mm discs. Servo assisted
Suspension: Front: Twin longitudinal torsion-bar springs, anti-roll bar, Boge dampers; Rear: Semi-trailing arms with torsion-bar springs, anti-roll bar, Boge dampers
Wheels & tyres: Front: 15x7J with 195/65VR tyres. Rear: 15x8J with 215/60VR tyres (16inch rims optional). In 1989: Front: 16x6J with 205/55VR tyres. Rear: 16x8J with 225/50VR tyres
Length: 4291mm
Width 1650mm
Weight: 1210kg (coupé)
