2019 Porsche 911 SpeedsterBrian Harper / Driving Sardinia, ITALY — It might be the Cayenne and Macan crossovers that fatten Porsche’s coffers and keep it in the black, but the company’s heart and soul — its very essence — lies in its sports cars: the 356 and its iconic, evergreen successor, the 911, plus the 914, 924, 944, 968, Boxste and Cayman, among others. So, when Porsche celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, it was not a crossover that was the face of the milestone, but a 911 Speedster Concept, the sports car showcasing the link between the very first Porsche 356 “No. 1” roadster, which made its debut in June 1948, and the cars the company manufactures today. “A pure driving experience,” was how Porsche described the idea behind the Speedster Concept. Developed by the Porsche Motorsport department, the “birthplace” of the 911 GT2 RS and GT3 RS, the study was a fully road-worthy glimpse of a potential series-production car — although at the time of the celebrations, a final decision had not been made. At the New York Auto Show this past April, Porsche had clearly made up its mind, taking the wraps off the production version, the sports car losing nothing in the transition from concept to reality. And less than a month later Porsche has shipped its first batch of track-worthy, pre-production 911 Speedsters to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. Here’s a fun fact: The forefather of Speedster models, the 1952 356 1500 America roadste — of which only 16 were built strictly for the U.S. market — had an aluminum body manufactured entirely by hand. It weighed about 160 kilograms less than a 356 Coupe and its top speed was 180 km/h, achieved with a 70-horsepower flat four under its hood. The 911 Speedster, even with copious amounts of carbon-fibre throughout — hood, front fenders, rear deck — weighs about double (1,465 kilograms with fluids). Yet, courtesy of its GT3-derived, naturally aspirated 4.0L six-cylinder, pumps out more than seven times the power, a prodigious 502 hengste. Top speed is about 310 km/h. Let me state categorically, without fear of contradiction, that the 911 Speedster lives up to the ”pure driving experience” that was the Concept’s mandate. And well it should, considering that each one that makes it to Canada will set you back a substantial $312,500 (just 1,948, representing the year 1948 when Porsche as a car manufacturer came into existence, are being produced for world-wide consumption). Let me further state that Sardinia was an inspired venue for exercising the two-seat beast, the route cutting through the northern part of the island from east to west with stunning views and kilometre-after-kilometre twisting, undulating tarmac challenging enough to make motorheads weep with joy. To get the rear-wheel-drive 911 Speedster down to fighting weight, everything was scrutinized, from the use of a manual fabric top down to the Porsche shield on the front trunk. A few things had to go as well, the more notable ones being air conditioning (an available no-cost option), navigation (available), and the biggie: no PDK or anything approximating an automatic transmission. Yes, sports car purists, it’s a six-speed manual box or nothing. And what a lovely mechanical piece it is, probably the best stick shift since the lamented Honda S2000, with bolt-action, snickety-snick precision. While the car happily putters through town at low revs, it’s much more fun to hear the engine shriek at the top end, sounding positively operatic as it approaches its 9,000-rpm redline. The armchair quarterbacks who think a zero-to-100-km/h time of four seconds is merely adequate for an exotically priced sports machine — yes, the Ferrari 488 Spider and Lamborghini Huracan EVO Spyder are both quicker, but they’re also even more expensive — need to get behind the wheel before they start yapping. The Porsche is quick enough in pure acceleration; the way it carries its speed into tight, decreasing-radius turns and comes out at the end faster than going in is magical. The fact the Speedster has no problems holding its intended line when working the corners is in large part due to its chassis, derived from the 911 GT3 models with a specifically calibrated rear axle steering system, plus a set of wide 20-inch Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tires. Excessive speed demands controlled stopping power; the Speedster lands on the proverbial dime thanks to Porsche’s ceramic composite brakes — 410-millimetre vented and perforated discs up front, and 390s in the rear. Not only do they provide maximum deceleration, they are about 50 per cent lighter than cast iron rotors. As previously mentioned, in order to lighten the load and keep the driving experience as pure as possible, the cabin is lacking a few essentials. Furthering the shedding of kilos, lightweight door panels are used, with storage nets and door pulls instead of handles. Porsche is not without compassion for the fashion conscious; the standard black
Origin: First Drive: 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster