Porsche 911 Speedster will return as the last hurrah for current-gen 911

-    Porsche is preparing for  the return of the Speedster body style one last time as a farewell to the current 991.2 911.
-    The test mule had fenders borrowed from the Carrera with new wheels and soft top.
-    It is likely to break cover in late 2018 since the next-gen 992 is due for next year.
-    Like the last Speedster, the new one would have a limited production run.

When Porsche introduced the insanely fast 911 GT3 RS earlier this year it was regarded as the last act of the current-gen 991.2. While the German sports car maker is busy developing the replacement 992 generation, our spy sleuths caught the prototype of a Speedster body style doing rounds near the carmaker’s headquarters. 

Porsche last introduced the Speedster in 2011 as a limited-production final adieu to the 997-series 911. The same would be done to the 991-series as the test mule spotted here appears to be launch ready. It has a distinctive soft-top roof and new fenders which are likely scrounged from the Carrera 4. Meanwhile, the wheels are borrowed from the GT3. The new 911 Speedster will continue the tradition with a fatter bottom, distinctive body kit and a double bubble rear roof cover.

The previous Speedster sported a shorter windscreen, a flat contour of the sporty-looking manual convertible top and the characteristic double-bubble on the convertible lid. The rear track was wider making the Speedster stand out from the usual 911 convertibles. The new 911 Speedster will continue the tradition with a fatter bottom, distinctive body kit and a double bubble rear roof cover.

The Speedster will be based on the GTS trim, so the twin-turbo 3.0-litre flat six would have an unchanged output of 450bhp and 550Nm with a manual transmission. The performance figures will likely remain the same.
The Speedster moniker is derived from the original Porsche 356 Speedster, which first bore the name and is widely regarded as the first Porsche model. Now the Stuttgart-based sports carmaker is using the Speedster insignia to pay homage to the 356 with this collector’s edition convertible. Given that 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of Porsche brand, we expect the 911 Speedster to be the commemoratory model when launched later this year.