Striking The Right Chords

Porsche adds the GT3 powertrain and manual gearbox to the legendary Speedster formula. The result is driving nirvana.

- Nicol Low

Price: R5 161 000 Engine: 4,0-litre, 6-cylinder, petrol Transmission: 6-speed manual Power: 375 kW @ 8 400 r/min Torque: 470 N.m @ 6 250 r/min 0-100 km/h: 4,0 seconds* Top speed: 310 km/h* Fuel consumption: 13,8 L/100 km* C0 2

Ahead is a straight section of asphalt. Roof down. Second gear engaged. Throttle pinned. The rev needle rises urgently, building to an almighty crescendo at 9 000 r/min. I depress the heavy clutch and slot the next ratio home to repeat the performance. The island scenery becomes a blur as the wind-rush over my head reaches hurricane status. The Porsche 911 Speedster is more than a car; it’s a musical instrument that allows its driver freedom to compose their own melodies.

The idea of chopping the roof off a 911 is not the most appealing. Firstly, there’s the engineering challenge of strengthening the body and chassis to regain some of the lost rigidity without adding too much mass. Secondly, the classic roofline of the 911 is a large part of its appeal. When I laid my eyes on the latest iteration of the Speedster, though, my opinion changed.

What helped was that Porsche had brought along four previous versions of the Speedster, including the original 356 (pulled from its museum) for a static display. From where I stood, none of the other Speedster models mirrored the elegance and style of the 356 better than the new version. Gone is the backpack-style rear deck lid of earlier Speedsters. The tail is now lower and neatly integrated. It’s truly a stunning piece of design creating a very special two-seater 911 (there is some storage space behind the occupants).