2010 Paris Auto Show Preview: Porsche 911 Speedster to sell out fast

1 October 2010 jump to: Porsche

2010 Paris Auto Show Preview: Porsche 911 Speedster to sell out fast

Porsche, which is unveiling the fourth version of the 911 Speedster at the Paris auto show, will start delivering the 408-horsepower vehicle worldwide in November, Wolfgang Duerheimer, the company’s development chief, said today in an interview at the Paris auto show. Production will be restricted to 356 cars priced at $275,000.

Porsche 911 Speedster photo

“There’s a sizeable fan community for such vehicles in the market,” Duerheimer said. “The new Speedster will be a big hit for us.”

The global economic recovery has prompted luxury-car makers including BMW AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz division, the two biggest, to boost sales or earnings forecasts this year, while Volkswagen AG’s Audi luxury brand is targeting record deliveries. BMW and Audi said today that small-cars they’re introducing will also sell out.

The 911 Speedster is part of a growth strategy that will be overseen by CEO Matthias Mueller, who took Porsche’s top post at a ceremony Wednesday evening, when CEO Michael Macht shifted to Volkswagen to be production chief. Porsche will expand its lineup from 38 models across four vehicle lines in an effort to almost double yearly sales to 150,000 cars and sport-utility vehicles by about 2014, Duerheimer said.

Audi will deliver all 40,000 A1 compacts planned for production this year by mid-October, Chief Executive Officer Rupert Stadler said at the show. The A1, which targets young professionals and first-time customers, went on sale in Europe last month priced at 15,800 euros ($21,500).

Porsche has yet to decide whether to build a smaller version of its Boxster roadster as internal business studies have raised questions about such a model’s profitability, Duerheimer said.

“We’re not in the business of making cars for the sake of it,” Duerheimer said. “Porsche is committed to making profits on every new model. That seems more difficult” with a smaller Boxster.

Porsche 911 Speedster interior

Porsche 911 Speedster Review

The two-seater is significantly different from the other members of the 911 family: it sits 60 mm lower, has a more raked windscreen and features the characteristic double-bubble hardcover for the Speedster’s soft-top roof. As it’s based around the new Porsche 911 GTS, which will also be on display in Paris next week, the 911 Speedster also features a rear-wheel drive layout but with the 44 mm wider rear end of the Carrera 4 all-wheel drive model.

The 911 Speedster also picks up the latest iteration of Porsche’s familiar 3.8-liter flat six engine. Peak output stands at 408 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) dual clutch transmission is in charge of sending power to the rear axle fitted with a standard differential lock. Porsche Active Suspension

Management (PASM) and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) are standard, too.

Additionally, the 911 Speedster is available with almost every option in the 911 family, as well as a unique “Pure Blue” paint scheme, a special front apron, specific sideskirts and a distinct rear apron.

In 1953, the Speedster series was launched with a sports car based on the Porsche 356, which had two sports bucket seats, doors with slide-in plastic side windows, and a shortened, elegantly curved windscreen. It weighed a mere 1,670 pounds, managed just 40 horsepower in some guises and is considered by many to be one of the first modern sports cars.
In 1988, the Speedster based on the 911 Carrera celebrated its revival with an added feature. For the first time, the hood compartment lid had the characteristic double bubbles. In 1993/1994, the next evolutionary stage of the 911 Carrera was ushered in with yet another Speedster.

Now we have a new chapter of Porsche Speedster history with the latest 911 Speedster. First sales will start in Europe this December and should be followed by a U.S. launch shortly after.

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