Guide: Porsche 911 3.2 Speedster - a Historical & Technical Appraisal
Background
In 1954, Porsche introduced a lightweight 356 with a cut-down windscreen, simplified hood, back-to-basics interior and detachable side screens. Dubbed the 356 Speedster, it replaced the short-lived America Roadster which had been a commercial failure.
Like the America Roadster, Porsche were convinced to build the 356 Speedster by their US distributor, Max Hoffman, who felt there was a market for a less expensive, no frills 356 that would appeal to American weekend racers.
Over the next few years, a little over 3000 Speedsters were built in 356 and 356 A trim. However, production figures only told part of the story as the Speedster soon came to become regarded as a 1950s design icon and one of the most sought after models in Porsche’s back catalogue.
Fast forward 25 years and, by the mid 1980s, Porsche had long since abandoned any plans to discontinue the 911 which had never been more in demand.
Meanwhile, the market for collectable cars and limited edition specials was red hot with creations like the Ferrari 288 GTO and Zagato-bodied Aston Martin V8 Vantage having sold out before production began.
Unfortunately, Porsche’s own low volume offering, the 959, ended up costing the firm a huge amount of money as development costs far outweighed sales income. Nevertheless, Porsche easily sold the entire production run.
Around the same time as the 959 was coming to fruition, the wickedly expensive Porsche 930 Flachbau had become surprisingly popular and proved there was a fast-growing customer base for out of the ordinary machinery.
To further capitalise on this booming market, two prototype 911 Speedsters emerged for internal assessment during 1986.
The first was completed in June of that year and was basically a Turbo-bodied 911 Cabriolet with no roof and just a small removable aero screen. It also featured an unusual detachable hard top that included a conventional windscreen.
Later that year, a second prototype was completed, this time on the narrow-bodied platform with a wraparound screen and rigid hump-backed tonneau behind the seats.
Both prototypes were strict two seaters.
Soon afterwards, the green light was given for a 911 Speedster concept that Porsche intended to publicly reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1987.
The pearlescent white machine that emerged was arguably the most extreme interpretation of the Speedster theme yet. Based on a standard Cabriolet body shell, it adopted a rigid single piece fibreglass tonneau that encased almost the entire cockpit. A cut-down wraparound aero screen surrounded the driver cell while the passenger zone was completely covered in a manner reminiscent of 1950s sports racing cars. To provide access to the single-seat cockpit, the tonneau was hinged at the rear and had to be manually raised.
New aerodynamically styled wing mirrors were also fitted along with a small roll over hoop behind the driver’s seat, but under the skin, the 1987 Speedster concept was a mechanically standard 3.2-litre 911 Carrera.
Despite the Speedster concept’s wild specification, public reaction was extremely positive and customers immediately began to hand over deposits.
Twelve months later, a suitably toned down, more practically configured production version without the radical hinged tonneau was displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1988. A run of 2000 units was announced and customer cars started to roll out of Porsche’s Stuttgart factory in January 1989.
Bodywork
The Speedster was based on Porsche’s 911 Carrera Cabriolet bodyshell, albeit with a couple of major modifications.
Most significantly, the regular windscreen was switched to a lower and more steeply raked item set within a discrete aluminium frame. Because the new screen was not able to incorporate an integrated radio antenna (as used by the regular 911 since late 1984), the Speedster reverted to a traditional exposed antenna located atop the right-hand side front fender.
Further back, the Cabriolet’s normal roof system was dropped in favour of a flimsy single-lined hood that had to be manually erected. When lowered, the roof was concealed below a distinctive body coloured polyurethane moulding.
The cut-down windscreen and hump-backed plastic cover gave the Speedster a highly individual and really exciting new look, but the canvas roof was described as for emergency use only.
Another unique detail of the Speedster was its single-piece side windows without quarterlights.
Aside from a handful of pre-production and early cars (as depicted here), most examples were equipped with a Speedster as opposed to Carrera script mounted on the engine lid.
With the exception of the ‘double bubble’ polyurethane moulding, body panels were manufactured entirely from steel and imported from the regular 3.2 Carrera Cabriolet.
Interior
Inside, to ensure sufficient visibility through the cut-down windscreen, the seat rails were dropped by 20mm.
Manual instead of electric window winders were fitted.
Because the Speedster’s hump-backed cover blanked off access to the rear quarters, the back seats were deleted and the vacant area left carpeted instead.
Although a handful of pre-production cars came with fabric seats and door inlays, leather was used almost exclusively for production owing to its superior weather protection characteristics.
The dash, door panels and high-backed seats were regular 3.2-litre Carrera items.
Behind the trademark four-spoke steering wheel was an oval five-gauge instrument binnacle in the centre of which was a 7000rpm tachometer. Off to the left were combined instruments for oil pressure / oil temperature and fuel / oil level. To the right was a speedometer and a clock.
Various toggle switches were scattered along the rest of the dash, as were the upper ventilation controls. The lower ventilation controls were mounted between the seats.
Chassis
Like all 911s of this era, the Speedster was based around a galvanised steel monocoque bodyshell.
An 80-litre fuel tank was located underneath the front lid.
Suspension was fully independent with torsion bars and telescopic shocks plus an anti-roll bar at either end. The front used a compact MacPherson strut arrangement with a single lower wishbone. At the rear, semi-trailing arms were installed.
Ventilated disc brakes were fitted all round (286mm diameter front and 294mm rear).
By this time, Fuchs handsome forged alloy wheels were fitted to all 911s as standard. For the 1989 model year they measured 16 x 6-inches up front (with 205/55 ZR tyres) and 16 x 8-inches at the rear (with 225/50 ZR tyres).
Engine / Gearbox
In the engine bay was Porsche’s all-alloy, air-cooled, normally aspirated Flat 6 with single overhead camshafts per bank, two valves per cylinder and dry-sump lubrication.
Displacement was 3164cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 95mm and 74.4mm respectively.
Engine management was courtesy of digital Bosch Motronic 2 in conjunction with Bosch LE-Jetronic fuel-injection.
European specification cars came with a Type 930/20 motor that ran a 10.3:1 compression ratio. Peak output was 231bhp at 5900rpm and 210lb-ft at 4800rpm.
US specification cars came with a Type 930/25 motor that ran a 9.5:1 compression ratio, re-mapped Motronic and a catalytic converter. Peak output of these engines was 217bhp at 5900rpm and 195lb-ft at 4800rpm.
Transmission was through a Getrag G50 gearbox with Borg Warner synchromesh, single-plate hydraulic clutch and an open differential.
Options
The most frequently requested option for the new Speedster was Porsche’s Turbo body upgrade. Included in the M491 Turbo body package were the 930’s wider fenders along with its aprons, sills and wheels but not the spoilers. As per the Turbo, the rear fenders came with a matt black shark fin stone guard. The wheels themselves measured 7 x 16-inches front and 9 x 16-inches rear (shod with 205/55 VR and 245/45 VR tyres respectively).
Customers could further enhance their car with an array of additional optional extras to include a limited-slip differential, a short shift gear lever, body coloured wheel centres, front and rear spoilers, Sports shock absorbers, model designation delete, air-conditioning, cruise control, two-tone upholstery, contrast seat piping, Sports seats, heated seats, a rear luggage deck, an uprated audio system, a CD player with amplifier, crushed leather and velour carpet for the front storage compartment.
Through Porsche’s Exclusive department, practically any level of customisation could be carried out to include conversion to the Flachbau body style complete with rear fender air intakes, installation of a power kit, Paint to Sample, custom interior colours and surface materials, wooden cockpit inserts and extended leather upholstery.
Weight / Performance
As a consequence of its basic roof and simplified interior, the Speedster weighed 50kg less than a regular 911 Carrera Cabriolet of the period (1210kg as opposed to 1260kg).
Top speed was 150mph and 0-62mph took 5.6 seconds.
End of Production
Speedster production ran from January to September of 1989.
2104 were built in total (although some sources state 2056 units).
This figure comprised 1933 in the Turbo-bodied format of which 129 were right-hand drive.
The remaining 171 cars were completed to conventional narrow-bodied trim of which ten were right-hand drive.
Thanks to the model’s success, a 964-based Speedster followed in 1992.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Porsche - https://www.porsche.com
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