911 SPEEDSTER 911 SPEEDSTER g series vs 991
Two run-out specials to ruffle your hair and tickle your fancy
A PAIR OF OPEN 911S. NOT THE ENTHUSIAST’S CHOICE…
These are no ordinary open 911s. These are 911 Speedsters, and that makes them a purer, more athletic breed than your average Stuttgart tanning bed. On the left, the very first example, a 1988 G-Series 911 receiving the run-out special treatment courtesy of a voluptuously styled Speedster. On the right, a 2019 991-gen 911 receiving the run-out special treatment via... the same thing.
I SUSPECT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES, THOUGH
Oh, yes. Width. Power. Speed. The usual things that have swelled enormously in all performance cars across the previous three decades (228bhp playing 503). But also focus. The G-Series iteration may have had some thoughtful engineering poured into it, but the gradual hard-coring of Speedsters since has seen this latest 991 version gain a full 4.0-litre flat-six from the 911 GT3 track toy, revving to the same ear-scrambling 9,000rpm, as well as all of its trick four-wheel steering and auto rev-matching.
SO THE OLD ONE’S MORE OF A CRUISER?
It certainly encourages a more laidback style. The 5spd manual gearbox is not tight or short in its throw, and really appreciates a leisurely shift. Bang gears home as quickly as the 991 encourages and I suspect its wand-like lever would snap clean off, were it not for timeless German engineering. The steering is achingly slow and heavy, too, and a far cry from the telepathically quick responses of its younger relation.
IT FEELS DATED, THEN
Well, to a point. The sharp, genial controls of the 991 may show the constant evolution Porsche bestows upon its signature car, but the more your confidence builds in the G, the more common ground you find. While the older car feels more tangibly rear-engined, you can use similar techniques to manage the pair’s weight distribution, reaping similar rewards. You do so without safety nets and flattering chassis systems in the Eighties example, but you also do it at friendlier speeds and – with a paltry 6,300rpm to chase – alerting fewer people of what you’re up to.
BUT I WANT NOISE
If it’s the noise the new 991 makes, you’re correct to crave it. Every Speedster that’s followed the G-Series has gained more influence from Porsche’s go-faster products, leading us to the current day where, basically, you’re looking at a GT3 convertible. And if that sounds like sacrilege, know that the Speedster uses some of Porsche’s most exquisite engineering – detailed further on p66 – to ensure it’s as thrilling as its track twin, with none of the sogginess you’d expect from a car that’s had its roof chopped. Marvellous though it still feels, the same can’t quite be said for the G.