The Speedster tradition at Porsche began back in 1954, and most generations of the iconic 911 featured an open and aerodynamic two-seater bearing this name. The exceptions were the original 911, the 993 built from 1994 to 1998, and its water-cooled successor, the 996. It was not until the 997 generation in 2010 that the Speedster made its return.
Even though such a car was never regularly available for purchase, there are two — or, depending on your perspective, three — Speedsters from the fourth generation of the classic sports car that were built directly in Zuffenhausen. The first one is a dark green model from 1995 based on a 993 Carrera Cabriolet. It was created as a 60th birthday present for the designer of the original 911 and then chairman of the supervisory board, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, nicknamed Butzi. For this build, the factory utilized the model-specific parts of the predecessor 964 Speedster.
Self-confessed Porsche enthusiast and US comedian Jerry Seinfeld wanted to challenge the unique status of the family-owned 993 Speedster. He sent his 1998 993 Carrera 4S Cabriolet across the ocean to have the Porsche Exclusive department, which specializes in special requests, convert it into a Speedster. However, his silver car was not built in the original Carrera style but instead featured the wider Turbo body.
Then there is the project by Italian Luca Trazzi, which was just completed in 2024. Through the Sonderwunsch special request program of the manufacturer, he had another 993 Speedster built, upgraded with a 3.8-liter engine from the Carrera RS. This car stands out visually not only with its custom Otto Yellow paintwork, named after his dog, but also with its lowered windshield.
The dealer Ni-Cola Classic Car Sales from Baden-Wuerttemberg is currently offering another Speedster for 689,990 euros. This is an interesting hybrid of the 964 and the 993 that must do without the official seal of approval from Zuffenhausen. It started its life in 1991 as a purist 964 Carrera RS. After being involved in a crash in late 1993, development engineers from Porsche in Weissach are said to have breathed completely new life into it. In the first step, they repaired the body, removed the roof, and gave the car the more modern 993 look using original parts. Stiffened by a Matter roll cage and topped with a fixed Kevlar carbon hardtop by Strosek, the conversion received its street-legal TÜV approval in the spring of 1994.
The pursuit of perfection continued in the following years. An aerodynamic refinement with a GT2 front, a Turbo-style rear spoiler, and multi-piece Speedline wheels in 1996 was followed by technical completion in 2001. A 3.8-liter flat-six engine from the 993 Carrera RS along with a matching six-speed transmission found its way into the rear. With a healthy 400 newton-meters of torque, flared wheel arches, and the rich sound of a Cargraphic exhaust system, this interpretation impressively proves that a Speedster with an exciting history and spectacular looks does not necessarily need an official factory certificate.
