IF you want a really exclusive watch, consider the special chronograph from Porsche Design Timepieces.
Only 1948 have been made, and to get one, you need to buy the matching car — a $605,000 gem that you can order now and drive when it arrives late this year.
But be quick: like the watch, only 1948 cars will be produced.
We’re talking abut Porsche’s new 911 Speedster, which has quickly moved from concept to reality and pays tribute to the original 356 Speedster of (the year) 1948.
A lot bigger than the 356, the 911 has a 375kW 4.0-litre boxer engine and 6-speed manual transmission.
It’s a tad different from the original 356, which had an 1100cc motor that produced all of 26kW.
The convertible top compartment lid has double-bubble streamliners made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, giving the new car its athletic profile — although it’s positively bulbous compared to the sleek little original.
It opens and closes at the push of a button, with just a bit of hand required to tuck a couple of bits of hardware in place.
The interior has black leather elements for the side bolsters and head restraints of the carbon-fibre composite full-bucket seats, the armrests in the door trims and the shortened gear lever.
The centre panels of the seats are upholstered in perforated leather, while the lightweight door panels with black door pulls and stowage nets reduce the overall weight.
On the dash, the central rev counter features black dials with white needles as well as green digits and scales – features reminiscent of its famous forebear.
Porsche also optionally offers the new 911 Speedster with a Heritage Design package.
This includes the interior colour scheme in Black and Cognac, some ‘spears’ paintwork, ‘Lollipop’ motor sports decals for the doors and front lid and, if they want, owners can select their own two-digit competition numbers.
The heart of the new Speedster is adopted from the 911 GT3.
The naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine can take the car from zero to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 310km/h.
The manual six-speed transmission features an auto-blip function that precisely and independently compensates differences in engine speed between the gears when downshifting through automatic throttle blips.
Auto-blip can be activated independently from the chosen Porsche Active Suspension Management setting.
A mechanical rear differential lock rounds off sporty power transmission.
The GT philosophy behind the new Speedster is also reflected in its chassis which includes torque vectoring, stability management and sports tuning.
The open-top, two-seater runs on 20-inch forged Speedster alloy wheels in Satin Black with central locks.
Standard equipment includes internally vented ceramic composite brakes.
Australian spec for the car includes cruise control and the front-axle lifting system.
Also if required, there will be no cost to equip the vehicle windshield with grey top tint, or the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system, which includes Apple CarPlay and digital radio function.
Pricing will start at $604,800 plus on-road costs.
And if you want the matching watch, you need to ‘please contact your local Porsche Centre for pricing information.’
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