Porsche creates unique 911 Speedster based on 993-generation car
August 16, 2024 by Tom Wiltshire
Car changing is a big deal
An individual collector has commissioned Porsche to build a one-off open-top speedster based on the 993 911 – it’s being shown off at Monterey Car Week
- Designer and collector Luca Trazzi’s vision comes to life
- Porsche Sonderwunsch programme realises unique Speedster model
- Based on a 1994 Carrera Cabriolet
- Features characteristic ‘double-bubble’ rear
- One of just three specially-created 993 Speedsters
- Undisclosed – and presumably large – price tag
Porsche’s exclusive ‘Sonderwunsch’ customisation program has created a one-off and totally unique car for a private client. Successful designer Luca Trazzi, who has a collection of Porsche Speedster models, reached out to the manufacturer to build him something nobody else had – a Speedster based on the 993-generation Porsche 911.
Speedster models are Porsche’s most exclusive and exotic open-top cars, featuring a raised rear deck, two seats and a purist’s driving experience. Trazzi’s commission has now come to life, and it’s being shown off to the public at Monterey Car Week in California.
Commissioning a unique car
“As a young boy, I fell head over heels in love with the puristic Porsche Speedster,” Trazzi explains. “I had to work very hard to be able to afford my first Porsche, a Speedster 1600 Super from 1955. My dream was to complete my collection with a 911 Speedster of Type 993.”
A successful designer, Trazzi envisaged for himself what such a car might look like – and was able to commission it directly from Porsche’s Sonderwunsch division.
“Having a designer as a customer was an exciting experience for me,” said Grant Larson, director of special projects design at Porsche. “Because Luca and I speak the same language, our collaboration was creative and focussed.”
Part of the magic of Sonderwunsch is that the client is ‘an active part of the project team’, and Trazzi made the most of this, visiting the company’s archives for inspiration and checking in on the build process. In total, the project took three years from conception to completion.
It’s now one of just three specially-commissioned 993-generation Speedsters. The first was developed in 1995 exclusively for Ferdinand Alexander Porsche – it’s based on a Carrera body and is currently in the Porsche factory museum. A second was built in 2001 for sitcom actor Jerry Seinfeld, and based on a 1998 993 Cabriolet.
Trazzi’s Speedster is unique, however, with a different origin story and unique design and technical components.
Luca Trazzi’s Porsche 911 Speedster: design
The first striking feature is the paint. Named ‘Otto Yellow’, it was developed specially for the car and named after Trazzi’s dog. It contrasts with 18-inch light-alloy wheels finished in black, with a yellow line detail. There’s also a black roof, black, conical mirrors, and a thin black frame to the windscreen.
Redesigned head- and tail-lights feature modern design elements, such as the four-point daytime running light motif you’ll find on the latest Porsche models.
The interior’s also been given a modern makeover. It features black leather with yellow decorative stitching, including an embroidered Speedster logo on the headrests. The seat centres feature a yellow and black checked pattern, while carbon elements feature on the dash, centre console, gear lever and seat backs.
The inside isn’t immune from modern tech either, and gets a new infotainment system with navigation and Apple CarPlay – not exactly 1994-style technology. Trazzi will be constantly reminded of how special his car is by the ‘one-off’ badge on the dashboard.
There have been a few improvements under the skin too, and this 993-generation Speedster takes its engine, chassis, steering and brake system from the most powerful version available at the time – the 911 Carrera RS. That means it has a 3.8-litre air-cooled six-cylinder engine, developing 300hp which it puts to the road through a six-speed manual gearbox and the rear wheels.
Can you buy one? Well, no – this is a one-off car. But in theory, anyone with deep enough pockets can go to Porsche’s Sonderwunsch division and request a car – though we suspect the team turn down any design they feel isn’t in good taste. You can also expect any Sonderwunch one-off to be enormously expensive, though the price of Trazzi’s 993 Speedster hasn’t been publicly revealed.
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