Porsche didn’t invent the word “Speedster” as it existed in the pre-war American motor car lexicon, well before Porsche existed. At this point, however, Porsche has pretty much owned the term since the 1950s after importer Max Hoffman slapped the name on a lightweight motorsport-oriented open-top 356 variant. After the 356 Speedster ended production, there wasn’t another Porsche Speedster until the 911 Speedster in 1989. The 964 generation got a Speedster variant, but it was absent from the 993 generation, except for a single prototype built in 1995 for Ferdinand “F.A.” Porsche’s 60th birthday.
After 993 production ended in 1998, comedian, anti-woke crusader, and Porsche collector Jerry Seinfeld asked Porsche to build one for him as well, and delivered it to him in 2001. On Friday in Monterey, Porsche unveiled a third such one-off 993 Speedster for noted “Speedster collector” Luca Trazzi. This project, built through the Porsche Sunderwunsch program, took three years to go from a regular 1994 Carrera Cabriolet to the speedy two-seat version you see here.
“As a young boy, I fell head over heels in love with the puristic Porsche Speedster. I had to work very hard to be able to afford my first Porsche, a Speedster 1600 Super from 1955. Ever since, I’ve managed to live my passion, or more precisely, my Speedster-mania,” says Luca Trazzi. “My dream was to complete my collection with a 911 Speedster of Type 993. Out of passion, I designed what this model might look like. I wanted the project to unify the stylistic elements of all previous Speedster models. Because although this body version has always continued to develop throughout its history, it preserved the elegance of its predecessors and stayed true to its beginnings.”
Unlike those other 993 Speedsters, Trazzi provided input on the design process, instructing Porsche to re-shape the rear clamshell to his liking. This car also got a set of 18-inch Turbo-style twist wheels, modern black accents, conical exterior mirrors linking the car back to the 1950s, and Porsche signature “four points” headlights to link it to the Porsches of 2024. The car was even given a unique shade of yellow for Trazzi’s project, which he named “Otto Yellow” after his dog.
To make the car a little more exciting to drive, Trazzi chose to use Carrera RS specification running gear, chassis bracing, suspension, and brakes for his Speedster. That means it now has a 3.8-liter engine making a little over 300 horsepower, up from the 247 horses the car would have had originally.
This car will act as promotional material for Porsche Sunderwunsch during the Monterey Car Week, as the company has now decided to take on these hyper-exclusive one-off individualized cars. Even if Porsche never built the car in-period, it’ll make whatever you want if you have enough cash. Following its display at The Quail this weekend in Monterey, the car will be shipped back to Europe for final customer delivery.
