Porsche Will Build 1,948 Units of the Vintage-Inspired 911 Speedster in 2019

On the 70th anniversary of the original Porsche 356, the German automaker debuted its 911 Speedster Concept at the "70 Years of Porsche Sports Cars" event in its hometown of Stuttgart. The concept was well-received and beckoned the automaker to engineer a production version of the Speedster. Fast forward to Tuesday at the Paris Motor Show, and Porsche announced that it would do just that.

In a melancholic (and marketing) reference to the year that the Porsche 356 began its life, 1948, Porsche will only produce 1,948 examples of the 911 Speedster. And speaking of historical significance, Porsche makes several nods to indicate that the Speedster is aimed at purists, even debuting the production example of the car painted in beautiful Guards Red, the 356's signature color.

Judging by these images, it appears that Porsche really wanted to stick as close to the concept as possible. All body components and technologies found within the production-ready version of the 911 Speedster are the same as the concept which debuted earlier this year.

Additionally, the Speedster will feature 21-inch center-locking wheels, shortened window frames, vintage talbot-shaped side mirrors, and a carbon fiber "double bubble" rear bonnet. Interestingly, Porsche says that the vehicle's daytime running lights are tinted in red, noting that they are "racing inspired." In the engine bay, the 911 Speedster will feature Porsche's high-revving naturally aspirated flat-six with more than 500 horsepower delivered to the road through a six-speed manual gearbox.

The 911 Speedster will be based on the current generation 991 and is noted to be the first vehicle offered in what Porsche is calling its "Heritage Design Package." Perhaps that is a subtle hint that the automaker has a few other retro-inspired builds up its sleeve for the future. Regardless, the Germans have been focusing on vintage designs lately, and this is no exemption.

Porsche confirmed that production of the Speedster will begin during the first half of 2019.