When it comes to celebrating heritage, automotive manufacturers rarely miss a trick when it comes to finding a way to earn some profit from the event. Special variants of their best models, built in limited numbers, are like gold dust to collectors and deep-pocketed enthusiasts, who are able to either make an excellent profit on the car years down the line or at least show off their special automotive purchase to friends and rivals.
Porsche has produced its fair share of such machines, though one of the most striking reared its head back in 2011. Built to celebrate Porsche’s first mass-produced road-going model, the 911 Speedster looked very different from every other 911 sold at the time. They were, and remain, incredibly rare, and finding one on the used market is a tough ask. That is, if you can afford one to start with.
The 997 Speedster Was Built To Celebrate A Porsche Hero
1954 Porsche 356 Speedster White Front AngleBring A Trailer
The story of the 997 Speedster starts in October 2010, when it was first unveiled to the world at that year’s Paris Motor Show. Created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Porsche’s Exclusive department, the model was envisioned to take the shape of a modern take on the historic Porsche 356 Speedster. The 356 was the first mass-produced Porsche road car, having been released in 1948, shortly after the end of the Second World War. In 1954, Porsche introduced the Speedster version, which was a lower-slung spin-off of the 356 Convertible.
Using the 997-generation 911 as a base, Porsche’s engineers made a series of significant changes to ensure the 2011 997 Speedster was a very different proposition from a standard 911. Most of these could be clearly seen, with the windshield being a full 2.3 inches shorter than usual, so that it would better reflect the part found on the 356. Furthermore, the car was graced with a double-bubble design on the rear roof compartment to give it a more retro look, while a completely new manually-operated fabric folding roof was developed. It was much flatter than the usual roof, which worked with the shorter windshield to give the car a lower-slung silhouette.
Porsche’s Special Drop-Top Was Also Decorated Differently
2005-2013 Porsche 911 Speedster Blue Rear Angle DrivingPorsche
The car also received a revised front and rear end to further enhance this aesthetic, with new headlight surrounds and tweaked side skirts helping to set it apart from the standard model. The rear bodywork also protrudes outwards by an extra 1.5 inches versus a normal 997, which further enhances the car’s aggressive stance. Finished in a striking Pure Blue color, the 997 Speedster was completed with a set of 19-inch Porsche Sport Classic wheels, which were inspired by those used by the brand throughout the 1970s.
The changes that Porsche’s technical team made were not just skin-deep, as the 997 Speedster was also built to offer a different driving experience from a normal 911. The alterations started with the naturally aspirated 3.8-liter flat six engine, which was lifted from a Carrera S but given some extra tweaking. The engine’s intake system was completely revised to increase airflow, and therefore power. While the standard unit used a single vacuum-controlled air flap to optimize the fuel/air mixture across different speed ranges, the new engine used six, which increased the total output from 385 horsepower to 408 hp.
2011 Porsche 997 Speedster
Engine
3.8L NA H6
Transmission
7-Speed PDK Auto
Power
408 hp
Torque
309 lb-ft
0-60 mph
4.4 seconds
Thanks to a new exhaust as well, the 997 Speedster’s engine reached its maximum 309 lb-ft torque figure 200 rpm earlier, enhancing its low-speed responsiveness. It uses a seven-speed PDK automatic transmission, which channels the engine’s grunt to the rear wheels and allows the machine to hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds.
The 997 Speedster Also Drove Differently
Front 3/4 view of the 2005 – 2013 Porsche 911 SpeedsterPorsche
Aside from having more power to play with, the 997 Speedster was granted other mechanical changes. The Speedster was designed to use a 0.2-inch wider track at the front, and 1.4 inches wider at the rear, which helped to enhance stability and lower the car’s center of gravity. To help dial the car in properly, Porsche provided a stiffer rear anti-roll bar design. The car was also equipped with Porsche’s PASM active shock absorber setup, which helps to better tune the car to whatever road it encounters.
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Being a special model, Porsche went the extra mile and equipped it with a set of carbon ceramic brake discs. Aside from improving pure braking performance, the carbon discs could deal with much more punishment before they started to fade, making them much better suited to consistent hard driving. They also last much longer than traditional steel discs, though they’re much more expensive to replace. The result of all of these additions was a car that not only looked lower and more aggressive than a standard 997, but also handled like it.
Finding A Used 997 Speedster Is Pretty Difficult
It all sounds amazing, but the bad news is that finding one will be tough unless you have a couple of million dollars tucked away somewhere. While Hagerty’s Valuation Tool reports that you’ll only need to spend around $50k to secure a 2011 997 Carrera S Convertible in good condition, an equivalent 997 Speedster demands closer to $220k. That means you could buy four standard 997s for the same price as a Speedster and still have over $20k left over.
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Finding a mint specimen will set you back even more, with Hagerty reporting that such a car will cost you a cool $415,000. This is considerably above the Speedster’s original $204,000 MSRP, which, even accounting for inflation, translates to $304,000. That said, while the model commands a significant sum by any measure, one could argue that it may become even more valuable over time.
2011 Porsche 997 Speedster Used Values
Fair
$190,000
Good
$222,000
Excellent
$295,000
Concours
$415,000
Base MSRP (with inflation)
$204,000 ($303,927)
In honor of the 356, just 356 examples of the 997 Speedster were ever built, making it one of the rarer 911 variants in the world. When combined with the extra performance it offers over a standard version, as well as its unique styling, all the hallmarks are there for this car to rise further in value as it ages. Since it is only 15 years old at the time of writing, the Speedster is still some way from becoming a bona fide classic. Once it achieves this status, expect to see its value skyrocket.
There is an argument that a steady rise is already signaling this scenario. In concours and excellent condition, the Speedster gained 1.2% and 1.7% in value, respectively, over the last 12 months—figures that could easily increase in the coming years. Before long, expect to see cars in non-optimal condition begin to appreciate as well.
This Wasn’t The Last Time The 356 Was Celebrated
Porsche
Porsche is partial to celebrating where it started from, and it took less than a decade for it to develop another model inspired by the 356. In 2019, the 991.2 Speedster was released, featuring a similar design language to that of the 997 Speedster from eight years prior. It retained the same shorter and swept-back windshield design as the 997 version, as well as the double-bubble roof compartment. A new roof was also developed to give the car a flatter aesthetic when the roof was in use.
2019 Porsche 991.2 Speedster
Engine
4.0L NA H6
Transmission
7-Speed PDK Auto
Power
503 hp
Torque
346 lb-ft
0-60 mph
4.0 seconds
Average Used Value
$468,765
From a performance standpoint, the 991.2 version was even more hardcore. It used the 4.0-liter NA flat-six from the GT3, while the front and rear bodywork was taken from the track-ready model and adapted to fit the Speedster. This included the adjustable carbon rear spoiler, though the front splitter was a unique design to the Speedster. Rather than use the PDK unit found in the previous Speedster, Porsche offered the 991.2 variant exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission, a choice made to enhance driver engagement.
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The newer car was not as exclusive as the 997, either. To celebrate the 356’s 1948 inception, a total of 1,948 examples of the machine were constructed. Despite this, securing one in 2026 will require considerably more money. According to Classic.com, the average sale price of the 991.2 Speedster sits at over $468,000, while many extremely low-mileage examples are being offered for close to $700k.
On reflection, the 997 Speedster may be the better option right now. It may be relatively overlooked as a collector’s choice in 2026, but it would not be surprising to see that change once values for the 991.2 version put it out of reach for most buyers.
Sources: Classic.com, Hagerty Valuation Tool, Porsche.
