Porsche Builds Gorgeous 993 Speedster Factory One-Off

Porsche isn’t just celebrating 50 years of Turbo at this year’s Monterey Car Week.

As part of the company’s Sonderwunsch (“special requests”) program, a new factory one-off is debuting in the form of this stunning 993-era 911 Speedster.

This searing yellow open-air model is the result of three years of collaboration between the Sonderwunsch team and 911 Speedster collector Luca Trazzi. Starting with a 1994 Carrera Cabriolet as the base, Trazzi redesigned the 911, pulling design elements from previous Speedster models. While the chopped-windshield model had been a mainstay of Porsche’s earlier era, and there were official 911 Speedsters of both the second- and third-generation models, the fourth-gen 993 had never had a production run of Speedsters. Only two have ever been built before this yellow example—one for Ferdinand Alexander Porsche no less—allowing Trazzi to take his creation in a whole new direction.

The Italian designer came prepared. According to Porsche, he arrived at the very first meeting “with his own project book full of drafts and sketches and with a very clear and defined project idea on how he wanted to create his individual Speedster.” Trazzi would visit the Factory One-Off team multiple times, refining his design with a mix of old and new.

The latter comes in the form of the front spoiler, side skirts, and rear quarter panels, all based off the contemporary 993 Turbo. Same goes with the 18-inch alloy wheels, in the classic Turbo twist-spoke design painted black with yellow pinstripes. The black stone chip protectors ahead of the rear wheels are clear nods to the past as well. Trazzi also designed the round sideview mirrors, drawing inspiration from ‘60s racers.

Modern touches include updated headlights, sporting the four-point lighting signature of current Porsche models. There are liberal lashings of carbon fiber in the cabin as well, which sticks to the black-and-yellow theme found outside. A unique checkboard leather pattern adorns the seat centers.

Perhaps most impressive, Trazzi redesigned the cutline for the rear bodywork, giving it a graceful arc not unlike that of the 997 Speedster, featuring a combination of concave and convex surfaces. The whole package is dipped in Otto Yellow—a unique hue, named after Trazzi’s dog.

The team kept the powertrain appropriate for the car’s age: in comes the 3.8-liter unit from the Carrera RS of the time, good for roughly 300 horsepower. That car also donates its steering and brake systems.

“Having a designer as a customer was an exciting experience for me. Because Luca and I speak the same language, our collaboration was creative and focused,” says Grant Larson, Director of Special Projects Design. “He was also intensively involved in the project with very specific suggestions.”