Daily Slideshow: DP Motorsport Backdates a 911 Targa into a Speedster
The 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster was a unique offering in 1989, but what would it have looked like if it had if it were produced two decades earlier? DP Motorsports feeds our imaginations with this backdated Targa to Speedster conversion.
That Old-School Flair
The 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster was a rare breed indeed with only 2,104 cars built between January and July of 1989. With the Speedster being a valuable and low-production car, some individuals turned to converting their regular Carrera 3.2 911s into Speedster replicas. The story goes that the owner of this particular car bought it as a near-perfect Targa to Speedster conversion that had been meticulously completed sometime in the late 1990's in California. However, he felt it was a bit too modern and needed some old-school air-cooled backdating. With the client based in Berlin, he opted to send it off to the masters of Porsche design, tuning, service, and backdating at DP Motorsport in Overath, Germany.
It Begins With The Body
Once at DP Motorsport, the car was set to undergo a visual backdate to make it look like a 70's era Speedster. The car received widened turbo-style fenders, early-look bumpers, a pre-74 long hood, and custom side sills that are much less pronounced than the originals and blend seamlessly into the body of the car. To help achieve that vintage look, DP added a black metal decklid grille that is said to only have been used 1973 model 911s.
>>Join the conversation about this backdated Porsche 911 Speedster right here in the Rennlist Forum.
Incoming Upgrades
The retro-speedster is currently powered by its original 218 horsepower 3.2L flat-six and mated to the ever popular Getrag G50 5-speed. It will see multiple upgrades over the winter including a set of Schrick performance camshafts, a larger throttle body, and a new exhaust system with the hopes of upping output by 20%. The car currently sits lowered on its factory torsion-bar suspension and uses a set of wheel spacers to widen the stance, but will soon also undergo the full treatment with a fully-adjustable KW Clubsport suspension package.
>>Join the conversation about this backdated Porsche 911 Speedster right here in the Rennlist Forum.
Originality Still Has Its Place
The interior remains largely the same as a 1989 model 911 with the dash, gauges, seats, and carpeting all being original equipment. That said, the interior of 911s from the 1970's look very similar to those all the way up to the 993 generation cars that were built until 1998, so the cabin will likely pass as 70's era trim to the normal passerby. The only hint of modernity is the alcantara steering wheel with Porsche branding and deviated stitching, a matching metal shift knob, and a contemporary Blaupunkt stereo.
>>Join the conversation about this backdated Porsche 911 Speedster right here in the Rennlist Forum.
Understated, Yet Stylish
DP Motorsports chose to finish the car in a subdued non-metallic Nardo Grey paint from Audi's color chip with subtle black accents throughout (headlight rings, decklid grille, signal housings, side decals, etc.). A set of 16" Fuchs wheels are an obvious choice for any throwback Porsche build to help achieve that vintage look, but the more contemporary 993 aero-style mirrors help to tie the modern speed humps in with the rest of the car for a nice interplay between old and new. Overall, DP Motorsport's backdated Speedster dubbed "Phantom Speedster" teases us with the idea of what a 911 Speedster may have looked like had Porsche produced one back in the 1970's.