![\"\"](\"http:\/\/liveimages.editorial.carsales.com.au\/carsales\/general\/editorial\/ge4756620954176999534.jpg?S=ISS\")
<\/p>\nPorsche seems poised to revive its famous Speedster nameplate from the 1950s for a special edition of its Boxster sports car.<\/p>\n
A Boxster with “speed humps” behind the seats has been snapped on camera during high-speed testing at Germany’s Nurburgring race track.<\/p>\n
The power bulges are similar to those used on the most recent, 911-based Porsche Speedster from 1994.<\/p>\n
Porsche has only made three Speedsters in its history: the 356-based model 1954 to 1959, a 964 911-based model in 1989 and a 993 911-based model in 1993 and 1994.<\/p>\n
If Porsche wants to make the 55th anniversary of the original then it has only until the end of this year to unveil the new model.<\/p>\n
Our guess is that Porsche will unveil the car at the Los Angeles motor show in the first week of December given that Southern California had a special significance in the creation of the original Speedster.<\/p>\n
According to the history books, the North American importer of Porsche cars in the 1950s requested a special, lightweight version of the 356 for customers on the West Coast “given the fair weather, cruising scene and lots of amateur racing”.<\/p>\n
The Boxster Speedster is said to have a removable roof instead of its electrically-operated fold-away fabric top. This is said to save around 50kg.<\/p>\n
Porsche is also believed to have given the Boxster Speedster more power.<\/p>\n
However, it is unclear whether Porsche will squeeze more grunt out of the latest Boxster’s 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine, which has 228kW, or fit the 3.6-litre engine from the 911 Carrera, which has 254kW.<\/p>\n
The current flagship in the Boxster range, the Boxster S, costs $145,000 plus dealer and registration charges. We’re guessing the Boxster Speedster would cost in excess of $160,000, the price of a Cayman S.<\/p>\n
Of course, official pricing and timing are yet to be confirmed, but the Carsales Network understands that the Boxster Speedster will be in local showrooms within the next 12 months.<\/p>\n
Over its five-year lifecycle, the original 356-based Speedster was powered by a number of engines ranging in size and power, from a 1300cc with 32kW to a 1600cc with 44kW. At the time, the cars weighed only about 760kg.<\/p>\n
The 964-based model was powered by a 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine with 173kW which gave the car a 0 to 100km\/h time of 6sec.<\/p>\n
The 993-based model was powered by a 3.6-litre six-cylinder engine with 184kW which gave the car a 100km\/h of 5.7sec.<\/p>\n
The new model is expected to be much quicker than this, possibly in the sub-five-second bracket. The current Boxster S, when equipped with Porsche’s PDK twin clutch gearbox, completes the 0 to 100km\/h dash in 5.3sec and has a top speed of 274km\/h.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/liveimages.editorial.carsales.com.au\/carsales\/general\/editorial\/ge4961459831168379852.jpg?S=ISS\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/liveimages.editorial.carsales.com.au\/carsales\/general\/editorial\/ge5634936002882336861.jpg?S=ISS\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/liveimages.editorial.carsales.com.au\/carsales\/general\/editorial\/ge5470970395187290066.jpg?S=ISS\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/liveimages.editorial.carsales.com.au\/carsales\/general\/editorial\/ge5553884698348004930.jpg?S=ISS\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"