Porsche produced two completely different sports cars back in the eighties, the formidable Porsche 959 with plenty of power and an AWD system and the retro 911 Speedster taking cues from the iconic 356. Despite fans’ pleas, the company never made anything in between, but then tuners went in to fill the gap.
This particular Speedster was built in 1989 based on a kit car package from Classic Motor Carriages. Strip the bodywork, and you will see a mundane VW Beetle underneath – although one with an upmarket cabin and engine. The exterior is surprisingly well executed given the difference between source and target body proportions, and the leather upholstery looks amazing next to an exterior finished in a warmer shade of white.
A two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood makes more power than the Beetle’s original engine, but is still a far cry from anything Porsche. As a reminder, the Porsche 959 could get to 300 km/h (186 mph) in a straight line.
The car has 233 km (145 miles) on the odo post-conversion and is available in the USA for nearly $27,000. A couple of years ago, another 959 Speedster cropped up for sale in Europe priced at €1,000,000 (see video), but no one was interested.