Porsche Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary with a Retro-Cool Carrera Concept

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It’s been 70 years since Porsche’s first production model was introduced to the world, and the German automaker intends to celebrate in style. To honor the original 356 Roadster, Porsche has revealed an open-air concept called the 911 Speedster.

Porsche has made Speedster concepts before, but never this elaborate. Underpinned by a Carrera 4 Cabriolet, the concept gets a 911 GT3 lower bumper, carbon fiber hood with a center-mounted fuel filler, shorter windshield frame with more angle, shorter side windows, and a bespoke engine cover made from carbon fiber. The Speedster concept is styled in silver and white to mirror Porsche’s early race cars.

Hanging over the rear wheels is Porsche’s 4.0-liter flat 6-cylinder engine from the 911 GT3. 500 horsepower surges through a six-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels. Though the company hasn’t said whether the concept previews a production model, we can still appreciate the heritage-inspired fun.

But enough reminiscing — Porsche’s next two bits of news focus on the future.

One look at the luxury market shows an abundance of SUV coupes. To this point, Porsche has held off from this niche segment, but in 2019, the company will enter its first coupe-inspired crossover. The Cayenne will serve as the donor vehicle for a slope-roofed entrant to compete with BMW’s X6, Mercedes-Benz’s GLE Coupe, and Audi’s Q8. We don’t have any other information at this time, but expect the same roster of V6, V8, and hybrid powertrains from the standard Cayenne to be available in the coupe version.

The final bit of birthday goodness is an official name for Porsche’s first all-electric vehicle. Once called the Mission E, the dual-motor EV will be branded “Taycan” (pronounced tie-con). Porsche says the name translates to “lively young horse” and references to symbol on Porsche’s crest.

Whether the name excites you or not, the car’s proposed 600+ hp and 0 to 60 mph sprint of under 3.5 seconds should do the trick. Porsche says the Taycan will be a track-ready EV, designed to run for extended periods without power loss from overheating. We can’t wait to put those claims to the test.

Want to continue your emmissionless electric vehicle perusal? Check out the first all-electric off-road bike, The Cake Kalk.