As these recently-snapped Carparazzi pics indicate, Porsche continues to make clever use of its rear-engine, mid-engine 911/Boxster platforms.
In what appears to be a new-generation Speedster based on the Boxster convertible, the Stuttgart company will expand its mid-engine range to three vehicles, reintroducing a format previously applied to the 911 model and last seen here in 1994.
The cues are not so much in the tapering dummy roof strapped onto the prototype as in the dual bulges behind the headrests that were a signature of the last Speedster. Not easy to spot peeping out from below the sloping plastic rear window, they are unmistakable nonetheless.
But we disagree with Carparazzi's assertion that the windscreen will be lopped at the top to give a lower profile than regular Boxsters; the screen seen on the proto photo is definitely full height and, unlike the 911 Speedster's bespoke screen, should offer fully sealed weather protection.
Other things noted were the side mirrors sprouting from the bottom of the A-pillars, rather than from the doors (as in other next-generation Boxster/911 snaps we've seen recently), and that the side windows appear to use the same glass as the regular Boxster.
It is too early to speculate on the final shape of the Speedster's convertible roof, although it will no doubt feature a more sloping profile to shroud the bulges in the rear deck.
Actually, indications are that the new generation Speedster will look a lot more integrated than the original, which used a bulbous cover over the unused rear-seat area that never really flowed visually with the 911's lines.
Engine choice? It would be reasonable to expect the more performance focussed version of the Boxster would at least come with the most powerful available engine available -- that is, the 226kW boxer engine from the Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2.
Word is that the Boxster-based Speedster will appear at this year's Frankfurt motor show opening on September 15.
-- with Carparazzi
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