The Porsche 911 (991) Speedster is now available in Malaysia. It can be yours if you part ways with RM 2.7m, and that's before options.

What's the Speedster all about?

Think of it as a 911 GT3 with a manual roof and lots of carbon fibre. Yes, the roof mechanism in a RM 2.7m car is manually operated.

Here’s a tidbit, the original intention was for the Speedster to have no roof at all. The concept car didn’t have a roof, only a tonneau cover.

But Porsche thought it needed a roof as a production car despite the extra weight, so here we have a Speedster with a manual roof.

The difference between a Speedster and cabriolet is - a cabriolet is sometimes driven with the roof down, but a Speedster is driven with the roof up only when needed.

In Malaysia’s scorching heat, do I really want a roofless 911?

If you’re feeling particularly hot on certain days, you can turn on nature’s wind at the maximum setting of 310 km/h.

How quickly does it get up to speed?

It makes 510 PS and 470 Nm of torque, 10 PS more than the GT3 courtesy of revised fuel injectors and new individual throttle bodies. 0-100 km/h takes 4.0 seconds, it could be quicker or slower depending on how fast you shift.

And yes, it’s a 6-speed manual transmission. After bidding farewell to at least RM 2.7m, you’d still have to row your own gears. That’s outrageous.

Then what makes it so special?

Combine the topless experience with the naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six engine that you have full control over and revs to 9,000 rpm, it’s an enthusiast’s wet dream.

I’m curious, where do I sign up for one?

The 911 Speedster will be on display at Porsche Centre Sungai Besi from 13 June 2020 onwards, for a limited time.

Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), the official distributor for Porsche cars in Malaysia, encourages visitors to schedule an appointment ahead of viewing to maintain social distancing.