“At the start I looked around but couldn’t find the car of my dreams. So, I decided to build it myself.” Luca Trazzi has made this legendary statement from Ferry Porsche his own. And the successful designer from Milan didn’t just dream – he, too, took action. A 993-generation 911 Speedster was missing from the Porsche enthusiast’s extensive Speedster collection.
Luca Trazzi turned to the Sonderwunsch team at Porsche to realize his project. Together with the experts, he made his dream car a reality. It took more than three years to create his one-off car based on a 911 Carrera Cabriolet (Type 993) from 1994. The two-seater with the characteristic rear lid, which also underwent comprehensive technical modifications, is one of the highlights of this year’s Monterey Car Week (9 to 18 August 2024) in California.
“As a young boy, I fell head over heels in love with the puristic Porsche Speedster. I had to work very hard to be able to afford my first Porsche, a Speedster 1600 Super from 1955. Ever since, I’ve managed to live my passion, or more precisely, my Speedster-mania,” says Luca Trazzi. “My dream was to complete my collection with a 911 Speedster of Type 993. Out of passion, I designed what this model might look like. I wanted the project to unify the stylistic elements of all previous Speedster models. Because although this body version has always continued to develop throughout its history, it preserved the elegance of its predecessors and stayed true to its beginnings.”
“In this form, and with this vast range of modifications, the 911 Speedster is our first Factory One-Off for an end customer,” says Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualisation & Classic at Porsche. “This one-off car shows what’s possible with our Sonderwunsch programme – based on a classic Porsche 911 from 1994.” The project team even built a true to scale design model of the Speedster.
“Having a designer as a customer was an exciting experience for me. Because Luca and I speak the same language, our collaboration was creative and focused,” says Grant Larson, Director Special Projects Design. “He was also intensively involved in the project with very specific suggestions.”
The project began with a visit to the company archive to take a deep dive into the history of the Speedster and generate additional ideas. Luca Trazzi arrived at this first meeting with his own project book full of drafts and sketches and with a very clear and defined project idea on how he wanted to create his individual Speedster. This chimed with the philosophy of the Factory One-Off, namely that before the one-off car is finished, the focus is on the joint, creative car development process. The customer becomes an active part of the project team, closely following the implementation of their idea from the perspective of a project manager.
During the project, Luca Trazzi visited Porsche multiple times, making good use of the works ID issued to him for the project. Among other things, he witnessed his Speedster taking a bath in the cathodic dip-painting at the factory paint shop. This procedure is otherwise reserved for new cars undergoing the regular production process. Then began the complete manual coating cycle. The luminous yellow car paint was not just developed as a colour specifically for the customer – its name was also very personal, coming as it did from the customer’s own dog, Otto. During a meeting, the designer spontaneously named the paint after his four-legged companion, and ‘Otto Yellow’ was born.
“The rear lid with its concave and convex forms required a lot of work in the design, conception and production phases,” recalls Philipp Setter, Manager Sonderwunsch Customer Consulting. “But even here we managed to harmonise Luca Trazzi’s design visions with the Porsche processes and quality standards. After all, our Sonderwunsch credo is ‘You dream it. We build it.’”
The rear lid and the windscreen are typical of the Speedster. They are bordered only by a thin black frame that intensifies their effect. Further striking exterior features include the black, conical exterior mirrors in the classic design of sports cars from the 1960s and the four-point daytime running light of modern Porsche models. The bodywork line for the rear lid has been completely redesigned by Luca Trazzi.
The Speedster is painted in Otto Yellow. This imposing yellow was developed especially for the car. The 18-inch light alloy wheels in Turbo design are painted black, with the fineline in contrasting yellow. The black stone chip protection sheets in front of the rear wheels are functional design elements and striking features from other Speedster generations. They harmonise with the black door handles and the air intakes in the front spoiler. The Factory One-Off has a sporty look, with the Sonderwunsch experts having drawn on the front spoiler, side skirts and rear fenders of the 911 Turbo (Type 993). The looks of the indicators, taillights and light strip have been reinterpreted.
The interior is dominated by black leather with decorative stitching in yellow. The headrests feature an embroidered Speedster logo. The visual highlight of the interior is provided by the seat centres, which bear a check design in yellow and black. A masterpiece of craftsmanship, with every check being tailored and sewn by hand. The same pattern adorns the front luggage compartment upholstered in leather, the car cover, and a matching touring bag. Carbon elements on the dashboard, centre console and handbrake and gear levers further individualise the interior. The backs of the seats are also in carbon. For the first time in a Porsche 911 of Type 993, the carbon door sill trims are illuminated – in ‘Otto Yellow’, of course – and carry an individual logo.
State-of-the-art infotainment with navigation and Apple CarPlay is on board in the form of the Porsche Classic Communication Management (PCCM). These retrofitted devices developed by Porsche Classic open up the digital world to vintage and contemporary cars of the brand. The start screen was also individualised for the customer.
The switches for the power windows also underline the attention to detail, with the symbols redesigned to show the typical Speedster side line. A gilded ‘One-off’ badge on the dashboard bears witness to the car’s uniqueness.
-
-
22 August 2024
