Tag Archives: Speedster

A Million-Dollar Porsche 911 Speedster That Lost Six Figures Before Its First Oil Change

In the high-stakes world of Porsche restomods, depreciation is supposed to be something that happens to Cayennes, not carbon-fiber 911 Speedsters. But this Gunther Werks build just proved that even the bluest of blue-chip air-cooled exotica isn’t immune to gravity.

This particular Gunther Werks 911 Speedster—one of just 25 ever made—recently sold for $965,000. That sounds outrageous until you realize it had traded hands for $1.15 million only a few months earlier. That’s nearly $200,000 gone in under a fiscal quarter, which is about the same rate of value loss as a Bentley leaving the showroom.

Ouch.

The car left Gunther Werks’ Huntington Beach facility in October 2022, built to the firm’s obsessive standards and finished in a bespoke Gin Tree Green metallic. A year later, it landed at New York–based HK Motorcars, who apparently saw it less as a toy and more as a rolling financial instrument. That gamble didn’t quite pay off.

The dealer tossed it onto Bring a Trailer, where bidding topped out at $905,000—well shy of their reserve. Soon after, a private deal closed at $965,000, locking in a $185,000 loss for the seller. Whether that means the dealer overpaid or the new buyer scored a bargain is something the next resale will reveal. But either way, it’s a reminder that even seven-figure Porsches don’t always go up.

Fortunately, if you’re going to lose six figures on a car, it might as well be one that looks like this.

Gunther Werks doesn’t restore 911s so much as re-engineer them. Each Speedster begins as a donor 993 that’s stripped to its steel skeleton before being reborn with a full carbon-fiber body. Every panel is lighter, stiffer, and shaped with modern aerodynamic intent, even if the silhouette still screams late-’90s Stuttgart.

This one’s custom green paint is offset by matte green stripes and yellow Porsche script, a subtle nod to motorsport heritage wrapped in boutique-level craftsmanship. It’s less “classic 911” and more “what Porsche would build if it ignored accounting.”

Underneath the carbon lies a 4.0-liter air-cooled flat-six that’s about as far from stock as a Mezger can get. With Mahle pistons, forged rods, and a billet crankshaft, it produces 430 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque—numbers that would’ve sounded absurd in a 1990s 911 but now feel perfectly at home in a carbon-skinned Speedster.

Power goes through a six-speed manual, because of course it does, and the chassis is handled by adaptive coilovers with Brembo brakes big enough to stop a small aircraft. Six-piston calipers up front, four in the rear, and more grip than a tax audit.

Inside, the same no-expense-spared philosophy continues. Gunther Werks cabins are more private jet than vintage Porsche, blending bespoke materials with modern hardware while still preserving the basic 911 layout.

So yes, someone lost nearly $200,000 on this Speedster in record time. But the person who bought it for $965,000 may have just landed one of the most exquisite air-cooled Porsches ever built for what passes as a bargain in this rarefied world.

In the restomod market, timing is everything. And sometimes, even a million-dollar Porsche has a bad day on Wall Street.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Four rare Aston Martin Zagato cars are up for auction

The historic home of Aston Martin with a heritage stretching back almost 60 years, Aston Martin Works, has announced the sale of a rare car built by Italian coachbuilder Zagato. We are talking about the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato in Volante, Shooting Brake and Speedster variants, and the even rarer Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato.

All cars are part of a private collection and the Vanquish Zagato Volante and Shooting Brake were each produced in 99 examples, while the Speedster was produced in only 28 examples.

However, the most valuable car in this small collection is the DBS GT Zagato, which was produced in just 19 examples. All cars are powered by a naturally-aspirated V12 engine with 592 hp, mated to the Touchtronic III transmission.

Also, it should be noted that the owner separated the DBS GT Zagato from the DBZ Container Collection, which also included the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation. When the owner bought them, these two cars cost £6 million, excluding tax.

Source: Aston Martin Works

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1996 Porsche 911 Speedster by Gunther Werks is up for auction

The American company Gunther Wereks, specialized in Porsche cars, produced some of the best and rarest cars based on the Porsche 993. This 1996 Porsche 911 Speedster was produced in only 25 examples, and one of them is for sale.

This 911 Speedster is one of the most comprehensively enhanced Porsche 911s ever built. It is finished in Aston Martin Skyfall Silver and is in excellent condition. It is equipped with DGR computer-controlled active coilover suspension, custom suspension arms with revised geometry, uprated anti-roll bars, lightweight uprights, a front strut brace, a cutting-edge hydraulic front lift system, a windshield and carbon fiber hood with aluminum reinforcements. , Salsa Red GT brake calipers, nickel-finished Billet mirrors, matte Metallic Silver and satin Carmine Red striping, and, chiefly, its optional carbon magnesium Fuchs-style wheels with a Graphite finish. The chassis is reinforced with a new cage and hoop that are seamlessly integrated as a support for the tonneau cover, which has contributed to increased passenger safety.

In the cabin, a blend of exposed carbon fiber, sumptuous Mercedes-Benz Classic Red Nappa leather, and contrasting Dunkegrau Alcantara coating every conceivable surface right down to the cupholders. The odometer shows only 93 miles (∼150 km).

The Gunther Werks 911 Speedster is powered by a 4.0-L 6-cylinder engine with 430 hp (321 kW) and 330 lb-ft (447 Nm) of torque. That’s enough power to push the car from 0 to 100 km/h in less than four seconds.

The car comes with a specification sheet, car cover, books, and tools. The auction will take place August 15 – 17, 2024 in Monterey, and the estimated value of the car is $975,000 – $1,100,000 USD.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

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