- Blue Phoenix is one of 25 Gunther Werks Speedsters built.
- Its 4.0-litre flat-six produces 321kW and 447Nm.
- The 993-based Speedster has travelled just 174km since completion.
A very rare, very blue Gunther Werks Speedster is heading to Mecum’s Monterey auction in August, and it is unlikely to be a bargain-bin Porsche moment.
Known as Blue Phoenix, the car is one of just 25 Speedsters created by Gunther Werks, the California-based outfit famous for heavily reworking 993-generation Porsche 911s. This example has travelled just 174km since completion and has reportedly received a recent check and service from Gunther Werks.
993 roots, carbon attitude
The Speedster is based on Porsche’s 993, the final air-cooled generation of the 911.
That donor connection is more spiritual than obvious, though, because Gunther Werks has reshaped the car with widebody carbon-fibre panels and a far more aggressive stance.
Removing a roof from a 911 is not the sort of thing one does casually, so the chassis has been extensively reinforced.
Gunther Werks has also fitted upgraded suspension, JRZ coilovers, Brembo brakes and a front axle lift system, giving the car more serious dynamic hardware than its sunny-day Speedster body might first suggest.
Four litres, six gears, no turbos
Power comes from a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six developed with Rothsport Racing. It uses individual throttle bodies and produces 321kW and 447Nm.
That output is sent to enormous three-piece rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential.
In a modern supercar world obsessed with turbochargers and hybrid boost, 321kW might sound almost polite. But the Speedster weighs around 1180kg, so the maths still lands firmly in the naughty column.
Cabin gets the carbon memo
The interior is just as far removed from a standard 1990s 911.
There is a carbon-fibre steering wheel, carbon seats, custom door cards and door pulls, plus a beautifully machined aluminium gear shifter.
Even the front luggage compartment gets carbon-fibre treatment, because restraint is clearly not the point here. Extra storage areas are tucked beneath each side of the tonneau headrests, which is a pleasingly practical flourish in an otherwise deeply indulgent machine.
DRIVEN Car Guide understands the auction estimate has not been disclosed yet. Given previous Gunther Werks results, however, Blue Phoenix is expected to attract the sort of money usually reserved for proper hypercar metal.