Header: Courtesy of Porsche
Porsche revealed the 911 Spirit 70 at the Shanghai Auto Show, a convertible limited to 1,500 units featuring the Olive Neo exterior colour, historically inspired decorative graphics, and the Pasha pattern in the interior. The design references the style of the 1970s and early 1980s.
Created as part of the Heritage Design strategy, this model is the third 911 in which Porsche integrates design elements from earlier vehicles, as the technical basis for the 911 Spirit 70 is the current 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet with a performance hybrid. Combined with the high-voltage system, the eTurbo, and the electric motor in the new PDK, the newly developed 3.6-litre boxer engine achieves a system output of 398 kW (541 hp) and 610 Nm.
“The Heritage Design models occupy a defined position within our product strategy from a design perspective,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche. “Each design references elements from our history and adapts them within the framework of a contemporary sports car.”
Alexander Fabig, Vice President of Individualisation and Classic, adds: “The first two models in the Heritage Design strategy revisited the style of previous decades. We are now presenting the third model in the series.”
The Heritage Design models focus on historical design references within Porsche’s product strategy. The first model in the series was the 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, presented in 2020 with elements from the 1950s and early 1960s. The 911 Sport Classic followed in 2022 as the second model, limited to 1,250 units, referencing the 1960s and early 1970s style.
The new 911 Spirit 70 aligns with Porsche’s corporate strategy to expand customisation options. Porsche currently offers more than 1,000 Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur options. Over the past five years, the average sales per vehicle with these options have doubled, so to meet growing demand, Porsche plans to increase the capacity of the Exclusive Manufaktur programme further.
Porsche Design has created a chronograph exclusively for buyers of the 911 Spirit 70. The watch includes design elements referencing the vehicle, such as the shiny black Pasha pattern on the dial, inspired by the seat centre panels. Furthermore, the Porsche Lifestyle Collection accompanying the 911 Spirit 70 includes clothing, accessories, and model vehicles with design cues referencing the 1970s.
The exterior: Colour concept and historic-style details
The Olive Neo exterior colour was developed specifically for the 911 Spirit 70. Bronzite contrasts the lower rear section, front section, and Sport Classic wheels in “Fuchs” design. The soft top is black, as is the windscreen frame.
Three decorative stripes in black silk gloss run across the bonnet, referencing safety stickers used by drivers in the 1970s, and continue tone-on-tone on the soft top. The side graphics feature Porsche lettering and a round start number field (“Lollipop”) in black silk gloss with an individual start number.
The vehicle features a Porsche crest on the front bonnet, which is closely based on the historic crest from 1963. Gold-coloured “Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur” badges are located on the front wings, and a Porsche Heritage badge is positioned on the boot lid grille, referencing the badge awarded to the Porsche 356 for reaching the 100,000-kilometre mark. Additional details include gold-coloured Porsche lettering and the model designation at the rear, with a galvanised gold-plated surface.
The interior: Pasha pattern and instrument cluster design
The interior features the Pasha fabric pattern in black/olive neo, with the graphic design of the fabric consisting of differently sized rectangles. The textile uses flock yarns instead of jacquard velour, aiming to improve feel and comfort.
The Pasha pattern appears on the seat centre panels of the 18-way Sports Seats Plus, on the door mirrors, and inside the glove compartment. Decorative inlays on the seat backrests and dashboard trim are also available in the same pattern as an option, with a reversible boot mat in Pasha being part of the standard specification. The interior includes club leather trim in basalt black, decorative stitching in olive neo, and the basalt black club leather interior package.
The instrument cluster combines historical styling with digital technology. The 12.65-inch high-resolution display features white pointers and scale lines in analogue format, with green digits referencing the Porsche 356. The model lettering is integrated into the fully digital rev counter and the Sport Chrono stopwatch also features white hands and green numerals.
Virtual vehicle customisation with the Apple Vision Pro app
Porsche is offering an app for the Apple Vision Pro that allows users to explore design options for the 911 Spirit 70. Users can customise the vehicle through the app and view design details from the 1970s.
