The third-generation Porsche 911 Speedster appeared in 1994, again based on a 911 Cabriolet. Constructed on the almost entirely new and modernized Type 964 Carrera 2 chassis, smoother and better-integrated nose and tail fascia, these new Speedsters featured an electric rear spoiler that rose automatically at 50 miles an hour to improve aerodynamics, and then retracted flush with the engine cover when the car slowed. The model also continued the Speedster’s traditional raked-windshield theme. Its 3.6-liter air-cooled SOHC flat-six engine produced 247 bhp and drove through a precision-shifting five-speed manual transaxle. The factory stated that Speedsters were capable of a top speed of 163 miles per hour.

This 1994 Porsche 911 Speedster was originally built to order for the drummer of the Canadian rock band Rush, Neil Peart, who, in addition to being one of the world’s finest drummers, is an avid motoring enthusiast. The Speedster is finished in Black with a Black interior and built to Canadian specifications. It was optioned with an AM/FM radio with cassette and four speakers, air conditioning with full climate control, and a set of Michelin tires. The car was completed on 2 July 1993 and shipped to Canada where it was sold through Automobiles E. Lauzon of Quebec. Neil Peart enjoyed the car for a number of years, eventually importing it to the U.S. to be used at his Los Angeles residence. Peart parted ways with his 911 Speedster in January 2003. Immediately thereafter, the car was purchased by a prominent collector from Kansas, who has owned it since.

The interior is completed in black, offering passenger seating for two with red painted hard-shelled Recaro sport seats upholstered in tri-tone leather. The gauge cluster, shifter and boot, emergency brake handle, seatbelts, and door handles and pulls are finished in red, providing a tasteful contrast to the black interior. With the top down, a “double-bubble” tonneau covers the black convertible top. The odometer displays 47,501 km (~29,516 miles), which is believed to be original. A placard can be found on the passenger side dash denoting the car was built especially for Neil Peart. The Speedster features an upgraded aftermarket radio unit and speakers, as well as a removable front trunk-mounted Kenwood Bandpass Enclosure subwoofer. Naturally, these audio upgrades were completed under Neil Peart’s ownership. The car is accompanied by its Porsche manuals, in their original leather pouch; tool roll, original jack, and spare; a copy of the Neal Peart title; and its respective Porsche Production Specifications document.

The Speedster has been regularly serviced, most recently benefitting from a 30,000-mile major engine service. Additionally, the oil was changed, and the car was fitted with all-new filters, belts, brake fluid, recharged air conditioning, new distributor caps, rotors, wires, and plugs (twin-plug system). The Speedster has also recently been fitted with a brand-new set of Porsche ‘N-spec’ Bridgestone Potenza S-02 A tires.

With less than 1,000 examples produced, 50 percent of which were destined for North America, and even fewer to Canada, this 1994 Porsche 911 Speedster is quite a rare example. Even more so by the fact that it was custom ordered, purchased new, and enjoyed for many years by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer, Neil Peart.