Review: The Porsche 718-Based Stärke Speedster – A Masterclass in Modern Coachbuilding
As an automotive journalist with over a decade spent evaluating everything from track-focused hypercars to painstaking vintage restorations, I have witnessed countless attempts to capture the magic of mid-century motorsport. Few, however, execute the vision with the precision and structural integrity of the Stärke Speedster. Unveiled to a sun-drenched crowd at the Southern California Porsche gathering, Air|Water, this vehicle is neither a conventional restomod nor a fragile classic. Instead, the Stärke Speedster stands as a premium custom coachbuild that utilizes the exceptional chassis of the 2017-and-newer Porsche 718 Boxster. By fusing the romantic, lightweight design language of Stuttgart’s early racing era with the bulletproof reliability of a modern mid-engine sports car, Stärke Motor Company has delivered a compelling alternative for enthusiasts who demand both heritage aesthetics and contemporary performance.
After the Air|Water event concluded, Stärke CEO Seth Gortenburg remained in the Los Angeles area to facilitate exclusive media drives. I joined him on a crisp, radiant spring morning along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu—arguably the ultimate proving ground for a vehicle designed to channel the quintessential James Dean ethos. Cruising through sweeping coastal bends and challenging canyon apexes provided the perfect opportunity to determine exactly how this ambitious Stärke Speedster translates to the modern driving landscape, and whether it truly satisfies the rigorous demands of high-performance sports car aficionados.
The Art of Bespoke Coachbuilding: Echoes of Stuttgart’s Golden Age
The exterior of the Stärke Speedster is a masterstroke of automotive homage, drawing heavy inspiration from the legendary mid-engined 550 Spyder, the agile 718 RSK, and the iconic rear-engined “bathtub” 356 Cabriolet that paved the way for the original 911. Yet, looking at the car in the flesh reveals something photos simply cannot capture: the sheer presence of its footprint. Smooth, exceptionally low, and notably wide, this custom coachbuilder project occupies a more aggressive stance than any of its classic ancestors. Every retro detail, from the flush-mounted headlights and integrated fog lamps to the custom-machined “Wide Five” wheels that beautifully mimic original vintage steelies, has been scaled and sculpted to fit a modern track width.
Transitioning this nostalgic aesthetic onto a contemporary chassis is an engineering marathon. Stärke’s fabrication process requires advanced 3D scanning and sophisticated CAD rendering to ensure millimeter-perfect fitment. Upgrading the company’s original 981-based design to accommodate the newer 718 architecture involved a two-year development cycle focused on perfecting the hand-laid body panels. To seamlessly integrate the new coachwork, the donor vehicle undergoes a radical transformation where the factory exterior—including doors and rear quarter panels—is meticulously stripped away. The new front clip bolts directly into the factory Porsche mounting locations, while the inner fenders are structurally bonded to the new rear quarters for optimized chassis rigidity. Even the classic side strakes are fully functional, efficiently routing cold air directly into the Boxster’s factory engine intakes.
Traditional Porsche purists might initially question the philosophy of reshaping a modern chassis to mimic the past. However, in the realm of high-end performance auto customization, engineering integrity must equal aesthetic ambition. Approaching the shimmering metallic silver Stärke Speedster in the Malibu sunlight, my primary concern was whether the build quality could genuinely parallel Stuttgart’s legendary factory standards. Driven by Gortenburg’s rich background in American hot-rodding, the attention to detail is staggering. The panel gaps are uniform from nose to tail, the paint possesses a liquid, endless depth, and once inside the cabin, the craftsmanship speaks for itself.
Modern Dynamics in a Vintage Silhouette
The true genius of the Stärke Speedster lies beneath its sculpted fiberglass or optional carbon fiber skin. Because the underlying architecture remains fundamentally unaltered, Stärke can graft this gorgeous body onto any 718 Boxster variant. Buyers can commission a build using the 300-horsepower turbocharged base model, step up to the 350-horsepower Boxster S, or go all-in with the phenomenal 394-horsepower GTS 4.0, which boasts a glorious 7,800-rpm naturally aspirated flat-six. Furthermore, clients can retain their preference for either the tactile engagement of a six-speed manual or the lightning-fast precision of the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox.
Because the standard fiberglass body panels weigh virtually the same as the factory steel and aluminum they replace, the 718 Boxster’s world-class driving dynamics carry over entirely undisturbed. The second-generation prototype I tested began life as a base turbo-four equipped with the PDK transmission. While it may not possess the absolute raw ferocity of a GT-series car, it remains one of the most exquisitely balanced mid-engine sports cars on the road today. The steering feedback is incredibly communicative, and the suspension compliance masterfully bridges the gap between grand touring comfort and canyon-carving rigidity.
“That’s one of the beauties about what we’re doing,” Gortenburg noted from the passenger seat as we navigated a tight set of switchbacks. “You know, a 356 is beautiful, but there’s not a lot of horsepower there, and they didn’t handle that great. These cars can handle. The GTS has so much horsepower that they’re just so much fun to drive, and they’re made to drive hard.”
Over the course of the drive, the vehicle exhibited zero structural creaks, clunks, or rattles—a common pitfall in heavily modified vehicles. The only auditory intrusion was the standard wind noise expected from a factory Porsche convertible top. However, the unique design does introduce a few practical considerations. The extended front overhang and aggressively low ride height require a cautious approach when navigating steep Los Angeles driveways, speed bumps, and abrupt turnouts. Operating without a front-axle lift system demands heightened driver awareness, a factor that becomes even more critical if you opt for Stärke’s lightweight carbon fiber body package.
Choosing the carbon fiber upgrade shaves a couple of hundred pounds off the vehicle’s curb weight, pushing the already svelte 3,000-pound Boxster into an even more favorable power-to-weight ratio. For driving purists, this reduction in unsprung mass and overall heft yields sharper turn-in response and enhanced braking performance. More importantly, it achieves all of this while preserving the everyday conveniences of a modern vehicle. Owners of a Stärke Speedster will never find themselves on the side of the road tuning temperamental dual carburetors, manually adjusting valves, or chasing the notorious oil leaks synonymous with vintage air-cooled engines. You get the iconic visual drama alongside functional air conditioning, modern crash safety structures, power windows, and a reliable power soft-top.
Acquisition, Logistics, and High-End Ownership
Commissioning a bespoke vehicle of this caliber requires an understanding of the luxury automotive market’s unique logistics. Pricing for the Stärke Speedster conversion starts at $135,000. If you prefer Stärke to handle the acquisition of the donor vehicle, the entry point shifts to $189,000 before tailored personalization. With Porsche having ended production of the combustion-powered 718 late last year, values for these mid-engine platforms on the secondary market are steadily strengthening, particularly for highly optioned GTS 4.0 models. Currently, a clean base-model 718 with a PDK transmission commands around $40,000 depending on provenance and mileage, while securing a pristine GTS 4.0 with a manual gearbox can easily require an investment well into the six figures.
When navigating this tier of the market, savvy buyers recognize that bespoke vehicle commissioning involves specialized financial planning. Securing competitive exotic car financing can optimize the capital required for both the donor car acquisition and the extensive coachbuilding process. Furthermore, because this is a highly modified, high-value asset, standard auto policies are insufficient; owners must secure agreed-value luxury car insurance to properly protect the replacement cost of the bespoke fabrication and extensive labor hours invested in the build.
The premium pricing reflects a staggering amount of highly skilled labor. The physical body panel crafting process alone consumes approximately 12 weeks of the six-month build cycle. Beyond fabrication, the cost amortizes Stärke’s extensive R&D, structural engineering, and hundreds of miles of rigorous shakedown testing designed to guarantee that the legendary Porsche durability remains intact. Gortenburg’s team embraces an ethos of continuous refinement. “We’re hot-rodders at heart,” he explained. “Building cars, there’s always a rattle here and there. You’ve got to work through the issues. So as we build the cars, we find little things that we can do better. We’ve worked through most of the problems now, and each car we do gets a little bit better.”
When initiating a build, Stärke wisely advises clients to lock in their interior specifications early. Selecting the perfect upholstery, specialized stitching, and trim finish streamlines the process while the exterior is comprehensively dismantled. For a vehicle with this much vintage character, a classic metallic silver exterior paired with a rich Boxster Red leather interior is an undeniably timeless combination. Alternatively, a deep, liquid black exterior coupled with a bespoke Pepita houndstooth cabin would offer a striking, aggressive aesthetic reminiscent of mid-century endurance racers.
The Future of Heritage Performance
The overwhelming positive reception at Air|Water has cemented the Stärke Speedster’s position in the bespoke automotive landscape, extending the current waitlist to approximately a full year. For enthusiasts who appreciate the broader, more muscular proportions grafted onto the 718 Boxster chassis but prefer the rigidity of a fixed roof, Gortenburg hinted that a Cayman-based coupe variant may eventually join the Stärke lineup.
There will always be purists who bristle at the idea of blending a modern water-cooled platform with vintage styling cues. However, Stärke’s approach is fundamentally respectful: the company strictly avoids cutting up rare, historically significant air-cooled Porsches to create their vision. In an era where highly publicized restomods frequently attempt to forcefully shoehorn modern, overpowered drivetrains into flexible, 60-year-old vintage monocoques, Stärke’s methodology makes profound engineering sense. They utilize a perfectly balanced modern chassis and clothe it in automotive fine art. And most importantly, any certified Porsche technician can easily service the powertrain, ensuring long-term usability.
In the end, the Stärke Speedster succeeds precisely because it does not try to be an exact replica. “We’ve done cars that are 100% traditional, we’ve done cars that are more of a restomod look,” Gortenburg reflected. “We like them all. It’s not the exact proportions of a 356, but we’re just trying to capture the essence of the old car.”
If you are ready to experience the perfect intersection of golden-era automotive design and modern mid-engine precision, the time to secure your allocation is now. Reach out to the Stärke Motor Company today to discuss donor vehicle sourcing, explore bespoke interior configurations, and begin the journey of bringing your ultimate custom Speedster to life.
