Insider: New Porsche 911 Speedster to Debut in Paris

The recently introduced 408HP 911 GTS (read more here) in Coupe and Cabriolet forms won't be the only newcomers at Porsche's Paris Motor Show stand. According to our insiders, the Stuttgart-based sports car maker will also stage the world premiere of the long-rumored 911 Speedster based on the current 997 series.

The last time Porsche offered a Speedster variant of the 911 was back in the early Nineties with the 964-based model (see photos below). Like its predecessor, the new Speedster will pay homage to the 356 Speedster of the 1950s, featuring a chopped windscreen and the classic twin hump behind the front passengers.

Other highlights will include the nostalgic Fuchs-style alloy wheels from the 911 Sport Classic and the wider rear end from Carrera 4 models.

The new two seater 911 Speedster will be built in a limited number of units. We'll update this story as soon as Porsche comes out with an official release, so stay tuned...

READ MORE - Insider: New Porsche 911 Speedster to Debut in Paris

Insider: Ford to Reveal New Focus ST Paris Show Car this Week

According to Carscoop sources, we won't have to wait until the grand opening of the Paris Motor Show on September 30 to catch our first glimpse of the next generation Focus ST as Ford will release photos and preliminary specs on the hot hatch before the end of the week. The almost production-ready show car is based on the new five-door Focus (the three door version has not yet been revealed).

Now here's what else we found out about the hot hatch: the outgoing Focus ST's Volvo-sourced 225HP 2.5-liter turbocharged five is replaced by Ford's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost unit, which is already available on the refreshed S-MAX and Galaxy MPVs with 203HP, as well as on the facelifted Mondeo with 203HP and 240HP.

Our source told us that on the new Focus ST, the tweaked four-cylinder unit will produce around 250 ponies. The car will also feature upgraded suspension, steering and brake system components, as well as bigger wheels and a unique bodykit.

The final production version of Ford's spicy hatch will be unwrapped next year and go on sale in Europe towards the end of 2011 or in early 2012. We still don't know when or if the ST will be offered in North America.

*All photos are of the standard 2011 Ford Focus undergoing high altitude testing in Europe

READ MORE - Insider: Ford to Reveal New Focus ST Paris Show Car this Week