Porsche 911 S/T: 518bhp, manual special is lightest 992

Porsche has celebrated the 911’s 60th day with a ‘purist’ peculiar that weighs conscionable 1380kg and pairs a short-range manual shifter with the 518bhp level six from the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

Effectively a Porsche 911 GT3 Touring with GT3 RS underpinnings, the caller 911 S/T has been conceived arsenic a tribute to the racing mentation of the 1969 911 S, and supra each aims to beforehand “sheer driving enjoyment”.

With the GT3 RS disposable lone with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the 518bhp and 343lb ft 911 S/T becomes the astir almighty car Porsche has yet equipped with a manual gearbox. 

This six-speed manual has shorter ratios than that successful the Porsche 911 GT3 and is engaged via a bespoke lightweight clutch – the single-mass flywheel is by itself said to shave 10.5kg. 

This “noticeably improves” the responsiveness of the people aspirated boxer engine, which “now builds revs with particularly bracing velocity and directness”, said Porsche.

Stringent weight-shaving measures – including the omission of rear-steering and the extended usage of lightweight materials specified arsenic CFRP – mean it is besides the lightest of the current-generation 911s. At conscionable 1380kg, the 911 S/T is 45kg lighter than a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS and 70kg lighter than the 911 GT3 RS, contempt its much overt road-going focus. 

Lightweight solid magnesium wheels also assistance to prevention weight, arsenic does a lithium ion starter battery.

The 911 S/T sprints to 62mph successful 3.7sec – down 0.5sec connected the GT3 RS – and each the mode to 186mph. Doing without the GT3 RS’s monolithic swan-neck rear helping is the main origin of the sprint clip nonaccomplishment and is to support the S/T arsenic a existent successor to the 911 S racer, which was released successful 1969.

But not each modern touches person been binned, with the S/T getting an extending spoiler with a Gurney flap for added downforce, and sizeable aerial vents predominate the beforehand end. 

Also added is simply a lightweight sports exhaust strategy that adds “a compelling soundscape”. And, dissimilar with the 911 GT3 RS, the absorption of the 911 S/T has been not connected way usage but connected usability and the driving acquisition connected nationalist roads.

The power of the RS is wide inside, wherever the 911 S/T’s lightweight billing extends to reduced insulation, lightweight solid and a afloat CFRP roll-cage, but niceties specified arsenic the retro-designed leather-cloth seats and perforated microfibre headliner hint astatine its little hardcore billing. 

An archetypal 911 badge features connected the front, the steering wheel, the wheels and the headrests - and the 911 S/T badge astatine the backmost is finished successful gold.

To people its spot successful 911 history, the German car shaper has constricted accumulation to 1963 examples – a motion to the twelvemonth erstwhile the archetypal Porsche 911 was born. Pricing starts from £231,600 (€292,187 successful Europe).

A peculiar Heritage Design Package (£14,238) is besides offered, adding the aforesaid livery and peculiar bluish metallic overgarment arsenic connected the 1960s 911 S racer.

This latest peculiar joins a big of different day presents the car shaper has talented itself this year, arsenic it besides celebrates 75 since its archetypal sports car: the 356.