Before now, I wouldn’t be one to deny that the 992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is quite possibly the peak of the 911. In fact, CT editor Matt Robinson described it as “perhaps the best car Porsche has ever made” when he drove it last year.
Where do you go from there, really? Sure, the 911 GT2 RS will undoubtedly be a mind-boggling piece of engineering when you pair a rumoured visceral hybridised version of the 911 Turbo S’ twin-turbo flat-six with the chassis of the 3 RS. In doing so though, it won’t have the sweetness of that nat-asp 4.0-litre and its 9,000rpm redline.
Nor really will you be able to exploit it to the full unless you’ve got the keys to Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit and your name starts with ‘N’ and ends in ‘ick Tandy’.
It turns out that the best way to make an even better Porsche than that is to simplify things and make it work for the road. Welcome, then, to the Porsche 911 S/T.
Porsche 911 S/T, front
Yes, it’s another name to throw in an already quite complex line-up but it may well go down as the best of the lot. Even if on the face of it, it looks no different to a GT3 Touring. It itself looking like ‘just another 911’.
Yet, it hides a small secret – really, this is an incognito GT3 RS. One that’s been stripped of the aero that’ll scare you from coming within four feet of a kerb, the plethora of track-oriented suspension settings that while interesting you probably have no idea how to use anyway for simplified road-biased options and crucially, it does away with the PDK.
There is indeed a six-speed manual gearbox in here, something you won’t find on any new RS-branded car and are unlikely to ever again, paired up to the same spec of 4.0-litre flat-six.
Granted, you can get that on the GT3 Touring which offers practically the same engine in an ever-so-slightly different state of tune that gives it less peak power but a bit more torque in that car. But the S/T has a few party tricks of its own.
Porsche 911 S/T, front, driving
The ratios are shorter for a start, and linking the gearbox to the engine is a lighter clutch and single-mass flywheel. That saves about 10.5kg in the drivetrain on paper and translates to an incredibly sharp throttle response in the real world.
Of all its applications, this means it’s the best way to experience the 518bhp lump. The raw, anachronistic nature of it shines through – and as ever, it sounds utterly beautiful the whole time.
There’s far more to the experience than just the engine too. Despite the bodywork looking practically identical to a GT3 Touring save for a heritage livery on this car, plus some rose gold detailing, there are actually some extensive changes in the name of shedding weight.
Not that the GT3 Touring was a heavy car, but clearly, there was a margin for improvement. Carbon fibre front wings complement the existing sculpted bonnet, there’s even thinner glass and a lightweight lithium-ion battery is fitted.
Porsche 911 S/T, rear, driving
Ditch the rear steering and throw a set of magnesium wheels into the mix, and the kerbweight comes in at 1380kg – 38kg lighter than a manual-equipped Touring, and a whopping 70kg than a GT3 RS. Granted, cutting all that aero helps with the latter.
Around a track, without it, you’ve got no hope of hanging onto the RS but as we’ve alluded to, that’s not what the S/T is about. This is a Porsche RS you’re supposed to be able to use in the real world, and it shows.
Its more compliant spring and damper settings are a godsend on UK roads, elevating some of the skittishness of the RS yet it still feels remarkably involving. Yet, the front end is as sharp as anything, steering utterly pinpoint and all of the time it makes you feel like you’re working it, not it working you.
Add in the powertrain and it’s like you’ve been thrust back to the heyday of cars those a generation or two older than you batter on about. There’s no over-intrusiveness of electric systems, you’ve got a proper mechanical diff, and it feels properly light on its feet. You forget about its sheer size and those minute weight-saving measures combine to make a big difference in the way the car underneath you feels. As one package, it’s truly, truly special.
Porsche 911 S/T, interior
Yet, because it’s another Porsche 911, it does Porsche 911 things. Sure, it’s a little noisy with some of the insulation removed but it’s never troublesome, it rides comfortably at speeds, you can park it without much hassle and – unlike the RS – it gets a useable front boot. Wonderful.
Any complaints? Well, the carbon fibre roll cage reduces rear visibility a bit and makes it a bit tricky to put bags back there – that may bother you on the many cross-continent trips you’ll feel inclined to take in the car.
Oh, some of the piano black trim on this test car looks like it’ll scratch easily and then there’s the real killer – knowing that even if you have the cash for the £231,600 asking price, you can’t buy one. They’re all sold out.
Porsche 911 S/T, front, driving
As a piece of engineering, the 911 GT3 RS is a more remarkable thing but that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that it’s going to be slower around the Nurburgring, that you’re unlikely to turn as many heads of unknowing onlookers, that this isn’t an RS-branded car and the influencer cock-wielding that comes with that.
What matters is that as something to own, use, appreciate and live with every day, the 911 S/T eclipses it. It may be the best thing Porsche has ever made. In fact, it may be the best sports car ever made.
