NAPA, Calif. – Even with out the S/T on the roster, one may moderately assume that there’s already a brand new Porsche 911 on the market that fits the wants of any would-be purchaser. There are at present greater than two dozen permutations of the 992-generation sports activities automobile on sale, and with particular enthusiast-focused fashions just like the Carrera T, Dakar, and Sport Traditional peppered all through the lineup, Porschephiles aren’t precisely hurting for selection in the mean time.
At a look, the Porsche 911 S/T may simply be dismissed as “simply” a GT3 Touring that’s been outfitted with a six-speed guide gearbox and the engine from a GT3 RS, a powertrain mixture that hasn’t been accessible for the reason that tail finish of the 997 era’s manufacturing run. Even when that’s all it was, it might be trigger for some celebration. The GT3 RS’ naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six dishes out 518 horsepower and boasts a hovering 9,000 RPM redline, whereas the GT3’s six-speed gearbox is among the most well-sorted guide transmissions accessible anyplace. But, there’s much more to the S/T; it’s an instantaneous traditional that’s the last word type of 911 fan service.
Developed to rejoice the sixtieth anniversary of the 911’s debut, the limited-production S/T brings collectively a singular mix of {hardware} from the track-tuned GT division vehicles – in addition to some key elements that have been designed particularly for the S/T – to create what Porsche considers to be essentially the most driver-focused 992 but. The S/T title is a reference to a racing model of the 911 S from the nameplate’s earliest days. Internally often called the ST and first provided in 1969, the package deal included modifications to the chassis, engine and physique to enhance efficiency, nevertheless it lacked the massive rear wing and the opposite aerodynamic parts that may later assist to outline iconic track-tuned 911s just like the Carrera RS 2.7.
If that sounds lots just like the modern-day GT3 Touring, which is basically an ordinary GT3 with out the massive rear wing, you’re not improper. The S/T simply takes the idea lots additional, amplifying the cognitive dissonance of a 911 engineered for the monitor however meant for the highway. It might be injected with motorsports expertise, lightweighted and tuned to really feel extra feral, nevertheless it’s additionally higher suited to the tempo and circumstances of backroads quite than closed programs. For individuals who prioritize a savagely unfiltered canyon-carving expertise over potential lap time bragging rights, that is your GT3.
911 S/T and 911 GT3 Touring
The overarching theme of the S/T is a back-to-basics method to involvement and general efficiency, and it’s achieved by myriad small tweaks quite than a number of large ones. For instance, the peak of the shift lever was diminished by 10mm versus the GT3, leading to noticeably shorter throws, and the ultimate drive ratio was shortened by 8%, which equates to faster acceleration and extra frequent shifting.
The GT3’s dampers have been retuned for S/T responsibility as properly, leading to a suspension that absorbs mid-corner bumps at road-going tempo quite than bouncing over them, alongside higher general experience high quality. The GT3 Touring’s rear-steer setup was ditched, and the S/T’s steering rack was revised to accommodate the change. Porsche has additionally tossed the steering wheel-mounted drive mode selector, opting as a substitute to pare the user-controlled changes right down to what the driving force can individually choose through devoted switches on the middle stack: damper stiffness, exhaust quantity, stability and traction management, and auto rev-matching.
However what actually defines the S/T is the dedication to lightweighting. Porsche’s efforts go a number of steps additional than a GT3 Touring, and never solely does it end in a curb weight of three,056 kilos, making this the lightest 992-generation 911 highway automobile so far (the GT3 weighs 167 extra), it additionally offers the S/T character that’s not like the rest within the vary.
The eating regimen is obvious from the outside, which sports activities the carbon fiber doorways and consequent 991-style door handles of the GT3 RS, in addition to equally side-vented entrance fenders. S/T-specific magnesium wheels are additionally available to cut back rotating mass, whereas a small Gurney flap compliments the retractable rear spoiler to assist cut back aerodynamic elevate. The theme continues inside, which feels much more stripped-down and targeted than the GT3 Touring’s inside due to refined however significant touches just like the carbon fiber door seize handles and the material door opener loops.
The complete extent of the work actually solely turns into clear when you’ve introduced the engine to life. The S/T has considerably much less sound deadening materials than a GT3 Touring, which already has considerably much less sound deadening than an ordinary 911. You hear all the pieces: the low-RPM chatter of the flat-six’s inside workings as you tip into the throttle; the distinct change within the drivetrain’s clamor because the clutch is engaged and disengaged. At velocity, the exhaust notice is so all-encompassing that it’s genuinely troublesome to discern any distinction between the system’s two settings.
It’s not going to be for everybody – that is undoubtedly one of many loudest cabins I’ve ever skilled in a manufacturing automobile. However the racket makes the S/T really feel alive in a approach that few trendy vehicles do, ushering in credible motorsport vibes with out encumbrances like roll cages and harnesses that sometimes come together with them. It’s an expertise greatest taken in measured doses, although, and fortunately issues do cool down considerably once you settle into sixth gear on the freeway.
Whereas I wouldn’t actually think about this a tourer, the carbon seats that come normal within the S/T are arguably essentially the most ergonomic and well-designed OE buckets accessible anyplace. Though the one changes accessible are fore/aft and peak, you by no means actually really feel such as you want the rest to search out the proper driving place, and so they’re surprisingly snug throughout longer stints contemplating how aggressively bolstered they’re.
To get a clearer understanding of the variations between the 2, I drove a GT3 Touring back-to-back with an S/T whereas hustling down some damp, winding roads in wine nation. From a dynamic standpoint, the S/T’s suspension revisions and shorter gearing are essentially the most instantly apparent variations. The GT3 Touring is stiffer, but the powertrain’s response appears nearly torpid by comparability; the latter sense pushed house by the S/T’s new clutch and flywheel meeting, which weighs half as a lot because the GT3’s and permits the flat-six to comb by the RPM vary with race car-like urgency throughout downshifts. Make no mistake, the GT3 Touring is a incredible sports activities automobile, nevertheless it seems like a little bit of an afterthought versus the usual GT3. The S/T is an entirely realized imaginative and prescient for a road-focused, GT3-based 911.
At $291,650, the S/T is the costliest 911 on sale right now, commanding greater than $100,000 over the bottom worth of a GT3 Touring and $50,000 greater than a GT3 RS. Though there’s an argument to be made that it could’t be value that rather more, Porsche selected to focus largely on nuance and sensations with the S/T quite than headline-grabbing statistics, which means the advantages are tougher to quantify. One suspects, nonetheless, that the worth premium actually comes right down to exclusivity. Simply 1,963 examples will likely be in-built complete, so there’s little doubt that they’ll be buying and selling palms – after the scalper-deterring one-year required lease interval is up – for fairly a bit extra after spending loads of time parked in climate-controlled garages, not not like wine in a cellar or a portray on a wall. It’s a miserable thought, to be trustworthy.
At a second in time when vehicles are getting heavier, quieter, and fewer involving by-design, the S/T is a love letter to drivers who think about the sensory expertise to be a extra beneficial efficiency metric than being the quickest or the quickest. It’s for the individuals who fall asleep at night time with exhaust notes looping of their minds; those who’ve a favourite nook on the stretch of tarmac the place they go to disconnect from the noise of day by day life.
Right here’s hoping that a number of the people who’re lucky sufficient to place an S/T of their storage select to throw warning to their portfolios and use this factor for what it was designed to do.
