Porsche’s 911 S/T Blends GT3 RS Performance With Touring Style
Porsche claims this is a 911 in its most pure form. Lightweight, manual, and no nonsense, the 911 S/T makes those claims true.
While the 911 is always the flagship of the Porsche lineup, the 911 flavor has different tributaries that it can travel. After all, there’s a number of palates to satisfy. The 911 GT3 RS satisfies the ultra-competitive palate, where the GT3 Touring gives big performance in a civilized and sleek package. But if you were looking for the ultimate GT3 in terms of raw 911-ness, then the 911 S/T is the one to get.
Don’t think of this as a GT3 RS without a wing. That does an injustice to both cars. Purity is found in the manual shifter, and its light weight construction. It’s also the 992’s best performance yet, because out of all the 992 models made, the S/T benefits so much from light weight materials that this model is the lightest of them all.
In fact, just 3,056 lbs. In today’s world of fat performance cars, that’s an incredible number. Additionally, a light weight flywheel helps zip the 4.0 liter, 518 horsepower flat six to a dizzying 9,000 RPM redline. And with the 911 having been introduced in 1963, only 1,963 911 S/T models will be made.
As with any special Porsche, you can get the S/T as a paint-to-sample model. But there’s the standard smattering of Porsche hues to choose from.
What the 911 S/T signifies though is a final hurrah of the 911. The next generation of 911 after the 992 will undoubtedly have electrification. So to have a manual, naturally aspirated, rear wheel drive 911… well you night as well call it a farewell tour. Ok, so maybe the GT3 RS is the best performer, but this would be the MTV Unplugged version that gets all the air play. It is Nirvana’s “Man Who Sold The World.”
911’s may still be powered by a flat six engine, and be the iconic shape of Stuttgart’s most famous sports car. But going forward, we all know change will be inevitable. And thats what makes the S/T so unique. Porsche is trying to establish a renewable combustable fuel, but even so, internal combustion is likely on its way out. And that is the core of what a 911 really is.
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