NoPaddleShiftFor

Only if I rev her

Softarga

My odometer just flipped 1000 on the R and I have 995 on the RS. Both are incredible drives but very different. The R makes more mechanical noises (especially the single mass flywheel) which is music to this mechanical engineer. Lighter steering and it feels like you can steer it with the throttle (very similar to my 75 RSR). Feels like it has more torque and acceleration than the RS (I suspect due to the gearing of the 6-speed). Shifter is a dream. The RS is more surgical, especially in the mountains. RS handles better and sticks to the road/curves like nothing I've ever driven. Love the PDK too, especially on the track. The R is old school (so am I, as I race a R 2.0L clone). Hard to compare either the R or RS to the 997 4.0L RS (I had a black one and GT2RS). The 997 4.0L was an incredible car, but the RWS and chassis on the 991 changes everything. It's a step function approval for handling. The GT2RS still feels much faster than any Porsche I've driven. Can't wait for the 991 version.

Jimmy-D

Boy- all this reading about the 'R" just makes me think what the .2 GT3 will be like if they blended the "R' and "RS" to create the .2 GT3

turbofreeFLAT6

Thanks for the review. Good colour scheme too - reminiscent of my favourite 2.7 RS combo.

GrantG

Nope, if anything the gearing (and redline) favors the RS slightly. It has to be down to the lighter flywheel and the greater efficiency of the manual gearbox (less power wasted as heat compared to PDK) - this common impression has been discussed before...

MerlinRS

Great read, thank you! Can you elaborate a bit more on the 4.0 and GT2? Very interested to hear about how they are in general and how they stack up against the newer folks.

JCBH

So interesting. I think your R is absolutely tasteful and classy. Congrats on your selections in build - it suits this car so well. Very impressed, and drive safely and in good health.
Jeff

CAlexio

What if the engagement of shifting your own gears feels faster? Sure feels like it feels like it...

GrantG

Could be that and the R is a little lighter (particularly the wheels/tires and brakes if RS had Iron) and has less aero drag.

unotaz

You also need to factor in that the R runs a slightly higher compression ratio than the RS and the engine also runs a few degrees cooler than the RS as well. But I agree with the sentiment that the R pulls stronger. Feels like the car has 550hp.

Awdnut

Another factor is that the R has slightly higher engine compression ratio of 13.2 while the RS compression ratio is 12.9

neanicu

It's lighter,it has less drag,same power...I'm sure it pulls stronger.

BusDriver

Good fun reading everyone's driving impressions - I have been away from this thread too long!!



Some comments on the 911R's acceleration vs the 911 GT3 RS and the 911 Turbo...

The R's acceleration is very good despite not having launch control, and despite its slower manual gearshifts.

If you are a complete barbarian (not me!), a 4000 rpm clutch drop is the hardest possible launch on a 911R. But even that brutal clutch drop is tame compared an RS which can be launched at 6700 rpm, or a 911 Turbo at 5600 rpm. As a result, the RS is about 0.5 sec faster to 100 km/h, and the Turbo about 1 sec faster. The 911R's 0.5 sec disadvantage to the RS is mostly at launch. And the 1 sec disadvantage of the Turbo is due to a combination of the Turbo's incredible launch and very strong mid range power.

However, the R does a lot better once moving. From 100 km/h to 200km/h, the R accelerates harder than the RS and is only a few ticks behind the Turbo. Once over 200 km/h, the R accelerates faster than both the RS and the Turbo. Not bad to outrun the RS at highway speeds, and the Turbo at high speed.

The old school hot rod 911R packs a punch!

turbofreeFLAT6

The 50 kg quoted weight difference makes the R equivalent to a 991 RS with 518 hp. Porsche quotes the lightest possible spec, so an RS with steel discs and Clubsport package (does anyone know their weights?) would equate to at least a 30 hp difference. However the fractionally lower first 4 ratios of the RS give it the equivalent of about 10 hp and considerably more in 5th and 6th but that is counteracted by the extra drag of the RS's width and aero.

BusDriver

The end result is small differences at normal highway speeds. But bigger differences below and above highway speeds - the RS is a lot quicker to 100 km/h, while the R is a lot quicker above 200 km/h.

But since most of us never drive with a stopwatch, most relevant difference is in the spirit of the cars. On public roads, the RS is a warrior without a war. That warrior belongs on the battlefield of the racetrack. By contrast, the R is a thoroughbred born to run on the road.

Ok, I'll stop writing now - just going a little bananas waiting for the snow to clear so I can be driving the 911R again.