When it comes to lightweight sports cars with rich racing heritage and consistent success, few can rival the Porsche 911. From legendary events like the Dakar Rally and Le Mans to Porsche’s own racing series, the 911 has dominated the track on a Sunday and Monday in the showroom alike, building an unparalleled reputation for performance and endurance.
In 1967, Porsche introduced the 911 R, a model that would mark a significant moment in its unmatched motorsport history. Ferdinand Piëch, Porsche’s R&D head, was the visionary behind the car that has gone on to become a legend, the 911 R which had been designed to dominate GT racing. The focus was on weight reduction; engineers stripped the 911 S of every unnecessary ounce, utilising fibreglass panels and plexiglass windows. These efforts brought the car’s weight down to just 800kg, the lightest 911 ever constructed. Equipped with a powerful 210HP 2.0-litre engine borrowed from Porsche’s racing cars, its purpose was to be a pedigree, race ready speed freak.
Despite its brilliance, homologation issues prevented it from competing in the GT class, forcing it into the prototype category where it faced stiff competition from purpose-built racing cars such as the Porsche 906. It did, however, secure several notable victories, including an impressive win at the torturous 1967 Marathon de la Route, an 84-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring. The 911 R, while limited in production to just 20 units beyond the initial prototypes, paved the way for future 911 racing models and solidified Porsche’s position in motorsport history.
The car’s legacy continued to inspire later models, most notably the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7, a model that captured the essence of the lightweight, high-performance philosophy that began with the 911 R. Today, both the 911 R and the Carrera RS 2.7 are highly sought-after models among the most distinguished collectors. Without the innovative thinking behind the 911 R, Porsche’s trajectory in the racing world might have taken a very different turn.
Values of 911 Rs are eye-watering, and we won’t pretend that the car we’ve had photographed by Alex Penfold, is one of the special twenty. That being said, it is a true clone of an R with identical weight, running gear and setup from EB Motorsport.
Porsche celebrated its 60th anniversary In 2023, and unveiled the 911 S/T, a car which takes inspiration from the philosophy behind another one of the greatest lightweight 911s of all time, not an R, but the ST.
While the time was not yet ripe for series production of such a stripped-down 911, the experience gained in the process of building the 911 R went to good use in a new project: from 1960, Porsche offered racing equipment for the 911 S road car. To avoid costly type approval for a new model, the car officially still bore its regular model designation. Internally, Porsche called it the 911 ST.
Lightweight design was the core philosophy, Porsche homologated a combination of the 911 S with a 2.2-litre engine and a stripped 911 T interior for FIA Group 3 regulations. Weight-reduction measures included Plexiglas windows and aluminium and glass-fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) body panels. The car scored its first victories in January 1970: at the Monte Carlo Rally, three Porsche 911 S 2.2 (ST) cars took 1st, 2nd and 4th. Over its production period, the ST in various guises participated in the Acropolis Rally (1969), on the Nürburgring (1970), in the East African Safari Rally (1971) and in the endurance races at Le Mans (1972) and Daytona (1973).
From October 1970, Porsche offered the 911 S (ST) as a road-legal ‘Sport Standard Version’ with the ‘Mehr-Minder’ (More-Less) M471 part number. With this number, the ST Package could simply be ordered from dealers as a regular component of the 911 equipment list. The motorsport version for circuit racing was M491; the rally version M494. Production of the 911 S (ST) ceased after three years.
The ST badge was rested for 60 years and, as with the 2019 991 Porsche 911 R, it returned to offer the GT3 RS experience in a visually paired back wingless configuration with the same engine mated to a manual gearbox. The 991 911 R earned instant icon status, the 992 Porsche 911 S/T seems destined to do the same, and for good reason.
The 911 S/T is for traditionalists who appreciate a more involving driving experience, and with 1963 units being built, it’s strictly reserved for Porsche’s top-tier customers. With a focus on reducing weight, the 911 S/T is fitted with lightweight components including magnesium wheels and a carbon fibre hood. Weighing just 1,380kg, it’s the lightest of the 992-generation models.
Behind the rear wheels the 911 S/T features an engine that we’ve come to know well, that naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six borrowed from the 992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, producing 518 horsepower. Unlike all current RS models, the S/T comes equipped with a manual gearbox and features a lightweight clutch, which allows it to be 10.5kg lighter than the GT3 Touring with a manual transmission, as well as a single-mass flywheel that make the makes the S/T incredibly responsive. The gear shifter has been shortened by about 1 cm allowing for positive, quick throw shift that is needed for a quick change. The transmission has been given shorter ratios than the 911 GT3, around eight per cent across each cog.
It’s that third pedal that is overwhelming, frustrating and challenging, at first. Of course, there is auto blip, but let’s be serious, you’ve got to DIY in a car as special as this, it’s meant to be a challenge! You have to treat it like a Carrera GT’s infamously notorious clutch, with respect. Don’t apply any throttle before the biting point or you’ll embarrass yourself. On idle the chatter from the clutch is alarming at first, it thrums and clatters and has a distinctive change in tone from when the pedal is depressed. It’s not that pleasant a sound, but it is purposeful and is a constant reminder that this is not an ordinary GT3, if there was such a thing. Let the clutch out and floor it, then you feel the results of having a clutch and single-mass flywheel which weighs half as much as it does in a GT3, it’s so zingy, vibrant and sharp, it revs so freely, almost as if there is no inertia. Go for a shift and make sure it’s deliberate and quick, or the needle will drop to idle, proof that you are not worthy. And that’s what I adore about the S/T, you have to stop messing around, you have to learn how to handle that clutch and shifter, and when you do, it goes from being annoying or frustrating, to being one of the most satisfying, rewarding and addictive gear changes I’ve experienced.
The suspension has also been optimised for lighter weight, focusing on balance and responsiveness for the road. As a result, the ride is sublime with damping that makes this a comfortable car in the rear world, particularly when you’re up to cruising speeds, the shorter gearing making things a touch noisy, but not worse than the GT3.
Is the 992 worthy of the badge? Well, as great and special all of these changes are, I didn’t even cover the incredible steering, the S/T is still a 992 as as a result, feels large on the road, particularly next to the desperately pretty, dainty 911 R. But the experience of that ferocious engine and the way you have to be a better driver to enjoy the fruits of your labour are unlike any car to have been released in the past, well, since the 991 911 R. All 1963 S/Ts are all sold out, they will never trade at the recommended retail price again and anyone that is blessed with the opportunity to drive one will crave the satisfaction of driving the 2023 992 Porsche 911 S/T.
I’ve had the privilege of driving the 1967 911 R on more than one occasion, and that require to focus, to drown out everything else that might be running through your mind, it’s not anything that I have felt in a modern Porsche, until I drove the S/T. They are decades apart, barely resemble the same shapes and the stats would have you think that there could be no way that the two could share driving traits. What Porsche has managed to achieve with the S/T, by giving it even a hint of the same driving sensations, is phenomenal. If I had an allocation and the cash, I would have to have a 992 S/T… and the pretty old car dressed in white.
