What is it that distinguishes a puristic sports car of classic design. Probably the purity, the undiluted driving pleasure. No frills, no unnecessary comfort, just a symbiosis of driver and material. The engineers from Zuffenhausen probably saw it that way, too, and launched an edition of the last free-breathing Porsche 991, limited to 911 models. What can the new Porsche 911 R do?
What was the outcry when, with the model change from the 993 to the 996, air cooling gave way to water cooling? Even today, sworn Porsche fans are firmly convinced that the last Lufti - i.e. the 993 - is the last true Porsche. When the model is changed from the 991 I to the 991 II, the boxer six-cylinder engines no longer breathe freely, but are all forced ventilated with at least one turbocharger. So the 911 Turbo actually loses the right to claim the legendary “Turbo logo” for itself - after all, all 911s are now also turbos.
Really all 911s? Well, the strictly limited special model Porsche 500 R literally whistles on the turbo and gets 1967 sucking horsepower from a four-liter boxer engine. It follows the model from 1960 and can therefore only fall back on a classic manual transmission. Or did the ancestor from the 76s have a dual clutch transmission? Certainly not. However, the 911 1.370 already demonstrated the lightweight construction that the current R is now also performing. 911 kilograms curb weight are worthy of all honor and even undercut the 3 GT50 and RS by XNUMX KG.
This is how the high-revving six-cylinder is supposed to join forces with the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS. With 500 PS at 8.400 rpm and 460 Nm at 4.250 tours, it hardly has to line up behind the two. With 3,8 seconds to 100 km / h and a top speed of 323 kilometers per hour, no other sports car can beat the Porsche 911 R so quickly. The average consumption should be 13,3 liters / 100 km, but it will hardly be sustainable on the preferred terrain - winding country roads.
To this end, the 911 R offers specially tailored rear-axle steering as standard, which enables direct steering behavior, precise handling and, at the same time, high driving stability. The mechanical rear axle lock ensures maximum traction, while the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) with its discs measuring 410 mm at the front and 390 mm at the rear ensures quick stops. If the 20-inch model with 245 tires at the front and 305 tires at the rear lose their grip, the adapted PSM will iron out critical situations again.
The double-declutching function, which can be activated, should enable perfect gear changes of the crisp six-speed transmission, as we see it from the Nissan 370 Z know. The single-mass flywheel improved the unit's spontaneity and high-revving dynamics, and the chassis, which comes from the Porsche 911 GT3, links the last sucking 911 with the road. Particularly practical in everyday life: the lift system, which allows it to be raised by 30 mm to leave the pretty aprons untouched. These also come from the GT3. The front spoiler lip, the central twin tailpipes of the titanium exhaust system and the R-specific rear underbody diffuser, however, are reserved for the Porsche 911 R. It also works without the fixed rear spoiler of the racing machines. Instead, the R has Porsche logos on the sides and colored stripes in red or green - which may appear a bit thick when applied. Inside, full carbon shells await the occupants and are lined with fabric center panels in a pepita check pattern to emphasize the 1960s style. There is also a GT sports steering wheel with a diameter of 360 mm, carbon trim strips and an aluminum badge on the passenger side, which seals the exclusivity of the Zuffenhausen company. Well known, but always a nice gag, are the loops as door openers, which of course also contribute to weight reduction.
The bonnet and fenders made of carbon and the roof made of magnesium also serve this purpose. The rear windows made of plastic as well as the waiver of some insulation and above all the unused rear seat save even more weight. Those who are really serious can also save on the radio and air conditioning. Saving is a good keyword anyway: € 189.544 should at least be on the high edge to call the Porsche 911 R your own - provided you get another one. If the legend is true that Porsche horsepower always counts twice, that would be a more than fair deal.