The Porsche 911 S/T Is A 60th Birthday Present To Itself

A 60th birthday is a pretty big deal, so Porsche has pulled the stops out to congratulate the 911 on its Diamond milestone. Its gift to itself and 1,963 lucky customers is the 911 S/T, a limited-edition, lightweight sports car with a manual gearbox and the high-revving, 518bhp engine from the 911 GT3 RS.

The number of cars being made refers to the first production of the 911 back in 1963. With a kerb weight of just 1,380kg, it’s the lightest of the 992-generation 911s, thanks to the lightweight engine, a new lightweight clutch with a single-mass flywheel, and use of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) on the bonnet, front wings and doors. This all contributes to a weight that’s 40kg lower than a manual 911 GT3 Touring (that’s the one set up for road rather than track use).

As we all know, lighter means faster and better handling (not that shabby handling has been a particular issue for the 911). The stats say 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 186mph, but the handling is likely to expand on that story considerably. Unlike other 992 911s, the S/T uses double-wishbone front suspension with a multi-link rear setup shorn of rear-wheel steering (another weight-saving measure). And unlike the 911 GT3 RS with which it shares its engine, the 911 S/T has been designed for the road, rather than the track, so it shouldn’t shake your teeth out over speed bumps.

The name? It harks back to the 1969 race version of the 911 S, which was referred to as the 911 ST within Porsche, and focused on upgraded chassis, wheels, engine and body elements, but not massive aerodynamic elements like you get on the GT3 models – they weren’t really a thing back in the ‘60s.

If you’re really into the history, you can opt for your 911 S/T to have a Heritage Design Package, which gives you Shoreblue Mettalic paint and Ceramica-coloured wheel rims, with a door number of your choice between 0 and 99. Inside, you’ll get cloth seats in Classic cognac with black pinstripes. Super retro.

So what you’ve got here, then, is the best bits of the 911 GT3 RS, mixed with the GT3 Touring looks, extra weight saving and a road focus. Sounds delicious.

How much, you say? Yes, it’s £231,600. And an extra £14,238 for the Heritage Design Package. Shall we put you down for one? Deliveries start later this year.