Turbocharging, dual-clutch gearboxes; is nothing sacred in Zuffenhausen anymore" Porsche appears to have heard those collective complaints, and picked Geneva as the place to launch the enthusiast-pleasing 911 R. Ned Jasper gives you the details.
Fancy a GT3 RS with less shouty bits and a manual gearbox" Step this way; it’s the 911 R. When Porsche announced there wasn’t going to be a manual GT3 RS, the purists among us got quite annoyed. Then when they changed the majority of their range to forced induction, this did little more than exacerbate things. Now Porsche has come to its senses, and created a car that is focused purely on driving enjoyment, rather than the optimum amount of aero or emissions.
Externally the 911 R is very much the same as the GT3 RS, albeit, without the gigantic rear wing. In its place, you’ll find a ‘normal’ retractable spoiler. More importantly, there?s a distinctive pair of red stripes. Whilst the omission of the wing and the supplement of stripes may not be to everyone’s tastes, it remains a firmly good-looking car. Despite the GT3 RS’s stripped out race-prepped cabin, the R actually weighs in at a substantial 50 kg less. That’s thanks to the carbon-fibre construction and plastic windows. Like with all lightweight, battle-hardened Porsches, you’ll also find a chasm where the radio and A/C should be (although they are an option) and, of course, ribbon door handles. Every little hel...