Well, that didn?t take long. Sure, we knew the Porsche 911 R was desirable. It?s probably?no, certainly?the most desirable of the current, 991 generation of 911 (although Porsche nerds surely know the R technically is based on the 991.1 series rather than the 991.2 on sale today). It?s also rare, with just 991 examples built, all of which are already spoken for. But we didn’t think it would reach air-cooled-911 prices less than a year after deliveries began.
The R was designed purely for enthusiasts. To review: It has the 500-hp 4.0-liter dry-sump flat-six of the GT3, here redlined at 8500 rpm. It wears much of the bodywork of the GT3/GT3 RS but without the attention-seeking aerodynamics. In the interest of saving weight, the front and rear lids and front fenders are carbon fiber, the roof is magnesium, and the rear seats have been jettisoned. It has carbon-ceramic brakes, rear-wheel steering, and a suspension lifted from the GT3, albeit with slightly mellower dampers. The black leather racing seats have houndstooth inserts, and the instruments feature vintage-style light-green markings. Most significant, of course, it has a manual transmission?the car?s reason for being, after purists derided the latest GT3 for being PDK only?and that manual is not the seven-speed box fitted to lesser 911s but a custom-made six-speed that does without the loafing highway gear.
So the 911 R is special. And this one that sold at a recent RM Sotheby?s auction in Paris is even more s...