► New Porsche 911R revealed at Geneva motor show
► Features 493bhp 4.0-litre engine and manual gearbox
► 0-60 in 3.7sec; limited number available, £137k
Is this the 991-generation 911 that you’ve been waiting for? It’s naturally aspirated, lighter than regular Carreras and – no doubt some of you will rejoice at this – offered with a manual gearbox.
The 493bhp Porsche 911R, unveiled at the 2016 Geneva motor show, is effectively a lighter version of the GT3 RS without the race-bred aerodynamic additions. Only 991 will be built – we see what Porsche has done there – and each will cost upwards of £136,901. That’s assuming they haven’t already sold out, mind.
Porsche says the new 991R – which can trace its origins to the road-homologated racer from 1967 – is ‘arguably the ultimate road-focused 911 in the 53-year history of the model’.
So what’s under the rear deck?
Power comes from a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six, the same found in the GT3 RS, which punches out 493bhp and 339lb ft. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox – not the seven-speed as found in other 991s – and, provided you get a good launch, the new R should sprint from 0-60mph in around 3.7sec.
That’s several fractions of a second slower than the PDK-equipped RS, but that’s unlikely to trouble many a buyer. The new 991R’s got a higher top end than the GT3 RS, though; it’ll hit 201mph, as opposed to 193mph.
What else is new?
Porsche’s 911R is the lightest version of the 991 to date, clocking the scales at 1370kg. That’s in part thanks to a carbonfibre bonnet, carbonfibre front arches and a magnesium roof. There are countless other weight-saving methods in play, too, including the removal of the rear bench seat and a titanium exhaust system. Yup, you guessed it – the air-con and media system are optional, too.
The 911R also benefits from rear-wheel steering, ceramic composite brakes and centre-locking forged aluminium wheels. Externally, it features the retractable rear spoiler from the Carrera – instead of the GT3’s fixed wing – but gets a bespoke rear diffuser. Inside, there’s an R-specific steering wheel and a short-shift gearlever, as well as different trims and finishes.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Porsche’s latest model, however – spy shots had previously shown the 911R undergoing testing on public roads.
Read more of CAR’s 2016 Geneva motor show coverage here
Click here for CAR’s A-Z guide to the 2016 Geneva motor show