Skip to main content

Porsche’s manual-only, GT3-powered limited-edition 911 R will be a purist’s dream come true

Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche is preparing to introduce a limited-edition model dubbed 911 R, a heritage-laced nameplate last used in 1967. The R is shaping up to be a lighter, less complex, and more driver-focused version of the track-ready 911 GT3 (pictured).

Like the GT3, the 911 R will be powered by a naturally-aspirated 3.8-liter flat-six engine tuned to deliver 475 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 324 pound-feet of torque. However, while the GT3 ships with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the R will exclusively be available with a purist-approved six-speed manual gearbox. Rear-wheel drive will be the only configuration offered.

Related Videos

Not content with merely adding a third pedal, Porsche will give the R a more streamlined, model-specific look by removing most of the GT3’s aerodynamic add-ons, including the sizable wing that’s mounted on the deck lid. The coupe will also ride on skinnier tires, and it will be lighter than the GT3 thanks to a long list of weight-saving modifications. The diet should help the R reach 60 mph in a little over three seconds, a figure that will make it as fast as the GT3.

August Achleitner, the head of the 911 product line, recently suggested that the 911 R will greet the public for the first time in March at the Geneva Auto Show.  He stopped short of confirming availability, but rumors claim that production will be strictly limited to just 600 examples worldwide.

How much of a premium the R will carry over the regular GT3 isn’t known, but pricing is of little interest to us because sources close to Porsche have revealed that it’s already too late to buy one new. A carefully selected group of loyal Porsche customers — including 918 Spyder owners and collectors who own several high-end models — were given an exclusive preview of the 911 R, and by the end of the event the entire production run had been spoken for.

Updated 1/21/2016 by Ronan Glon: Added new information about the 911 R’s official debut.

Editors' Recommendations

Porsche may summon the Speedster back for a limited-edition 911
Porsche 911 Speedster

The next limited-edition Porsche 911 will revive the emblematic Speedster name, according to a recent report coming out of England. The topless two-seater is tentatively scheduled to make its public debut next month during the biennial Frankfurt Auto Show.

Enthusiasts will immediately know what the Speedster name stands for; it's been around in one form or another since the 1950s. If you're in need of a refresher course, the nameplate typically denotes a limited-edition two-seater version of the 911 Cabriolet with a special body kit, a lower windshield, and a model-specific cloth soft top. England's Car magazine reports it will likely get a set of Fuchs alloy wheels that channel the company's heritage, too.

Read more
Watch Porsche’s 2018 911 GT3 blitz the Nurburgring in 7:12.7
2018 Porsche 911 GT3

If you're wondering whether a new version of a performance car is really better than its predecessor, Germany's infamous Nurburgring racetrack can provide a clear-cut answer.

It's now pretty much standard procedure for automakers to take all manner of performance cars to the 'Ring in order to achieve bragging rights, but Nürburgring lap times can also be a good yardstick for measuring improvement (or lack thereof) of two generations of a particular car. Take the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3. It just lapped the 'Ring in 7 minutes, 12.7 seconds. That's 12.3 seconds faster than the last GT3, according to Top Gear.

Read more
Get ready for the most insane Porsche 911 yet — there’s a new GT2 on the way
Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Porsche’s iconic 911 has changed dramatically over the past few years, and it turns out those changes were just the beginning.

For starters, you can’t buy a new, naturally aspirated 911; it’s turbocharging or nothing. Of course, this means the “911 Turbo” is really just a way of saying, “this is a faster 911,” but that’s a conversation for another time. We can also expect to see a gas-electric hybrid Carrera hit the market next year. And now we’re getting rumors of an RSR-derived mid-engined Porsche 911 -- if the German automaker bends to the whims of its customers.

Read more