The 200mph Porsche 911 R was the admission of a mistake, and a driver’s dream
We make our case for the Porsche 911 R being one of the most significant driver's cars launched in the last two decades
Imagine Porsche wanted to build the ultimate 911 for road use, uninhibited by the constraints of chasing elusive 100ths off lap times, and with the focus on pure driver involvement. That was the ethos behind the thrillingly fabulous but disappointingly rare 911 R from 2016, which Porsche engineers delivered by slotting the GT3 RS’s 4-litre flat-six with a manual six-speed gearbox into a ‘regular’ GT3 RS with the rear wing and roll-cage deleted.
This was a car that arrived at a point in 2016 when the H-pattern manual gearbox looked like it was stalling. Paddles and their perfect shifts were sweeping all before them, not least at Porsche where the 991.1 GT3 was offered only with PDK. And the rot wasn’t confined to the upper echelons either, where the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini had gone entirely two-pedal; the Renault Sport Clio had also switched to DCT-only.
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But the 911 R seemed to be that most unusual of things, an admission of a mistake. Enthusiasts still wanted the tactility, interactivity and joy of a manual gearbox. The R rectified that and paved the way for the 991.2 GT3 to have the option of a manual (as well as emboldening Porsche’s GT department to take more risks with more cars and limited editions).
The car is 50kg lighter than a GT3 RS thanks to carbon front wings and the elimination of the PDK transmission, so with 493bhp and 339lb ft the 911 R is as rapid as it is engaging. Porsche claims 3.8sec to 62mph and 201mph, and the lack of a stabilising rear wing is partially compensated for at higher speeds by a bespoke rear diffuser.
The 911 R is a simply dazzling drive, with an engine that’s hungry to rev and a deliciously precise gearshift that begs to be played with. It’s also a 911 that you can enjoy at relatively sane road speeds, although when the Cup 2 tyres are up to temperature and you’re leaning on them the reserves of grip are mind-blowing.
It might not have been a total turning of the tide, but I’m sure King Canute would have given it a nod of appreciation. Who knows, perhaps it bolstered BMW to keep offering manuals. Aston Martin, too. I certainly think its success was a bit of an antidote to the trend started by the GT‑R, and made some of the major manufacturers at least consider the possibility that performance isn’t everything.
