Sterling its great to see you on this forum, maybe a little late but still nice to see you open for debate, as a V fortunate Porsche client I did manage to secure one of the 23 cars destined for the Uk market and I am probably more excited about this car then any other car in my collection including the 964 3.3 lightweight that you saw when you came over last year.. As you are aware I own some very rare and special Porsche and for me this tips the scales, probably the most exciting car they have released in a long time.. As a soon to be owner of the GT3, GT3rs and 991 R I will be able a give you a full and unbiased first hand account to what makes it ticks. As mentioned previously, until people get the opportunity to drive the car, onion should be restrained.. Every article that has been in print about the R states it's the greatest incarnation of the 991 to date, so before you decide ' not a particularly special car, sadly ' It would be more restrained to Comment when and if you are given the full opportunity to drive one of Stuggarts greatest moments. Hope you are all keeping well and it's nice to see you on this forum.
Not unique bumpers but the front lip is smaller. I see your point about the upcoming GT3 but I'm not a fan of wings and like the classic profile of the R. Of course, on point with this thread, I'm not willing to pay those crazy prices to have it! Some interesting tid bits about the R...... https://www.pca.org/news/2016-03-01/12-things-you-didnt-know-about-911r
If it retains a normally aspirated engine, then yes. Though the next GT3 may have an optional manual gearbox, it may very well be mated to a turbo engine of sorts. The R is a tribute car, just like the Ford GT, and there's nothing wrong with that. I personally refuse to drive a car with GT3 RS size wing around town, The R is pretty cool I think, 500HP, NA engine, no wing!! To bad the global central banks have pumped global car market with easy money.
My comment more refers to the technical side of things (there isn't much new "under the skin" on the R aside from the transmission), I'm sure the car is fantastic to drive as the GT3 DNA ensures that! Congrats on the car, your collection speaks for itself!
A thread whose topic is "911 R crazy market" on a forum, will as you say, be open for debate, especially by USA-based people, to whom this primarily applies. That said, opinion need not be restrained just because someone doesn't agree with it. Mine isn't http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/144790446-post43.html but, as I said to another poster, we can disagree and still be friends! I think the thing worth noting is that the Press have a tendency to glorify everything new as the best thing since sliced bread, but, when you actually make a living specializing in these types of cars, you tend to be a little more objective, willing to praise where credit is due, and willing to criticize when you feel its warranted. Porsche Ag is not always going to be praised by the faithful, and this comes from at least one person who bought his first 911 29 years ago and still has a potent one in the garage. Some criticism improves the bloodline, the product, and how customers are taken care of, so its important for it to be voiced. Whilst actually driving the car is the best way to evaluate performance, I don't think its necessary to evaluate its mechanical specification, design packaging, and heritage designation relative to other 991s - which covers the comments that are being discussed - so commenting on the aforementioned should not be restricted to just people who have driven the cars. Whilst I am certain the 991 R is a great car, I for one have no particular burning desire to drive one, yet I think how I feel about it is valid. Personally I think all the comments are good, restrained, extreme, and all in-between.
That is partially true. Do you think people buying a 600k manual 599 with 3000 miles will pile on the miles? Doubtful. Part of the reason is exclusivity/rarity. People do want manual supercars and in porsche case, they can still get something pretty close to an R and soon a manual gt3 ph2. But R are going for 2x or 3x because of limited prod.
Agreed, rarity or false rarity gets big $$ amongst the clueless. Its just interesting that ferrari inssits that no one wants a manual, and in some circles if you mention a manual you are at best accused of being a luddite. The 911R is a drivers car, somehting we see very little of these days and soemthing there is still a market for. Hence the upcomming Gt3 and sucess of the Gt4.
Nice piece. However, as I pointed out, "The Best Porsche 911" has become a well-worn expression by the Motoring Press, past, present, and I daresay, future. The Press have a disappointing tendency to simply glorify the latest & greatest. As long as Porsche Ag keep releasing special models, each successive one will be quickly written-up as "The Best". Then its on to the next Best. This may have something to do with gaining readers or simply making sure they get the next one to test. Who knows? Either way it doesn't do much for objectivity. In fact, as many sources as write about these cars, as many different Best 911s there are: Is the Porsche 911 Turbo S the Best All-Around Sports Car? BBC - Autos - Is this the best Porsche 911? Is this the best Porsche 911? | Top Gear If anyone uses the Press for their buying decisions, they won't know where to start!
Meanwhile so far the 997 RS4.0 was the best of the moderns hands down. Followed by an acomplished paddle shifted large heavy bullfrog 991 Gt3, which simply is not the best, even if objectively it performs great.. So in that context the latest is not always the best. The best aircooled one, some say RS, others the 993 turbo S, the 930s were iconic but never the ebst and there were lots of duds or just ok cars. Seems to me we are at Carerra RS, 993 Turbo Rs, 997 Rs4.0 and now maybe 911R. Looking back its not such a long list to see the peaks, cars where it all came together. Yeah the media do hype and latest is always the greatest, but best?
Because they don't want to be conveniently left off of the corporate PR's short list for the next latest & greatest's press drive event in an exotic locale with fine dining and accommodations. With that said, the new 911R is the greatest 911 ever. This is an indisputable fact.
Quite often old men do not like to shift the transmission. At the local club event 1/2 the members would only participate in the breakfast event and had no interest in attending the early morning drive. In addition, some of the members who 'drove' their cars *****ed the club prez was driving too fast . So many posers. Flog all of them .
Well I have bad knees so I can relate to not shifting, although my 930 is manual I do prefer paddle shifting generally. Our PCA region has many driving events most are over subscribed and unfortunately several of the participants (those primarily w/o radar) have been written up. There is always a faster and slower contingent which each member seeks their own preference.
So there we have the first RHD car selling for 600k sterling 4 x list price.. A little article for R fans.. The greatest 911 ever produced..just maybe.. The 911 R is the greatest road car I have ever driven. It's not all-out clinical like the GT3, actually it's a little softer. There is more body roll than what you'd expect – contextually speaking, absolutely next to none - the car's mass shifting ingeniously to a point, gripping and then sticking like glue until the apex has passed. On higher speed turns, it bobs and weaves, with a level of lateral grip that just cannot be unseated with your humble correspondent at the wheel. It isn't locked to the ground like pure track-focussed 911s, but it elicits more driver involvement because of this. Read more: Porsche 911 R new car review Follow us: @drivecomau on Twitter | Drive.com.au on Facebook
