Even by the standards of racy 911s, the original S/T was a very special car. Built from 1970-71 to take advantage of new FIA rules that permitted wider arches than standard, the S/T weighed less than a tonne and could have anything up to 270hp. It’s perhaps best known as the 911 with Fuchs front wheels and Minilite rears, because back when a car could first be made with broader wheels for those bigger arches, there weren’t Fuchs big enough. So nine-inch Minilites went there, with seven-inch Fuchs as the front. Just 33 were made, and S/Ts won at Daytona, Sebring, the Nurburgring and the Targa Florio.
It's little surprise, then, that the badge hasn’t returned in more than 50 years because this is one of the most revered 911s we're talking about. However, it’s widely believed that the car seen here is the 992 S/T, picking up the baton handed over by the 991 R in creating a lightweight, very fast, retro-themed 911 with an evocative name from the back catalogue. Having been teased and photographed in various states of disguise over the past few months, this undisguised prototype is our best look yet.
Like pretty much every 911 since 1963, there’s something that works so well about a rear-engined Porsche with wide arches, a tarmac skimming ride height and an unadorned rear deck. Same is true for this S/T. Clearly, there’s a strong GT3 Touring vibe, albeit here with a new vent behind the front wheels that we assume is doing something significant with the airflow.
Needless to say, there have been strong rumours that this car might have some RS parts to differentiate it from the GT3 (it is almost certain to feature the God-like 4.0-litre flat-six, although in what spec and with what transmission, we don't yet know) and warrant a very special badge, so additional, more subtle aero devices in lieu of wild spoilers and strakes might be just that.
This 911 is expected to follow cars like the Sport Classic in offering a nostalgic take on the fast 911 when it comes to specs and colours. Obviously, the interior can’t be seen just yet, though a cabin quite as focused as the RS seems unlikely. But then that original S/T was pretty extreme, with soundproofing removed, plastic windows and even a reduced amount of paint used in its pursuit of weight saving - and Porsche has already suggested that this will be the lightest 992 of them all, so it'll be interesting to see what results. Frankly, it feels like anything based on a 992 GT car, be it GT3 or RS, has the potential to be pretty special - and hugely expensive.
The internet had suggested that the S/T might appear as soon as next week, given that June 8th was the date in 1948 when the first 356 was registered. But we understand that the major event Porsche has planned to coincide with that milestone is focused on something much newer and even more top secret. That means its latest Heritage-grade 992 is likely to appear later in the summer. Expect it to be worth the wait.
Images | S. Baldauf/S.B. Medien
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