Porsche 911 S/T review

As you know by now, limited-edition numbered Porsches aren’t something you can buy on a whim. You need to have got your name down early. Expect to see these advertised for half a million quid next year, if the 911 R and GT3 RS are anything to go by.

You can spend £14,000 on a Heritage Design package which distinguishes your S/T with racing numerals, white-painted wheels and dubious ‘Icon of Cool’ puddle lights. Don’t bother, says us. The wheels weather quickly even with the standard ceramic brakes not producing as much dust as steel rotors would, the livery looks a tad juvenile for such an elegantly subtle supercar, and the puddle lights are just awful. Writing ‘cool’ makes something uncool. We don’t make the rules.

If you’re feeling flush you could spend £12,000 on a paint-to-sample colour and Porsche will gouge your wallet with various choices of bespoke upholstery and stitching. But actually, this isn’t the usual death-by-configurator speccing experience. You can’t have an automatic gearbox, rear-steer, active anti-roll bars or a sunroof. There’s no agony of deciding whether or not to have the wing. All S/Ts get a gurney flap.

Actually, that’s worth noting if you haven’t managed to get your hands on one. See, Mr Preuninger explains that part of the motivation for the S/T’s teeny rear lip spoiler is his personal annoyance at the ugliness of a GT3 Touring’s active rear wing, which opens up at around 80kph and ruins the lines of the car’s shapely rear. By fitting the surprisingly effective gurney, the S/T can keep its beauty intact until 130kph, and even then the rear deck doesn’t open so far.

When we asked if this development would make it onto the revised, facelifted 992 GT3, we were met with a knowing smile. And if the S/T’s development can gift the GT3 a prettier rump, maybe it could also hand over its superior damping and steering. Don’t fret, S/T owner: you’ll still have the plaques, badges, lightweight transmission internals, and of course the carbon fibre doors which are apparently a complete nightmare to produce.