2024 Porsche 911 S/T First Look: P-Car Fanfic Come to Life
The Porsche 911 S/T gives the purists what they want ... if the purists can actually get their hands on one.
If there is one thing that automakers love, its celebrating the anniversaries of their performance cars with extremely limited special editions. We'd argue that no brand loves that type of thing more than Porsche. 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the Porsche 911, and we're pretty sure this limited edition 911 will have collectors throwing deposits at dealerships like they were Major League pitchers.
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The 2024 Porsche 911 S/T is the official anniversary model of the 911 and is also the lightest of the 992 generation, according to Porsche. Set to make its U.S. debut at Rennsport Reunion 7 in October, only 1,963 examples of the Porsche 911 S/T will be produced. (Naturally, that production number is a nod to the first year of the 911 model.) Anyone that's been paying attention knows that Porsche isn't one for simple badge jobs on limited models. However, Porsche does love to mix and match goodies from its parts bins, so lets get into the 2024 Porsche 911 S/T's ingredients.
The Porsche 911 S/T Combines Bits of the GT3 RS and GT3 Touring
The foundation of the 2024 Porsche 911 S/T comes from both the GT3 RS and the GT3 Touring Package. Essentially, Porsche took the 518 horsepower, 4.0-liter engine from the GT3 RS and dropped into a GT3 Touring Package chassis. The headlining feature of this union is the fact that the the GT3 RS engine is mated to a manual transmission in a 992 for the first time. Those cheers you just heard are the very vocal Porsche fans who have been pleading with the automaker to give them a manual GT3 RS.
This isn't quite that, but it's probably the closest we're ever going to get, so we imagine many of the folks asking for it are pleased with this result. To keep the high-revving GT3 RS boxer engine happy, its paired with a special close-ratio gearbox, lightweight clutch, and shortened constant axle ratio.
Rear Axle Steering Isn't Invited to the Party
Considering that one of Porsche's goals with the 2024 911 S/T is to save weight, it inevitably meant that certain features from either the GT3 RS or the GT3 Touring had to go. In this particular case, Porsche felt that the mass of its rear-axle steering system didn't outweigh its benefits—sometimes puns happen. The 911 S/T will be the only model in the 992 generation to have a double-wishbone front axle suspension with a multi-link rear-axle andnothave rear-axle steering. Which is just another bullet point that will likely make this model all the more collectable.
Despite the omission of the rear-axle steering system, Porsche promises that the 911 S/T will still have sharp, responsive handling. The standard Gurney flap and "ultra high-performance tires"—255/35 ZR in the front and 315/30 ZR in the rear—should provide plenty of aerodynamic and mechanical grip, respectively.
2024 Porsche 911 S/T Is the Lightest 992
Porsche also put the S/T on a diet. While it may look like no major changes have been made to the GT3 Touring's body, the hood, roof, and doors are made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The staggered center-locking wheels—20 inches in the front and 21 inches in the rear—are magnesium, making them very lightweight (and very expensive). Inside, the front bucket seats are made from CFRP, but optional four-way adjustable sport seats are available as an option. That lightweight flywheel we mentioned earlier saves a full 23 pounds of rotating mass, according to Porsche.
The ceramic composite brakes, lithium-ion starter battery, lightweight glass, reduced insulation, and omission of rear-axle steering result in a total curb weight of 3,056 pounds, which is 70 pounds lighter than a manual 911 GT3 Touring model.
Heritage Design Package Is Pure Fanservice
If owning an anniversary model 911 with a production run under 1,700 isn't enough for you, Porsche has an option you might like. It's called the "Heritage Design Package," which sees the body sprayed in Shore Blue Metallic paint while the wheels are coated with an exclusive Ceramica color. Buyers can choose a door number ranging from 0 to 99, and decorative foil can be applied upon request. The classic version of the Porsche crest appears on the front of the car, the wheel center caps, the steering wheel, headrests, and on the key fob.
The inside features two-tone black/classic cognac colored leather, and the "911 S/T" emblem on the rear is gold-plated. If a buyer really wants to show off, they are given the option to purchase a limited edition 911 S/T Chronograph that comes in a special titanium case with a plaque featuring the 911 S/T image and the individual limitation number. The watch is an additional $13,500, which is just a drop in the bucket compared to the $291,650 starting MSRP of the vehicle—and we highly doubt anyone is going to manage to grab it at MSRP.
On the other hand, if you're feeling lucky, the Porsche 911 S/T deliveries should start in Spring 2024, so now is the time to start making calls to your dealer.
Andrew Beckford’s passion for cars started as a middle schooler when his friend Richie explained how an internal combustion engine works. He was bitten by the bug and the rest, as they say, is history. He dug deep into the tuner scene and eventually wrote for Turbo Magazine, Import Tuner, Super Street. He covered car shows, feature builds, and reviewed racing games for those magazines in addition to covering motorsports including Formula Drift, Indy Car, and F1 for his personal blog. Eventually Beckford joined MotorTrend to cover the daily automotive news beat. Besides being a gearhead, Beckford has been a gamer since the ’80s and is a huge fan of the arcade racing games of the ’90s like Daytona USA, SEGA Rally, and Ridge Racer. Beckford’s a movie buff as well, especially comic book films from DC and Marvel. When car culture crosses over with gaming and entertainment, rest assured Beckford is aware of it. In addition to serving as a consultant on a “triple A” racing titles, he’s reviewed major racing games such as Forza Motorsport, Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, F1, and more. He’s also interviewed blockbuster directors including Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Neill Blomkamp (Gran Turismo). His biggest profile to date was with Robert Downey Jr. on his love affair with cars and his show Downey’s Dream Cars on MAX. Beckford’s profile of Downey Jr. was the first print cover story written by an African American in MotorTrend’s history. Along with KJ Jones, Andrew Beckford also heads up MotorTrend’s celebration of Black History Month by spotlighting diverse voices in the automotive industry and motorsports. Beckford’s first car was a 1982 Nissan Stanza affectionately named “Stanley” by his late mother.
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