'Pure' 911 S/T marks model's 60th

Limited-edition lightweight special has 518bhp GT3 RS engine and manual gearbox

- WILL RIMELL

Porsche has celebrated the 911's 60th birthday with a 'purist' special that weighs just 1380kg and pairs a short-range manual gearbox with the 518bhp flat six engine from the 911 GT3 RS.

The new 911 S/T is in effect a GT3 Touring with GT3 RS underpinnings. It has been conceived as a tribute to the racing version of the 1969 911 S and above all aims to promote "sheer driving enjoyment".

With the GT3 RS available only with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the S/T becomes the most powerful car Porsche has yet equipped with a manual one.

Stringent weight-shaving measures-including the extensive use of lightweight materials and the omission of rear-wheel steering - means it takes the crown as the lightest of the current-generation 911s, weighing in at just 1380kg.

That makes it 45kg lighter than the 718 Cayman GT4 RS and 70kg lighter than the 911 GT3 RS, despite its more overt road-going focus.