Stop press. Road tester likes special-edition Porsche.
I hate to be such a cliché, but Porsche does have a habit of nailing this sort of thing. I’m actually not the biggest Porsche fanboy. With its downforce, extra firm suspension and stripped-out interior, the normal 911 GT3 lacks a bit of approachability for me. But the S/T makes just the right tweaks to the familiar formula to really sing.
It still has the spectacular 4.0-litre flat six, and you get to engage with it so much more than in most applications because it has a manual gearbox, and one with shorter ratios at that. They could be shorter still, though at least you can redline it in second without getting up to completely irresponsible speeds. With its short-throw gearchange and super-light flywheel, changing gear is a challenge, but a really enjoyable and satisfying one that you can engage in all the time.
Slightly more relaxed suspension mean the S/T really works on the road. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to drive it on the track at the Britain’s Best Driver’s Car contest because some recall sidelined it, but I bet the S/T’s more road-going character makes it no less fun on the track. Despite wide, grippy tyres, it has a delicious sense of fun. When you get on the power in a corner, it doesn’t exactly oversteer – it just gently yaws through the corner, feeling alive and exciting rather than just locked down and grippy.
Unlike BBDC, this isn’t all about the driving experience (which is wonderful, as we’ve established). The classic Porsche 911 shape is fundamentally a good one, and is at its best unspoiled by too many wings and splitters, as with the S/T.
The cabin is spectacular too. The car I drove had the Heritage Design pack with brown leather and fabric. So configured, it has all the modern kit you expect, but blends it with the artifice you want from a special car.
