Did you hear? I’m sure you must have – all the car news outlets are practically gushing over it. It’s a new version of the Porsche 911. How many variations of letters of the alphabet can they tack onto the name? 67,108,863 (I looked it up). So Ta-Da! Here’s the 2024 Porsche 911 S/T. Oh, it has a manual.
And we’re all supposed to be in automatic love. Soul Score of 10! Please. Because if you’re happy about this car, then you’re part of the problem.
What is the 2024 Porsche 911 S/T?
I do like the 911 GT3. I really like the 911 GT3 Touring. It’s a good idea – taking a car that’s probably too extreme to really enjoy on the street and adding a bit of grand touring flair.
Speaking of, Porsche will make you a version of the GT3 called the RS (more letters), and that version is an even more extreme version of an extreme car. Yes, yes, you can see where this is going. What if Porsche took the faster bits of the RS and combined it with the GT3 Touring? Forget the PDK – this is a driver’s car. That means the sublime six-speed manual transmission.
To be fair, this thing has numbers that absolutely should make it an amazing car:
- 3,056-lb curb weight
- Optional magnesium wheels
- Lightweight glass and Carbon Ceramic Brakes as standard
- The aforementioned manual with a unique clutch that reduces rotating mass by 23 lbs.
- The wonderful 518-horsepower naturally aspirated engine from the RS.
- A price tag of $291,650 before options. And you are not leaving the Porsche store without checking some boxes.
- Just 1,963 versions available. I assume you need to know a relative of Ferdinand to get an allocation at this point.
This won’t break your neck like a 911 Turbo will, but it has a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds. So, we can all agree that the 911 S/T has the good stuff. But is it the right stuff?
Eco-non-friendly
Another car I really like is the Taycan. If you insist on an electric car, that’s probably the best one – it maintains its Porsche-ness really well.
Being an electric car, it’s supposed to save the planet. So why is Porsche constantly pushing these raw, naturally aspirated, manual transmission cars? Right – because they sell really well. That’s called “Talking out of both sides of your mouth.” Sure, we can sell you a Taycan, but we know you really want a Porsche 911 S/T.
And they love to keep pulling the rug out, don’t they? Remember the 911 R? Only available to those who purchased a 918 Spyder, and going used for over $400,000. The 718 GT4? Dead at the end of the year, and going used for over $140,000. Good luck getting an allocation for a GT3 now.
How much fun is a car you can’t find?
How much is the fizz worth?
Speaking of price, perhaps you’ve noticed the nearly $300,000 MSRP – no doubt it’ll go for even higher once they are all sold.
It’ll probably be the best-driving modern 911 ever made, from a purity standpoint. But how much is that purity worth? A 911 T is half the price, and not a bad sports car. A BMW M4 has a manual and is just as fast. A Cadillac Blackwing is just as fun and thrilling.
The 911 S/T takes the best attributes of those cars and combines them into a package with typical Porsche perfection. It better be perfect, because while a car like a Blackwing is a pleasant surprise, the S/T is still a 911 – it will tell you when and where to have fun. Anything less would be a monumental disappointment.
And – shame on me, I know – but I like forced induction engines. I’m tired of being told that naturally aspirated is better. I drove an S65 for ten years. It’s better when you supercharge it. And I like hearing the little whistles the S58 makes, or the whine on a Hellcat.
They might not be better engines than the 3.8 in the 911 S/T, but they sure as hell aren’t worse anymore.
And now that you’ve come to the end of this article, I have a confession to make. If you handed me $300,000 and told me to buy a car, I wouldn’t even look at a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. Forget the BMW CSL. I’d walk right into the nearest Porsche store and take the S/T.
Sorry, not sorry.
Turns out, I’m part of the problem too.
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