Dan, I have only recently subscribed to your channel (AMG GT was my 1st review I watched) and I must say you are an amazing source for true knowledge on cars. You are totally unconstrained in your reviews and you say it as is which is very very rare. You are now my number 1 source for car reviews. Chris Harris used to be like you. Keep up the good work. I detest how Porsche has hyped up this 911 R. As the 1st commenter below said... it should be standard production model.
FINALLY PISTONHEADS; YOU HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ON THIS KIND OF VIDEOS. Please continue to do this type of amazing videos, I got kinda of pissed, for the absence of a video diary of the blue 997 gt3 before the 991 gt3, it was such a nice piece of writing, this videos diaries are so good and no one offers them!
Even without having driven the 911R, I kind of agree with the conclusion. I must say that I have tried to buy one but, although I have had quite a few Porsches, I have moved country far too often to actually be on any of their VIP list. That aside, I have driven (or owned) the 991.1 GT3 and GT3RS which are fantastic cars, the 997 GT3 RS 3.8&4.0 as well as the GT2 which are all awesome cars and, the 996.2 GT3 RS as well as some 964s and 993s. If the 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0 is the best modern classic 911, then the 991R is probably very close behind but then you have all the others that are not far behind! To take the most controversial example, sure many people think that the 996 is not pretty but the 996.2 GT3 / GT3RS (which happened to be the generation that I raced) are also not far behind the 997 GT3 RS in terms of driving pleasure ... that being said, they are very different animals to drive and in terms of performance but I would say that the 996.2 GT3 RS feels more raw than the 997 GT3 RS (mk 1 or 2). Lastly, I have often mentioned it but, in the spirit of the 911R or of the lesser but great 991&997 GTS you have the very cheap 996 40th anniversary which is great, very raw without being a GT3 ... and actually going up in price quite quickly at the moment in the US and there is a very expensive low mileage one on sale in a prestige dealership in the UK at the moment. As you can see, I am getting quite annoyed with Porsche marketing at the moment (and with Porsche Classics extreme lack of pace and motivation because I have ordered a part 1 year ago and still haven't received it which means that I can't use my car!).
I want to love this car for having all the right ingredients, but because of Porsche's ridiculous decisions v à v production numbers and politics, I rather hate it. This sort of 911 should just be a standard production model.
Not if your a Porschephile, which is a liability, in this case ;) I don't hate the car but do (dislike?) the marketing? You do make a good point though, that's why I own a Cayman S. But there are lots of options out there also. The Lotus Evora 400 comes to mind as well as others.
Rick Nelson - True, missing out on a 911R after years of loyalty would be quite frustrating for Porsche lovers. Exact same thing with the new Ford GT. Ford sold limited editions to buyers who weren't even collectors; buyers who were famous or had a strong UA-cam/Social media following. And the sad reality is, most of these cars will sit in garages waiting for the right time to sell at staggering prices.
I totally agree, 997 gt series is the last generation that had a direct connection to the aircooled. Engine block mezger gt1, gearbox from the 993 gt2, etc
BTW, you could ask Porsche to develop an "old skool" handling tune, that makes the front difficult to turn into corners, by using the 4ws to add understeer! In fact, we are getting to the point where they could make this new car handle like the old ones just with a chassis electronics re-cal.........
As a photographer I don't get why less is more. As a Porsche fan I do. I'm a Sony shooter and soon there'll be a product, the Alpha 99 Mk II, which is outmaneuvering any of the outdated and overpriced Canon plastic lumps on one ass cheek for half the price. There is backside illumination and copper wiring, there is the superior, faster and unerring autofocus system without a flapping mirror's 'traction interuption' and there is a superior electrical view finder, which gives you all the information needed, like with a car's headup display and additionally you get sort of focus peaking and magnifier as well as zebra 'radar'. This comes along with twice the shutter speed and a third more line pairs or when compared to the equally fast Canon wall brick, with twice the resolution but half the price, not to mention the far superior sensor specs in dynamic range, colours and noise in any case. In the real world, where quality and performance matters as much as value for money, there is no land anymore for bulky Canon cameras and they will go the way, Nokia went with dawning of the smartphone. There is no point for fixed screens, a crappy video implementation, low dynamic range but high noise and a stone age optical view finder any longer. It feels outdistanced like the pony express felt with the railroad. But with Porsches it is something different. It is the delivery and sensation of performance and not the performance itself, what matters. People adore the GT4 for several reasons, but not for the naked figures. Why in the hell don't they come along with sort of a pristine, lightweighing model without all the modern gimmicks? A stripped out, lively and lightweighing 993 chassis again, with the modern, cleaner engines, but without all the nasty comfort gimmicks. A roll cage, but not 12 airbags, a hydraulic steering but no climbate compressor, a croaky, sawing exhaust note and a honest intake note. Give us a 1100kg car with 350 hp for a reasonable price and keep arms racing on the other end of the spectrum for my part, but save the old 911 for the future! Or is this Singer's job. Noone can afford them!
alex but bussines wise porsche will never do that. ferrari has 20M cars, if they produce thousands of them they would bu costing 100k now, with this limited editions they will creat desire in some people "collectors" and they will make people that didnt get the car nuts for the next car that they didnt startet to build by making depositis and some shit. This bassicaly maintain the prestige of the brand and the value of those cars over the years... ofc if u want a porsche for the masses you just need to get a carrera or a caymen or the boxter or the SUV`s
Rodrigo Moreira - not every Cayman or Boxster is a mass produced car. There are some that are made in much less numbers than the 911 and holding value and desirability better. Also with an engine in the correct place!
The 911 R does nothing to add to the bottom line of Porsche. Remember it sold to selected buyers for the base price (at minimum). The money that is paid in the secondary market is what will keep this car from most people from ever aquiring one.
Everybody complaining about not being able to get a "real" 911 like the R..... Just get a 964 body or other year Porsche, drop in a bigger motor, some upgrades and you're definitely going to be sitting in a car that's more of a Porsche than this will ever be.
To be honest: I think I'd disagree. For me, the 991 R would be the Porsche I'd drive until the end of time. In my opinion, its the most beautiful Porsche there is. The newer models are all so boxy and bulky. This one reminds me of the 997, the carrera GT and some old classics. It's not as "in your face" as a 991 GT3 or RS. People who don't know, wouldn't know that this one is an really expensive one. I like that. For me, thats a plus. Yes, maybe they think those stripes are hideous but thats fine. The old 911s like the G model are also great, but not for me. I didn't grow up with those pictures on the wall. I grew up with the Carrera GT. But all cars between 2000-2015 are not that great. Electronics suck in them. But this one - thats all tried and tested electronics.
Porsche selling collectors items that rich people trade back and forth like pieces of artwork is alienating to a lot of enthusiasts. Everything I would want from them is a limited edition appreciating asset that I will never have a chance to own. Why can't they have a pure sports car in their lineup that they sell continuously with no production limit?
eSysman 918 buyers were offered the 911R in priority and probably bought most of them so yes ... they probably own both unless they sold the R for big profits.
Can someone help me? Why do the Brit's have such a difficult time pronouncing Pour-shuh? (I give the yanks a break here as they're just above Neanderthals re. speech)
@ Who cares, that's irrrelevant. I track my cars for the pleasure of driving, and being engaged in the act of driving....which includes shifting myself. If you can't drive a manual, you can't drive. if you can't heel and toe downshift, you can't really drive
Most of these will be hidden in a garage for investment purposes never to driven. It's not something car enthusiasts can aspire to since even if you worked hard, you can't buy one.
Mark Jones my only question is who in their right mind does not want to manual. There are drivers and then there are video game people. The video gamers don't know what a manual is. A true driver knows how to heal and toe and knows the gearbox
You might as well have been driving a Corsa. Get some exterior shots, show something exciting, do something. Seeing you just driving it and talking about it in a flat voice is just boring.
Dan, I have only recently subscribed to your channel (AMG GT was my 1st review I watched) and I must say you are an amazing source for true knowledge on cars. You are totally unconstrained in your reviews and you say it as is which is very very rare. You are now my number 1 source for car reviews. Chris Harris used to be like you. Keep up the good work. I detest how Porsche has hyped up this 911 R. As the 1st commenter below said... it should be standard production model.
hallelujah... exactly my opinion. love driving my 997 4.0!! Wait for the new GT3 with the manual, that will be a similar driving experience to the R.
This is the best 911R review on internet
FINALLY PISTONHEADS; YOU HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ON THIS KIND OF VIDEOS.
Please continue to do this type of amazing videos, I got kinda of pissed, for the absence of a video diary of the blue 997 gt3 before the 991 gt3, it was such a nice piece of writing, this videos diaries are so good and no one offers them!
Brilliant video PH. Great reviewer too
best review about the R thus far
Even without having driven the 911R, I kind of agree with the conclusion. I must say that I have tried to buy one but, although I have had quite a few Porsches, I have moved country far too often to actually be on any of their VIP list. That aside, I have driven (or owned) the 991.1 GT3 and GT3RS which are fantastic cars, the 997 GT3 RS 3.8&4.0 as well as the GT2 which are all awesome cars and, the 996.2 GT3 RS as well as some 964s and 993s. If the 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0 is the best modern classic 911, then the 991R is probably very close behind but then you have all the others that are not far behind!
To take the most controversial example, sure many people think that the 996 is not pretty but the 996.2 GT3 / GT3RS (which happened to be the generation that I raced) are also not far behind the 997 GT3 RS in terms of driving pleasure ... that being said, they are very different animals to drive and in terms of performance but I would say that the 996.2 GT3 RS feels more raw than the 997 GT3 RS (mk 1 or 2).
Lastly, I have often mentioned it but, in the spirit of the 911R or of the lesser but great 991&997 GTS you have the very cheap 996 40th anniversary which is great, very raw without being a GT3 ... and actually going up in price quite quickly at the moment in the US and there is a very expensive low mileage one on sale in a prestige dealership in the UK at the moment.
As you can see, I am getting quite annoyed with Porsche marketing at the moment (and with Porsche Classics extreme lack of pace and motivation because I have ordered a part 1 year ago and still haven't received it which means that I can't use my car!).
I want to love this car for having all the right ingredients, but because of Porsche's ridiculous decisions v à v production numbers and politics, I rather hate it. This sort of 911 should just be a standard production model.
Yes but then they would be too expensive. I like being able to spend half this amount and get an excellent 911
you can get a gt3 with a manual in 2017
That's a really poor reason to hate a car. There are plenty of high performance cars that will give you just as much thrills.
Not if your a Porschephile, which is a liability, in this case ;) I don't hate the car but do (dislike?) the marketing? You do make a good point though, that's why I own a Cayman S. But there are lots of options out there also. The Lotus Evora 400 comes to mind as well as others.
Rick Nelson - True, missing out on a 911R after years of loyalty would be quite frustrating for Porsche lovers. Exact same thing with the new Ford GT. Ford sold limited editions to buyers who weren't even collectors; buyers who were famous or had a strong UA-cam/Social media following. And the sad reality is, most of these cars will sit in garages waiting for the right time to sell at staggering prices.
I totally agree, 997 gt series is the last generation that had a direct connection to the aircooled. Engine block mezger gt1, gearbox from the 993 gt2, etc
What a great review! Well done sir...
love the noise of the powertrain when the clutch is let out
It sounds spectacular, but because of its exclusivity I have to just pretend it doesn't exist. Prices are already wildly inflated =(
I have a hunch that porsche were planning on making the R even before they made the 991 GT3 hence why no option for a manual.
West Lavington -> Shrewton -> Chitterne. Nice route!!!
Always fun to spot the local roads.
Agree!
BTW, you could ask Porsche to develop an "old skool" handling tune, that makes the front difficult to turn into corners, by using the 4ws to add understeer! In fact, we are getting to the point where they could make this new car handle like the old ones just with a chassis electronics re-cal.........
good warts and all and comprehensive overview on the car.
Totally agree with the conclusion. Attributes that define the 911 and its character are still missing. 4.0 RS is the ultimate water cooled 911
'When have you ever known PCCBs as standard?' Erm GT2RS, Carrera GT, 997 Turbo S, 991 Turbo S...
As a photographer I don't get why less is more. As a Porsche fan I do.
I'm a Sony shooter and soon there'll be a product, the Alpha 99 Mk II, which is outmaneuvering any of the outdated and overpriced Canon plastic lumps on one ass cheek for half the price. There is backside illumination and copper wiring, there is the superior, faster and unerring autofocus system without a flapping mirror's 'traction interuption' and there is a superior electrical view finder, which gives you all the information needed, like with a car's headup display and additionally you get sort of focus peaking and magnifier as well as zebra 'radar'. This comes along with twice the shutter speed and a third more line pairs or when compared to the equally fast Canon wall brick, with twice the resolution but half the price, not to mention the far superior sensor specs in dynamic range, colours and noise in any case. In the real world, where quality and performance matters as much as value for money, there is no land anymore for bulky Canon cameras and they will go the way, Nokia went with dawning of the smartphone. There is no point for fixed screens, a crappy video implementation, low dynamic range but high noise and a stone age optical view finder any longer. It feels outdistanced like the pony express felt with the railroad.
But with Porsches it is something different. It is the delivery and sensation of performance and not the performance itself, what matters. People adore the GT4 for several reasons, but not for the naked figures. Why in the hell don't they come along with sort of a pristine, lightweighing model without all the modern gimmicks? A stripped out, lively and lightweighing 993 chassis again, with the modern, cleaner engines, but without all the nasty comfort gimmicks. A roll cage, but not 12 airbags, a hydraulic steering but no climbate compressor, a croaky, sawing exhaust note and a honest intake note. Give us a 1100kg car with 350 hp for a reasonable price and keep arms racing on the other end of the spectrum for my part, but save the old 911 for the future! Or is this Singer's job. Noone can afford them!
is the 7 speed manual an option? sure chris harris test car was 7 speed
no only 6 speed
How does this rank with 991.2 gt3 manual?
Porsche I love, but all this limited exclusivity is getting old fast.
Exactly! Just make as many as the market will buy. Becoming like Ferrari and not in the good sense.
minibus1351 ikr
alex but bussines wise porsche will never do that. ferrari has 20M cars, if they produce thousands of them they would bu costing 100k now, with this limited editions they will creat desire in some people "collectors" and they will make people that didnt get the car nuts for the next car that they didnt startet to build by making depositis and some shit. This bassicaly maintain the prestige of the brand and the value of those cars over the years... ofc if u want a porsche for the masses you just need to get a carrera or a caymen or the boxter or the SUV`s
Rodrigo Moreira - not every Cayman or Boxster is a mass produced car. There are some that are made in much less numbers than the 911 and holding value and desirability better. Also with an engine in the correct place!
The 911 R does nothing to add to the bottom line of Porsche. Remember it sold to selected buyers for the base price (at minimum). The money that is paid in the secondary market is what will keep this car from most people from ever aquiring one.
Great car. Great video.
Nice video, but one small thing, 918 Spyder has the most powerful N/A engine Porsche does, not a 911 R.:)
Mantas Meilutis but didn't he say naturally aspirated flat six. The 918 has a V-8
Everybody complaining about not being able to get a "real" 911 like the R..... Just get a 964 body or other year Porsche, drop in a bigger motor, some upgrades and you're definitely going to be sitting in a car that's more of a Porsche than this will ever be.
Excellent!
To be honest: I think I'd disagree.
For me, the 991 R would be the Porsche I'd drive until the end of time. In my opinion, its the most beautiful Porsche there is. The newer models are all so boxy and bulky. This one reminds me of the 997, the carrera GT and some old classics.
It's not as "in your face" as a 991 GT3 or RS. People who don't know, wouldn't know that this one is an really expensive one. I like that. For me, thats a plus. Yes, maybe they think those stripes are hideous but thats fine.
The old 911s like the G model are also great, but not for me. I didn't grow up with those pictures on the wall. I grew up with the Carrera GT. But all cars between 2000-2015 are not that great. Electronics suck in them. But this one - thats all tried and tested electronics.
big love!
Porsche selling collectors items that rich people trade back and forth like pieces of artwork is alienating to a lot of enthusiasts. Everything I would want from them is a limited edition appreciating asset that I will never have a chance to own. Why can't they have a pure sports car in their lineup that they sell continuously with no production limit?
Would look mega with a ducktail, any GT product would
Long live the ducktail!
SevenW25 V that takes away from the classic 1967 911R not all cars deserve a big ducktail. The classic 911 line is plenty sexy enough as it is
Anyone paying ten times list price must be mad. I'd rather have a 918.
anyone who pays that has no intention of driving one. it will live in a garage until it's worth $5-6 million.
If ever ...
gordon238 They probably already own a 918
eSysman 918 buyers were offered the 911R in priority and probably bought most of them so yes ... they probably own both unless they sold the R for big profits.
actually, the most powerful N/A engine porsche "does" is the one in the 918
or i think the one in the carrera gt
what he probably meant was the most powerful naturally aspirated inline 6 porsche does
Inline 6? #fail
He meant to say most powerful flat six naturally aspirated Carrera GT is a V10 , 918 is a V8
people what they can't have and they will pay big bucks to have something their peers can not.
Can someone help me? Why do the Brit's have such a difficult time pronouncing Pour-shuh? (I give the yanks a break here as they're just above Neanderthals re. speech)
Here here!
Surely the 918 has the most powerful naturally aspirated engine that Porsche does?
Apparently Porsche think traditional 911 drivers who prefer Manuals, don't like to track them
@ Who cares, that's irrrelevant. I track my cars for the pleasure of driving, and being engaged in the act of driving....which includes shifting myself. If you can't drive a manual, you can't drive. if you can't heel and toe downshift, you can't really drive
Most of these will be hidden in a garage for investment purposes never to driven. It's not something car enthusiasts can aspire to since even if you worked hard, you can't buy one.
Everytime he turns his head to the right and looks at the camera I think look ahead man you might crash 🤪
You lost me on manual gearbox, great car though, for someone who wants a manual!
Mark Jones my only question is who in their right mind does not want to manual. There are drivers and then there are video game people. The video gamers don't know what a manual is. A true driver knows how to heal and toe and knows the gearbox
i bet loyal Porsche fans know how to pronounce Porsche properly
the intro part is so bad...stupid stripes? the most powerful na engine porsche produces? check your facts
You might as well have been driving a Corsa. Get some exterior shots, show something exciting, do something. Seeing you just driving it and talking about it in a flat voice is just boring.
If you listen you'll learn something for his flat boring voice.
Puff Of Smoke Or find another informative but also entertaining video. I'm only saying this so he can get better.
This guy talks through his teeth .
Horrid color
Dre Ray silver ? Cloudy lighting