How many Porsche 911s does it take to have a complete model range?
If you guessed a number, chances are you’ll be wrong, because by the time you finish reading this sentence it’s likely the German brand will have added another variant.
For the record, at the time of writing there were 20, spanning the ‘entry-level’ 911 Carrera all the way through the potent 911 Turbo S and the limited edition 911 Dakar.
I’m driving the newest addition, the 20th member of the family, the Porsche 911 S/T. So what is it? Well, it was built in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the first 911 back in 1963, so while it has taken us more than a year since it was unveiled to drive it. The best things in life are always worth waiting for.
More precisely, what it is is a cross between the 911 GT3 RS and the 911 GT3 with ‘Touring Package’, a driver-focused sports car with race-bred technology designed for the road. Or as Porsche puts it more succinctly – ‘a 911 in its purest form.’
Porsche 911 2025: S/T
| Engine Type | Flat 6, 4.0L |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 15.6L/100km (combined) |
| Seating | 2 |
| Price From | $660,500 |
Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?
It can sometimes be a little tricky working out where a certain 911 fits in the expansive range, but there’s no such issue with the S/T. Priced from $660,500 (plus on-road costs) the S/T sits right at the top of the pile, more than $120K above the 911 GT3 RS and the 911 Turbo S.
It is befitting, though, as the S/T takes elements of the GT3 RS and elevates them to celebrate the legacy of the 911. Just 1963 examples of the S/T have been built and sold, so it was immediately a collector’s item and will, at the very worst, retain its value but in all likelihood increase over time.
In terms of what you get for that money, there are the usual items you’d expect, like LED headlights, keyless ignition, cruise control, leather trim and an eight-speaker sound system, but what you’re really paying for is the extra performance.
A race-bred engine, lightweight glass, carbon-fibre reinforced plastic panels, magnesium wheels, reduced sound insulation; these are the elements that drive the value equation.
There’s also a ‘Heritage Design Package’ available as an optional extra, and was fitted to our test vehicle, for an additional $36,760.
It includes a classic design of the Porsche crest, unique retro-inspired leather and cloth sports seats, plus the option of a large number on the doors (with 0 to 99 available) as well as the exclusive ‘Shoreblue Metallic’ paint and ‘Ceramica’ wheel colour.
Is there anything interesting about its design?
In keeping with the ‘pure’ performance theme, Porsche opted for the understated, wing-less body of the 911 GT3 with Touring Package as the starting point of the design.
This wide-body version of the 911 looks purposeful on its own, but then add on the Heritage Design Package and the S/T would stand out in a room full of supercars.
Porsche has focused on lightness as a hallmark of the S/T, so the front bonnet, roof, doors and front fenders are all made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, as is the optional roll cage.
There’s lightweight glass and the magnesium wheels (finished in off-white Ceramica on our test car) all help to both give the S/T unique visual appeal but also tip the scales 40kg lighter than the 911 GT3 with Touring Package.
Inside the Heritage Design Package seats, officially described as ‘Classic Cognac with black pinstripes’ look fantastic, blending retro charm with the kind of body-hugging grippiness you need in a modern sports car.
How practical is its space and tech inside?
While the front seats look great and keep you held in tight, the rear seats don’t exist. Taking the lead from the GT3, the S/T ditches the largely pointless back seats and replaces them with carpet in order to save weight.
So, while not good news for potential passengers, it creates useful extra storage space to go along with the 132-litre storage space under the front bonnet.
As for the rest of the interior, specifically the multimedia systems, that’s standard Porsche 911. Nothing fancy, just the same simple-to-use but very practical set-up that graces the rest of the range.
It’s a deceptively good system, at first glance appearing to be basic but instead is actually extremely functional. It’s easy to navigate, too, thanks to the combination of touchscreen and physical controls.
What are the key stats for its engine and transmission?
While the styling comes from the understated GT3 Touring, underneath the performance package is derived from the wild, track-ready GT3 RS. The S/T is powered by the same race-bred 4.0-litre six-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine, tuned to make 386kW/465Nm and rev all the way to 9000rpm.
It’s paired to a six-speed manual transmission and a new lightweight clutch designed specifically for the 911 S/T. This new clutch is matched with a new single-mass flywheel that helps reduce the rotating mass by 10.5kg to improve the responsiveness of the engine.
Porsche claims the 911 S/T needs just 3.7 seconds to run 0-100km/h and has a top speed of 300km/h. But pure performance is only part of the story of the powertrain in the S/T, this high-revving engine sounds fantastic all the way up to its screaming 9000rpm redline.
What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range?
Even by sports car standards the Porsche claimed fuel consumption for the 911 S/T is high, at 15.6L/100km. That’s above many modern turbocharged V8 engines, such as the Aston Martin DB12 we recently reviewed, so it highlights just how hard the six-cylinder engine is working to achieve its impressive performance.
The 911 S/T is equipped with the same 64-litre fuel tank as the GT3 and GT3 RS, so its range is limited to 410km, in theory.
What’s it like to drive?
Porsche claims it built the 911 S/T for a single purpose – “maximum driving pleasure” – and in that regard it is a smashing success. I’ll acknowledge that not everyone will be enamoured with its firm ride and loud cabin, but for the type of customer that buys the 911 S/T, it’s right on the money.
From the moment you start it up you know this is different from the rest of the 911 range. The engine barks into life and fills the cabin with the sound of the six-cylinder engine, thanks to the reduction in sound-deadening material to save more weight.
The 4.0-litre engine is the same basic unit Porsche uses in the racing versions of the 911, so it genuinely sounds like you’re driving down the street in a racing car at times. The combination of the engine noise, gearbox, new clutch and lightweight flywheel make for the most wonderfully pure mechanical symphony.
Porsche claims the S/T is fitted with a shorter ratio gearbox than GT3, but the gears are so tall and the engine is so flexible that it can still break the national speed limit in second gear. The symphony reaches its crescendo when you find yourself on the open road and can let the engine rev all the way to 9000rpm. Magnificent.
The handling is a dream, too, as you’d expect from a company that has had 60 years to perfect the 911 and 19 attempts to understand this particular generation of the model. The magnesium wheels are wrapped in 255/35 ZR20 tyres at the front and 315/30 ZR21 rubber at the back, which helps it stick to the road like glue.
The handling package is helped by the understated aerodynamic package, which includes the GT3’s wider body and unique bonnet as well as a Gurney flap on the extending rear spoiler.
Head for your favourite winding road and the 911 S/T will reward you with one of the best driving experiences on the market today.
What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?
This is a tricky question to answer, because on paper things don’t look great for the 911, but from behind the wheel this car feels very safe.
While the Porsche 911 (none of its many variants) have ever been crash-tested by ANCAP, despite being one of the most popular sports cars in Australia for decades, there is an inherent safety in this car due to its above-average handling.
Unlike some manufacturers that use electronic stability control (ESC) as a tool to patch over weakness in the chassis tuning, Porsche only adds ESC as it’s mandated to.
In all my years of driving Porsches, the only time ESC has activated is when I have put the car in an extreme situation, so poor driving rather than the car is likely to be the cause of an accident with a 911.
Having said all that, it does have the basics covered, with airbag protection for driver and passenger, cruise control and parking sensors with a reversing camera.
But there are none of the modern active safety features that cars are expected to have. So while it feels safe to drive, our score has to reflect modern consumer demands.
What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?
Like the rest of the expansive 911 range the 911 S/T is covered by Porsche Australia’s three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.
Frankly, that’s behind the times, with most mainstream brands moving to five years or longer. Given Porsche’s reputation for reliability it would seem like a low-risk move to bring themselves more in-line with the rest of the industry.
As for servicing, intervals are every 12-months/20,000km but aren’t cheap. An annual ‘oil maintenance’ visit will set you back $895 and an ‘inspection’ costs $2050, and there is a myriad of model-specific parts and services required at various points ranging from $275 to $880.
Verdict
Without sounding like I’m gushing, it’s hard not to be impressed by Porsche. The brilliance of the 911 range, having 20 different models that all have space to breathe and appeal to different buyers is nothing short of remarkable. Other brands have tried to copy the formula and failed miserably.
What seems to be working so well these days are the likes of the 911 Dakar, 911 GT3 RS and now the 911 S/T, which have a very specific focus and lean into that. This is an unapologetically stripped-down, loud, thirsty and engaging car for driving enthusiasts, and because of that it won’t appeal to the same customer who wants a 911 Carrera or even a 911 Turbo S. But for those who are only interested in ‘maximum driving pleasure’ the 911 S/T is hard to beat.
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