Porsche 911 R , The Aroma of the 60s

Steve Jobs gave the world a way to store music from the 20th centry in a 21st centry technology that is now regarded as a breakthrough in the digital era . Porsche did the same thing when it comes to their latest 911 that was disclosed at the 87th Geneva Motor show last March 2016.

This 911 comes after several other models , the Carrera range,Targa,Turbo,Turbo S, GTS and the GT3 RS . I always have the feeling that Porsche are intentionally trying to provide these misleading names for their cars to distinguish the real Porsche's enthusiats from the rest of other devotees of the automotive industry ,quite like Ferrari with their different numbers . 

But as a cars fanatic , I can only admit the greatness of this brand and what it really did to the industry be it technological invention , great performance or exquisite and iconic looks of its models like the original 911 R produced in 1967 and was considered one of the most advanced and fastest of its generation. This 911 comes with a letter R , and yes , it pays tribute to its ancestor, the one from the 60s.

Through this 911 R , Porsche has redefined the meaning of lightweight. The car weighs only 1370 kilograms by virtue of the lightweight materials used in the making of the most agile 911  of the whole range . Magnesium roof , carbon fiber bonet and panels , titanium exhaust system, the aluminum chassis and rear windshield that is made from plexiglass ( like the 2.5$ million Sesto Elemento ) gives the driver great performance and acceleration in no time . 

991 cars will be made and that explains its upgraded price , the 911 R costs 141K dollars , the same as the more track focused GT3 RS and less than the Turbo S . Some say that this car can be considered as  a recycling bin because it clusters different parts from previous 911 released models and that is true , because it uses the same engine from the GT3 and have the looks of a regular Carrera .

Porsche were the first to monut their engines at the back , it was considrerd as an unconventional , rather a preposterous move by the German company , but then all sports cars makers shifted their paradigms toward following the steps of the greatest change that occured in the industry .

The tradition lived to be followed in this model as well , the car is propelled by a flat six 4.0 liter n aturally aspirated engine , the shift to using 6 cylinders instead of 8 has also brought another bickering but Porsche proved again that this controversy about the 6 cylinder engines turned to be an irrelevent twaddle , because this particular engine provides the best version of an authentic driving experience .

The 911 R produces 500 hp at 8250 rpm and 338 lb-ft of torque at 6250 rpm , it is capable as well to change from a motionless state to a living being runing at 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds .

The car has a clever steering system that helps in having stability and grip at corners and in straight roads , the wheels at the back rotate slightly in different pattern as the front wheels to feel the agility of the car at corners and they rotate at the same pattern as the front ones for better grip to the asphalt as if you can feel with your hands .

These figures might be great , coming from a flat six , but Porsche made it clear that this car is not meant for fast lap times and vigorous acceleration as it is more interested in providing a genuine driving experience , similar to the one you can get from the 1960s . 

Speaking of the 1960's , the use of the Carnaby tan with he mix with the Spanish white from that era gives you the sensation of time travelling , there are no door panels and that's to show how Porsche went radical to save weight , the emblem on the bonet outside the cabin is a sticker , yes a sticker becuase in Porsche's mind , that would some 50 kilograms to the total weight .

There is no infotainement system on the 911 R , no controls on the steering wheel because its the 60's. Instead you get the best 6 speed manual shifter and Porsche were always known for the great synchronization between shifting the throttle and engine responsivness. Still you can get an infotainment system for extra money as an option but it wont bother you even if you did not get it  because the sound of the engine at the back will take over all the cabin inside .

There is no doubt that Prosche gave the world a reminder of what they produced in the past , models that shaped the landscape of modern day industry and that is why the 911 R is similar to the iPod that your father uses to store his vintage music .