Images and details of the new Porsche 911 R have been leaked online ahead of the sports car’s official unveiling at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show this week.
The R is essentially a more hardcore addition to the new 911’s turbocharged range. However, while it does feature changes to the body and interior, the differences with the R are not as radical as those made by previous 911 models like the GT3 RS, for example.
Porsche has created this model to pay homage to previous 911 cars which have carried the R moniker. In 2017, the first car ever to be called the Porsche 911 R will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Design tweaks for the R
Focusing on the exterior of the new R, this 911 model gets a new body kit with some mild aerodynamic tweaks. There’s no rear spoiler like the sort most previous hardcore 911s have added, but the R does have more aerodynamic bumpers and air vents than before.
The 911 R also sports an eye-catching paint job which features red stripes that contrast on the mostly white body shell. No official details have been released yet about the R’s interior, but while it likely be mostly similar to a regular 911, some materials and trim panels may be swapped in favour of items that are lighter and look sportier.
While regular Porsche 911s have switched to turbocharged engines, the new R model will use a naturally-aspirated 4.0-litre petrol unit, previously used in the 911 GT3 RS. This unit produces 493bhp and 458Nm of torque and is hooked up to a manual gearbox. Porsche’s PDK automatic ‘box will steer clear of the new 911 R.
The R’s naturally-aspirated engine and manual gearbox-only set-up could lure in buyers that may have been put off by last year’s announcement that the sports car was making a dramatic switch to turbochargers.
