There’s a new upcoming member of the ever-growing Porsche 911 family. What you see in the gallery below is a prototype of the 911 ST which will become a special edition model inspired by a small-run racing model from the early 1970s. This is obviously not the final product you’ll see at the company’s showrooms but these new spy photos reveal many of its design features.

You can’t miss the double-bubble roof, for example, that comes straight from the 911 Sport Classic, which was launched earlier this year. This test vehicle doesn’t have a two-color body and it’s all black, but there could be different color schemes for the production model that will better underline the roof design, which remains hidden to a certain extent for now. Another feature worth pointing out is the set of center lock wheels and this shouldn’t come as a surprise since the 911 ST is reportedly based on the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring.

Moving to the back, there's a weird black circle on the engine cover's mesh, left from the brake light. We don’t know what it is for sure but our spy photographers report this could be the location for the Porsche Heritage logo, a similar one to the emblem seen on the 911 Sport Classic. Further down the rear fascia, there’s an aggressive diffuser with a center-mounted pair of exhaust pipes, though this layout appears to be the same as on regular the 911 GT3 Touring.

Logic tells us the powertrain under the rear bonnet will also be shared with the 911 GT3 Touring without modifications. If this assumption is correct, we expect the 4.0-liter flat-six engine to continue producing 502 horsepower (374 kilowatts) and 346 pound-feet (469 Newton-meters) of torque. Whether there will be a manual transmission or not, remains to be seen.

The 911 ST is believed to be the second of a total of three heritage versions of the 911 sports car that Porsche wants to launch. The first one was the 911 Sport Classic mentioned above and word on the street is the third one will be a revived version of the Carrera RS. But before it arrives, the 911 ST will have its debut probably sometime next year.

What can I say about the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS that hasn’t already been said? It takes everything that was good with the 991.2 version — and there was much good stuff — and pushes it to the extreme. The 2023 GT3 RS’s full active aero system and the on-the-fly, driver-adjustable damper system are without peer. Porsche turned up the wick on the 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six engine, now making 525 horsepower, and the gearing in the 7-speed PDK automatic gearbox has been tuned specifically for maximum acceleration out of corners. It’s all been said before, so what is there to add? Well, oddly enough, the one thing missing from all these plaudits has been this: What is the 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS like to drive in full-tilt, maximum attack mode on the track?

When Porsche first invited journalists to drive the 992-generation GT3 RS, the automaker scheduled the launch event at Silverstone Circuit in the British countryside, a track that would allow the RS’s aero capabilities to shine. Unfortunately, the only track time available was in late October, and as it turns out, England gets a fair bit of rain in the fall.

So all of us assembled car writers spent the day tip-toeing around the legendary high-speed F1 circuit, not wanting to make headlines as the first driver to write off a 2023 GT3 RS. That kind of thing tends to stick to one’s reputation.

To make it up to us, Porsche invited journalists to a second event, this time at Thermal Motorsports Country Club in arid Palm Springs, California. A place so dry, a vigorous nose-blowing is enough to trigger local flood warnings. No chance of rain at this event — just a handful of brand-new 2023 GT3 RSes, a select few invitees to drool over them, and Porsche hotshoes Pat Long and Jörg Bergmeister to guide us around the track. It was shaping up to be a full day of thrashing Porsche’s masterpiece.

Prior to this Porsche event, my total time spent on-track at Thermal had been limited to a sighting lap a few years ago with the late Jeff Rodriguez, who at the time was track manager and was one of my first instructors at Skip Barber decades prior. I needed a few laps to reacquaint myself with which way the tarmac went. Pat Long, who was leading me around in a non-RS 992 GT3, clearly didn’t agree, rapidly disappearing into the distance and expecting me to match his pace. (Side note: On a good day, I would struggle to match Pat’s pace, so his thinking was a touch… optimistic.)

The great thing about having Pat up ahead in the GT3 was that I could use him as a rabbit, gauging my speed into the corners, shortening my learning curve on both the car and the track. This isn’t to say that Pat was at a disadvantage — the non-RS GT3 is an amazing machine no matter where you’re driving it. But the addition of the RS package, with its fully active aero, gives you a 911 that produces downforce numbers just shy of Porsche’s Le Mans GTE race car. While the regular GT3 makes a fair bit of downforce, the RS is a different animal.

This was evidenced by the fact that I was able to close a several-car-length gap between me and Pat in the North Course carousel, a long, sweeping 270-degree corner that basically doubles back on itself. While the RS has a slight additional advantage in mechanical grip, thanks to its 20-mm-wider tires front and rear,that extra rubber isn’t enough to make up for the vast difference in cornering speed. The RS is simply on another level from the GT3.

Porsche had us running a layout that combined Thermal’s North and Desert circuits. Coming out of the Desert circuit and onto the back half of the North course, you run through a series of high-speed esses that demonstrate the absolutely insane aero advantage the RS has over its otherwise very capable sibling. As you go through the esses, you pick up more and more speed and get light as you crest the only “hill” on the circuit, leading into a dip and through the final S-curve. With steel guardrails that come up quickly on your left, this is a huge speed, huge commitment moment. Get it wrong, and you’ll litter the desert with very expensive bits of Porsche’s finest. But the RS gives zero fucks. Carry anything less than maximum speed through here, and the car almost taunts you, questioning your skill and bravery as it virtually screams at you, telling you it’s capable of so, so much more.

At Thermal, I got to spend some time chatting with Bergmeister, who did a majority of the development work on the RS. He told me that engineers compared the data between the GT3 RS on Michelin Cup 2 tires and a GT3 Cup car on race slicks, and the cornering speed of the RS was faster than the Cup car through several corners.

Again: Street car on street tires, faster than the race car on race tires.

The GT3 RS’s aero advantage extends to braking as well. The top element on the massive rear wing, as well as the front wing elements, all slam shut under heavy braking. This has a double effect. First, the aero elements act as an air brake, creating a huge amount of drag that aids the RS’s massive 16-inch ceramic disc brakes in arresting the RS down from insane speeds in very short distances. In addition to helping slow the car down, those closed elements also help stabilize the car under braking, giving the driver a superhuman level of confidence in the brake zone and allowing those willing to test their bravery to push boundaries that would normally be far, far beyond their comfort level.

This is the magic that is the 992-generation 911 GT3 RS. It isn’t just that it has performance levels to rival Porsche’s vaunted race cars — it’s that you don’t need to be a pro driver to access so much of that performance. Sure, in the right (professional) hands, the GT3 RS will obliterate anything this side of a GTP prototype, straight off the showroom floor. But you don’t need that professional talent to get maximum enjoyment out of the RS. The active aero and adjustable suspension allow the average track-day driver to come closer to the car’s limits than any other supercar I have ever driven. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want? Performance cars that make us better drivers. That, my friends, is the 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS in a nutshell.

When Porsche France teased a new 911 flavor on social media earlier this week, some suggested it could be the long-awaited, heritage-infused ST. Although that's not the case, the 911 Carrera GTS Le Mans Centenary Edition does pay tribute to past models by featuring styling cues from the 356 SL and 911 GT1. As the special edition's lengthy name suggests, it celebrates 100 years of endurance racing since the inaugural event held on May 26-27, 1923.

Available exclusively in France, the retro-flavored 911 Carrera GTS will be sold in strictly 72 units to mark the brand's 72 years of continuous presence at the famous 24-hour endurance race. It can be had with either a seven-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed PDK, with all cars featuring a generous list of standard equipment. So, what do you get for the princely sum of €237,819? That's about $259,600 at current exchange rates.

Revealed today on the occasion of the Le Mans Classic 2023, the special 911 Carrera GTS features about 30 options included as standard equipment. The Le Mans Silver paint is brand new, as is the "46" logo as a nod to the number the 356 SL wore back in 1951 when it won its class at Porsche's first presence at Le Mans. Speaking of which, the paint came to be after Porsche collaborated with the 356 SL's owner as well as Rod Emory (Emory Motorsports) who worked on restoring the car for four years. It's touted as a modernized version of the 356 SL's finish by getting a new gray shade.

As for the wonderful side louvers, gold wheels, and red seatbelts, these take after the 911 GT1, which was triumphant at the 1998 Le Mans. The car gets a Graphite Blue interior with chalk accents on the steering wheel and a debossed Le Mans track layout on the central armrest, complete with 1923-2023 lettering. Porsche France has also fitted velour on the central parts of the body-hugging seats while writing the special edition's full name on the side sills and on a plaque mounted on the passenger side of the dashboard.

The Carrera GTS Le Mans Centenary Edition is one of the many regional limited-run models launched by Porsche in recent years, including the 2023 America Edition which was also based on the Carrera GTS but in convertible format.

To mark the special anniversary of the iconic 911 sports car, the engineers in Weissach have designed a highly purist sports car dedicated to sheer driving enjoyment: the 911 S/T. The exclusive anniversary model unites the strengths of the 911 GT3 with Touring Package and the 911 GT3 RS and delivers a unique combination of agility and driving dynamics. It combines the naturally aspirated, 386 kW (525 PS) 4.0-litre boxer engine from the 911 GT3 RS with a short-ratio manual transmission. This is complemented by a resolutely lightweight construction and a running-gear setup optimised for agility and drivability. The Porsche 911 S/T weighs just 1,380 kilograms (DIN kerb weight, incl. all fluids), making it the lightest model of the 992 generation. The optional Heritage Design Package draws inspiration from the racing version of the 911 S from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The design of the anniversary model incorporated GT and motorsport expertise from Porsche. This is reflected in its particularly nimble and agile handling, which is designed for maximum driving enjoyment on winding country roads. The reduction of rotating mass both in the engine as well as the wheels and brakes ensures particularly dynamic responsiveness. The S/T responds to driver commands instantaneously. Every steering movement, every ounce of pressure on the accelerator or brake is implemented immediately and with pinpoint precision. Unlike the 911 GT3 RS, the focus of the development of the 911 S/T has been not on track use, but rather for journeys on public roads.

The name marks out the new 911 S/T as the descendant of a particularly performance-focused version of the first 911 generation. From 1969, Porsche offered a special race version of the 911 S. Internally, these vehicles were called 911 ST. Modifications to the chassis, wheels, engine and body significantly improved acceleration, braking, traction and cornering grip. Large spoilers and other aerodynamic aids were not yet used in these models. The new 911 S/T takes up the spirit of the original 911 S (ST) and transfers it to the current model generation of the Porsche 911. The anniversary model combines elements of the 911 GT3 RS with the body of the 911 GT3 with Touring Package and supplements it with lightweight components specially developed for the 911 S/T. The result is a unique driving experience within the 911 GT portfolio.

Lightweight construction from the wings to the clutch

Among other measures, the Porsche 911 S/T achieves its particularly agile and direct handling through consistent lightweight design. The front bonnet, roof, front wings and the doors with their striking inlets are made of lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). The same applies to the roll cage, rear axle anti-roll bar and shear panel (stiffening element on the rear axle). Porsche also fits the anniversary model with magnesium wheels, the PCCB system, a lithium-ion starter battery and lightweight glass, all as standard. With reduced insulation, the omission of rear-axle steering and weight savings in the powertrain, the 911 S/T achieves a DIN kerb weight of just 1,380 kg. This makes the car, optimised for a fast-road setup, a further 40 kg lighter than a manual 911 GT3 Touring.

Porsche engineers developed a new lightweight clutch exclusively for the 911 S/T. In conjunction with a single-mass flywheel, it reduces the weight of the rotating mass by 10.5 kg. This noticeably improves the responsiveness of the naturally aspirated boxer engine, which now builds revs with especially bracing speed and directness. Coupled with a six-speed manual transmission with a shorter gear ratio than on the 911 GT3, the high-revving engine in the 911 S/T delivers even more immediacy in its dynamics. It propels the 911 S/T to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds. It achieves a top speed of 300 km/h. The exhilarating driving experience is heightened by the compelling soundscape of the standard lightweight sports exhaust system. The 911 S/T is the only 911 of the current generation to combine a double-wishbone front-axle design with a multi-link rear axle without rear-axle steering. The dampers and control systems were tuned accordingly.

The aerodynamics of the Porsche 911 S/T are also optimised for the public road rather than the racing track. The anniversary model is equipped as standard with a Gurney flap on the extending rear spoiler. Standard equipment also includes 20-inch (front) and 21-inch (rear) lightweight centre-locking magnesium wheels. Ultra-high-performance 255/35 ZR 20 tyres, meanwhile, ensure a high level of mechanical grip at the front of the car. On the rear, the 911 S/T features 315/30 ZR 21 tyres. CFRP full bucket seats come as standard. The four-way-adjustable Sports Seat Plus is available at no extra charge. The instrument cluster and the clock of the Sport Chrono package are finished in a classic green Porsche colour scheme.

The Porsche 911 S/T is offered with an optional exclusive Heritage Design Package. The new exterior colour Shoreblue Metallic and the wheel rim colour Ceramica are exclusively available for this particularly elegant variant. On the doors, a starting number from 0 to 99 as well as a decorative foil can be applied on request. The classic-design Porsche crest from the original 911 that adorns the front, the hub caps, the steering wheel, the headrests and the car key underscores the historic roots of the 911 S/T. The interior also features cloth seat centers in Classic Cognac with black pinstripes, which are another homage to heritage. Two-tone semi-aniline leather trim in Black/Classic Cognac leather with extensive leather surrounds, a roof lining in perforated Dinamica, and other elements from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur round out the package. The Porsche logo and the 911 S/T model designation on the rear of the car are in Gold.

Porsche Design is exclusively offering customers of the 911 S/T the Chronograph 1 - 911 S/T. Featuring a titanium case, uncoated and blasted for weight-saving reasons, this exclusive timepiece goes all in on the lightweight design principle of the new purist 911 special edition. The heart of the chronograph is the Porsche Design WERK 01.240 with its COSC certification and flyback function. It is operated with a rotor in the design of the magnesium wheel of the 911 S/T.

The new Porsche 911 S/T can be ordered for 292,187 euros including VAT. The Heritage Design Package costs 17,505 euros including VAT. The Chronograph 1 - 911 S/T is available for 11,950 euros.