Porsche 911 S/T Origins and Modern Take In 1972, Porsche won the GT class at LeMans with a very special 911 variant. It was called the S/T, and it won its GT class at the 1972 24 Hours of LeMans. It was built from lightweight aluminium, meaning it weighed a featherweight 930kg and featured a 2.5l air-cooled flat-6, which generated 270 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque. It maxed out at 160mph, did 0-62mph in 5.0 seconds, and costed from around $14,000 when new. Only 24 were built. Introduced in 2024, the 992 911 S/T is built from aluminium and carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, meaning it weighs an incredibly lightweight 1,380kg. It uses a 4.0l naturally-aspirated flat-six, which generates 525 horsepower and 338lb-ft of torque. The result of all that is 0-62mph in just 3.7 seconds and will max out at 186mph. Porsche built a total of 1,963 992 S/Ts as a reference to the 911’s launch year, and it costs $315,000. Classic Restoration of the Original When racing, the original 911 S/T was painted in a vibrant light-yellow livery (code 117). However, after its final official race in 1975, the S/T vanished into obscurity. Until one day, Porsche Classic found a wrecked variant in a barn near San Francisco in 2008. Over the course of 16 years, they decided to breathe life into the battered S/T. The body was stripped, realigned, and rebuilt with missing parts fabricated from scratch using original drawings. They put 1,000 hours of craftsmanship into the bodywork and covered the car with a state-of-the-art corrosion protection. Porsche Classic then composed a yellow paintwork reminiscent of Code 117. To appropriately match the design to its period, they fitted the car with decals with the iconic number 41, the car that won the race. Eventually in 2016, after two and a half years of restoration, the restored S/T looked as great as it had done as it had done in 1972. Porsche Sonderwunsch on the 992: Creating a Flawless Reinterpretation Fast-forward to 2024, Porsche turned to their special in-house Sonderwunsch programme to replicate this beautiful livery on the current 992 S/T, mirroring the original car. Applying the paint involved meticulously painting carbon-fibre panels to achieve flawless coverage. To complete the look are magnesium wheels in Dark silver and black callipers. A minimalist black interior completes the package. Ultimately, what Porsche is trying to prove is that the 2024 S/T is indeed a worthy successor to the original 1972 S/T. Both are raw, back-to-basics, driver-focused road racers that ultimately demand their drivers to be the best they can be. And with these matching liveries, that mirror parallel is only increased further. Both are incredible variants of the legendary 911, and here’s hoping the S/T name continues on…and that they’re all painted yellow. F1rstMotors: 911 S/T ComparisonYear of Release19722024911 VariantClassic992Year of Release19722024Engine2.5L Flat-64.0l Flat-6Horsepower270 hp525hpTorque188 lb–ft338 lb–ft0–62mph (100km/h)5.0 seconds3.7 secondsTop Speed160mph (257 km/h)186mph (299 km/h)Weight930 kg (0.9 tonnes)1,380kg (1.4 tonnes)Power to Weight290 hp per tonne380 hp per tonneGearbox5-speed Manual6-speed ManualDriven WheelsRear-Wheel-DriveRear-Wheel-DriveAmount Built241,963Price (when new)$14,000$315,000Source: Porsche
