Porsche 911 R Probably Not as Valuable as Owner Hoped
Porsche drew the line on speculators with the 911 R, and now you don’t have to pay over a million dollars for one.
The 2016 Porsche 911 R became quite the controversy. A special edition car selling for $185,950 with only 991 examples being made for sale. The speculators made sure it sold out before any real enthusiasts could weigh up a second mortgage or get a quote on selling a kidney on the black market. We spotted this one coming up for sale, at speculator spec with just 26 miles on the clock, on RM Sotheby’s website at just a third of the $1,000,000 prices being gauged out in the summer of 2016. It’s not so low on value because it’s not a great car though.
By all accounts, the 911 R is a spectacular piece of engineering. Those lucky enough to get behind the wheel to review them zoned in on the term “purists Porsche.” A 500-hp 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six mated to a 6-speed manual with no PDK option at the time when Porschephiles were having conniptions about the GT3 RS only being available with dual-clutch automatics was big news. But not just for those reasons.
Porsche took the best of the best from the 911 parts bin and went to work. Carbon fiber deck-lids both front and rear, carbon fiber front fenders, and a magnesium roof help bring the weight down to a curb weight of just 3021 pounds. The dry-sump 4.0-liter flat-six used from the GT3 cars is amped up to full RS spec and, for those purists, a conventional limited-slip differential ensures there’s no electronic shenanigans controlling the relationship between the rear wheels. There were options, this is Porsche after all, and the one going for auction at RM Sotheby’s “… Comes equipped with the desirable extended range fuel tank and the single-mass flywheel with a reinforced clutch.”
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Although 991 examples were made, only 296 were for the American market. Porsche did offer American 918 Spyder owners the right of first refusal but wouldn’t say how many took them up on that. Mostly, 911 Rs went to speculators and many went up for sale before even being delivered. Enthusiast’s frustration had been building over this behavior and Porsche weren’t impressed either. They drew the lines, and responded by selling the GT3 with a manual transmission for $40,000 less than the 911 R, and popping that 911 R bubble.
It doesn’t make the 911 R not special. It’s a love letter to Porsche’s history, and Porsche didn’t make only 991 of them so other people could make money of the top. But now, if you have the $325,000 – $375,000 this one is expected to go for, you can have a minty fresh example to gleefully rack up some miles on for a more reasonable price.
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