Porsche's Motorsport division had to cajole and convince its board for months before they agreed to build the lightweight, free-breathing 911 R.
It has taken just minutes for the collector community to tell Porsche they priced it at a million-dollar discount.
Specialist supercar traders have admitted the 911 R is changing hands for more than £800,000 in England and it’s the same kind of news on the European continent. Even in the United States, one 911 R owner is listing his car on eBay for US$1.25 million.
The retail price for the 911 R, which was limited to 991 cars, started at US$184,900 in America, £136,901 in the UK and $404,700 in Australia. That gives the 911 R a markup of almost seven times its original price in the US and almost six times in the UK.
The 25 right-hand drive models earmarked for Australia cost $17,500 more than the GT3 RS and $40,000 more than the 911 Turbo. If the same appreciation rates hold true in Australia, that would value the car at almost A$3 million.
The 911 R is effectively a passion project at Porsche, and is essentially a 911 with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission removed and a custom-built six-speed manual gearbox fitted. Plus the chassis and steering were set up for maximum feel, rather than maximum speed, though it still runs to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds, 200km/h in 11.6 seconds and on to 323km/h.
It generates 368kW of power from its naturally aspirated, 4.0-litre flat six-cylinder engine, and revs out to 8800rpm
Its body is mostly from the 911 GT3, complete with a magnesium roof, polycarbonate side and rear glass, carbon-fibre for the bonnet and front guards and lots of aluminium. At 1370kg, it is 50kg lighter than the track-focused GT3 RS.
To get down to that figure, it lost the standard air conditioning, the multimedia screen, the audio system and satnav, plus the rear seats and even the door handles, which were replaced by a pair of straps.