Porsche plans to build just 991 examples of its new, back-to-basics, naturally-aspirated 911 R, possibly including these four spotted recently driving around Monaco.

It's not clear what the 911 Rs were doing there, but it appears by the dirt and road grime collected on them that they had been enjoyed prior to arriving in Monaco.

The video shows three black 911 Rs and one white car, meaning these are potentially test mules since the automaker has said that the cars will only be available from the factory in white and silver.

However, the body kits and wheels, not to mention the titanium exhausts, seen on these four cars are correct for a 911 R. No other Porsche 911 uses the same setup.

The first 911 Rs are slated for delivery early this summer, but it is widely believed that all of the roughly $185,000 examples Porsche intends to produce have been sold out (though one enterprising eBay seller wants $1.25 million for his or hers). 

Just what's so thrilling about the 911 R? It is basically a GT3 minus that car's outlandish body kit—and, perhaps more importantly, it utilizes a conventional manual transmission rather than a sophisticated automatic gearbox. 

The 911 R is Porsche's most powerful naturally-aspirated car, and it is available with a host of weight-reducing options like air conditioning delete. 

There are worse places to drive a great car like this than Moncao. Then again, we hope we get some seat time in one anywhere.

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