Motorhead Magazine presents its brief tribute to the Porsche 911 RS with a couple of rorty runs on-board a pristine 964 and 993.
The King of Cool. Difficult to argue with that magisterial tagline, given that Porsche’s line-up is easily among the favourites on Stuttgart’s line-up. A lineage that started just over the border in Paris in 1972 with the 911 Carrera RS 2.7, considered by most Porka fans to be the greatest 911 ever built.
Its link with motorsport was indelible. As well as baring the Rennsport name – German for ‘Racing’ – the RS was the first fully-street legal homologation series Porsche commissioned, following new Group 5 regulations for 1973: unless 500 road-going examples of Porsche’s track-based 911 RSR were built, the race team was going nowhere. Stuttgart duly delivered, taking the base of the 1973 911S 2.4 Coupe, stripping out the interior, and incorporating wider rear wheel arches, some cheeky 15in ‘Fuchs’ alloys, fibreglass front and rear bumpers, and THAT ducktail spoiler for the ‘Sport’ models. At the heart of the new R.S. lay the 911S’ 190bhp 2.4-litre flat-six, albeit with new larger cylinders and 90mm pistons to kick power up to 210bhp and torque up to 202lb ft. A five-speed manual gearbox completed the drivetrain, said powerhouse now capable of 0-100kph in 5.5 seconds and a 240kph top speed. Throw in revised suspension and Carrera racing stripes for the final, iconic touch.
The company’s initial 500 orders were long gone before the Carrera RS 2.7 even made its 1972 Paris Motor Show debut, the second 500 following shortly after. In total, 1590 original models were built, simultaneously becoming one of the most sought after 911s in history – an M471 ‘Lightweight’ model sold at auction last year for $1.4m – and the genesis of Porsche’s now iconic RS division. It would be another 18 years before a new RS returned with the 964, the even lighter performance model now featuring aluminium bodywork and a stiffer chassis courtesy of more specific welding, as well as a 260bhp 3.6-litre flat-six. Following a European-exclusive limited edition run in 1993 – only 90 were made – and a 300bhp RS version of the ’95 993, close to a decade ticked by before a homologated, street legal, 381bhp 996 GT3 RS appeared in 2004 ahead of 997 variants in 2006 and 2010. All from the unexpected sensation that captured more than its share of the limelight at the Paris Motor Show four decades earlier. Little wonder Motorhead Magazine wish to pay tribute to the model line.
By the way, the soundtrack is ‘We Will Run’ by Waken, since, like us, the above melody will be stuck on a loop in your head for the rest of the day. And if that directorial style looks familiar, yes, it is Luke Huxham.
