Of all the classic Porsche 911 models ever made, one has achieved almost mythical status, looming large above the rest: the 1973 Porsche Carrera RS!
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The Carrera RS was the only street-legal 911 factory-equipped with a special fiberglass front spoiler, flared rear fenders to accept wider wheels, bold graphics and, best of all, the famous 'ducktail' deck lid. Its wonderful 2.4-liter power plant received larger, Nikasil-coated aluminum cylinders and pistons which, combined with the race-derived BOSCH fuel injection, created a 2.7-liter, 210 horsepower road rocket that would rule Autobahns and racetracks with utter domination for years to come.
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Forty years after the last RS rolled off the assembly line, prices for surviving, genuine examples of the 1,580 Carrera RS cars manufactured have reached stratospheric heights and are still continuing their climb, with no end in sight. Nicolas Cage's Signal Yellow Carrera RS sold just recently for $550,000 and cognoscenti are expecting higher prices in the near future. It's simply a matter of supply and demand.
What about those of us who actually have to work for a living, but lust for the prestige and exhilaration of owning and driving a 911RS? Get the next best thing: a carbon-copy recreation!
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The marvelous Porsche Carrera RS Replica presented here, VIN *9112102415*, is based on a genuine '72 long hood chassis with correct, 1973 2.4-liter engine. It was sold new at Carmichael Porsche-Audi in Knoxville, Tennessee and has been a local car all its life before recently finding its way to sunny California.
Amazingly, the factory window sticker and supplemental pricing sticker from back in the day are still with the car, confirming its provenance.
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Factory-supplied books and manuals remain in the original, merlot-colored vinyl pouch.
Bitchin'!
Let's have a closer look at this Porsche now, starting with the trunk.
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Nice gray felt carpeting, tire jack, new trunk seal - very tidy, indeed.
Note the correct, European H4 headlight units with asymmetrical reflectors and the narrow chrome trim rings.
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Super clean trunk floor. Porsche spare. New battery. Not a speck of rust anywhere. Great care was taken to get even small details "right."
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Looking straight into the horse's mouth, so to speak, we appreciate the clean battery box area and suspension pan. Most vulnerable to rust or accident damage, the condition of the spare tire well speaks volumes about any classic 911. On this one, there's nothing but good news to report!
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Most important on 5-decades-old collector cars, even more so on classic-era Porsches not known for exemplary factory rust protection, is the structural integrity, namely the condition of their undercarriage. Click on the image to the left for an XXL-sized view |
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Above photos show the undercarriage in more detail. Make sure you enlarge them to their full size.
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The side view reveals it: this 911RS was built to original specs. It has not been lowered, there are no tinted windows, add-on mirrors, or extra lights. Despite the Donauwellen Carrera side trim, the RS is somewhat of a sleeper, a subtle supercar with mild rear flares and a smallish rear spoiler. In its day, a "ducktail" Carrera caused every bit as much excitement among knowledgeable enthusiasts as a Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird with its "towel rack" air foil.
The Signal Yellow paint is absolutely like new, shiny like a precious gem, with no flaws of any kind, no dings, dents, or scratches to report anywere.
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Porsche's austere interior has just been completely refurbished, at great expense.
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Dashboard was restored; thus, there are no cracks or other imperfections. Vintage DINO Prototipo volant looks like it belongs . . .
Note smooth dash fascia with radio delete.
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White-faced gauges are a personal touch. Check out the 8,000rpm tachometer!
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Vintage RECARO sport seats have just been re-covered in aromatic black leather with the correct grain and pattern. Seatbacks and headrests still feature the original black fabric.
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Deatil shots of RS door panels and sport seats.
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Rear seats. Yes, this Carrera is perfectly suited for the family man. Genuine leather here as well?
You bet!
Carpeting is the lightweight gray-black felt material. Looks amazing. Headliner is the correct black, perforated material and perfectly preserved. Windshield has been replaced and a new, factory seal was used to install it.
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Just like the lightweight M471 RS Sport, this 911 is equipped with the fiberglass one-piece front and rear bumpers. Prestigious "Entenbürzel" (ducktail) deck lid is secured with racing-style elastic rubber straps (however, the factory lock is functional, too). Trim and badging consists of color-coded decals, saving a few additional ounces of weight.
And, yes, that's a super rare 1970s German license plate. "M" stands for Munich . . .
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Where all the excitement is generated - the heart of the beast resides in a toothbrush clean engine bay out back.
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Motorvation comes from this genuine, 2.4-Liter air-cooled flat six, #6130336, breathing though WEBER triplet carburetors with 40mm throats, that sounds as ferocious as a startled javelina and runs like a scalded cat.
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Let's go for a drive!
Tuesday, October 1st, turned out to be another fabulous autumn day here in paradise. Temperatures in the high 70s had us stoked to take the RS through its paces and the blue skies provided an inviting backdrop for our photo session.
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RS starts willingly and idles smoothly after a short warm-up. The engine sounds wonderful, just like you would expect it from an early 911 that has not been subject to the EPA's mandates. There are no untoward mechanical noises and no, absolutely no oil leaks. Oil pressure is great; once operating temperature has been reached -- always let your vintage 911 warm up until the valve in the dry sump system opens -- it's hard to keep one's foot off the loud pedal and the revs below six grand.
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In full song, this Porsche wails with joy! We were constantly exceeding the posted speed limit and the higher the engine revved, the more fabulous it sounded.
The strong type 915 5-speed transmission (it has less than 100 miles on a professional rebuild that included new shift bushings as well), powerful vented disc brakes all around, and a tuned suspension turn very fast driving into an addictive pleasure.
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Among today's hottest collector cars, the early, 1965-'73 Porsche 911 long hood models are the fastest-appreciating assets. Very few early 911s are being offered these days; cars as eye-catching as this particularly well-built 911 Carrera RS replica are almost impossible to find.
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The immortal Carrera RS epitomizes Zuffenhausen's desire to rule the world of sports cars, on and off the track. After the first international gas crisis, late in '73, the factory's perspective changed, perhaps forever. Nowadays, a Porsche seems to be just another overweight -- albeit fast -- luxury car.
Ready to be driven with utter pleasure, many thousands were spent recently on this exciting 911; now it needs nothing but a new, appreciative owner.
Addendum:
We sold this fabulous Porsche late in 2014.
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