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One of the consistent criticisms of cars like the one we see here is that their level of execution and performance never seem to match their high price tag. I guess we can call this the Singer problem. Singer, as most are aware, produces bespoke backdated 911s that combine many of the best performance parts with the best aesthetic features, both inside and out. Each build is individual and in many ways a work of art. They are also incredibly expensive. Some builders seem keen to follow Singer’s lead without nearly the same quality and performance, and then hope to still extract high prices (even if they aren’t as high as those charged by Singer itself). The car here comes with the typical very high price tag, but in this case there is a lot more going on performance-wise than in other builds we’ve come across. This 911 started life as a 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo-look. The appearance was backdated to that of a ’73 911 RSR while the engine was replaced with a 3.8 liter flat-six built to 993 Carrera RS specs. The interior received alterations to suit its increased sporting pretensions. The seller describes it as minimalist and that description seems apt. It was then painted in Ferrari Rosso Corso, presumably because the owner was a Ferrari enthusiast. The result is a very striking 911 whose RSR roots are clear on the outside, but which packs a very potent and more modern punch. I would imagine the performance of this 911 would be quite exhilarating and it is in that regard that this build significantly distances itself from many others we have seen. Does it justify the high price?
For many enthusiasts of the 911 the Carrera RS sits atop a long list of highly-regarded cars. Today it is difficult to even keep track of the number of special variants of the 911 Porsche has offered, but in many ways they all reach back to the original RS, a car developed to fit Porsche’s racing needs for homologation. These also marked the rebirth of the Carrera name, first attached to the four-cam 356, which saw quite a bit of racing success of its own. As with most any racing development the build’s emphasis was on the combination of power and less weight. With 210 hp and weighing 2370 pounds in Touring configuration the Carrera RS would be a capable performer even by modern standards. During its time it must have seemed like a revelation. The example here is an early production, left-hand drive, Black 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS. Strangely, this is the first Carrera RS I can recall coming across in Black. That may be entirely anecdotal given how often we otherwise come across Black 911s, but perhaps there exists some additional rarity in that well known color. Regardless, it is fantastic!
I’m going to cut to the chase with this one: on appearance this is a wonderful looking Porsche 911. The Carrera RS from any model always attracts significant attention and obviously the version produced as part of the 993 model would be no different. The question with which we must grapple here is just how much is that fantastic appearance worth? The reason we must ask that is because here that is more or less all we get as the mechanical components of this 993 remain that of a standard Carrera Coupe. There’s no 300 hp 3.8 liter flat-six in the rear and the weight savings probably aren’t up to the full Carrera RS standard, though we should note that the interior modifications should result in some weight loss relative to other 993 coupes. With an asking price of $100,900 the cost of this Speed Yellow 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, outfitted as a Carrera RS, is nearly twice that of a standard Carrera of this vintage. Is it worth it?
I will finish off my look back at the early Carreras by turning my attention to the original; the first 911 to don the Carrera name: the 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS. Porsche first introduced the Carrera as part of the 356 lineup with a 4-cam engine dubbed the 356 Carrera GT. These served Porsche well and lead to quite a bit of racing success for the 356 in a wide variety of venues ranging from long-dstance road races to rallying. When Porsche sought to produce a homologation model for its 911 racing program they reached back to resurrect the Carrera name. While almost all 911s since 1984 have been dubbed Carrera, in these early years it was only for the truly special editions that the name was used. The first one also happens to be the most significant. The Carrera RS we see here no longer sits in its original form, but remains true to the model. Around twenty years into its life this Carrera RS Touring was sent to Ruf Automobiles for a full restoration and at that time was converted to a RS Lightweight. Since that time it has covered fewer than 5K miles and looks excellent in its contrasting Light Yellow over Green paint.
Edit 8/24/2017: A little over two years later, this RS has resurfaced on eBay with 70 more miles and about the same $400,000 asking price.
Another week, another wonderful 964 Carrera RS. This time, however, we’ve gone a little more aggressive in the color department with a Rubystone Red (Sternrubin) 1992 Porsche 911 Carrera RS with contrasting interior and just 19,919 miles on it. I recall that we featured a Rubystone 964 Turbo a while back and that 911 had a Grey interior that, frankly, was entirely unbefitting of the dynamism of the exterior. We have no such problem here as the black interior with purple and violet seat inserts provides the right balance of flash and subdued character that highlights, but doesn’t overshadow, that exterior. Inside or out, there should be no mistaking what this car is.
