The Porsche 911 is highly regarded as one of the best models that Porsche has ever made, as it is widely popular and is very successful in terms of sales and wins in championship races. While there have been many different iterations of the 911 that have been produced over the years, there is one particular model that is considered by car enthusiasts to be the most valuable. That vehicle is the Porsche 911 2.7 RS, which was in October 1971. What makes the 911 2.7 RS one of the best 911s made by Porsche? Let us find as we dive into the brief history of one of the greatest cars ever made, the Porsche 911 2.7 RS.
Introduction of the 911 2.7 RS
The Porsche 911 2.7 RS, also known as the Carrera RS, debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October 1972, which is eight years after the introduction of the first 911 model in September 1964. It was during the early 1970s when Porsche became dominant in the GT racing scene thanks to the success of the 911 models. However, wanting to improve the features of the 911 even further, the company decided to develop and produce the 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, with the RS standing for “Rennsport,” a German word meaning “race sport.”
The Carrera RS was primarily developed to meet the standards of motorsport homologation, wherein a vehicle that will be used for motorsports or races is required to apply for certification to ensure that it is safe and fair to drive. When compared to the previous iteration of the 911, the 911S, the Carrera RS had a larger 2.7-liter engine, hence the reason why it is officially called the “2.7 RS.” In addition, the RS has a Bosch mechanical fuel injection, a “ducktail” rear spoiler for better aerodynamics, wide rear wheels for durability, larger breaks, revised suspension, and rear fenders.
The Popularity of the Carrera RS
There were two types of Carrera RS units made from 1973 to 1974, the first one being the RS Touring form that weighed 2,370 pounds or 1,075 kilograms, while the other one is the Sport Lightweight form that weighed about 2,100 pounds or 952 kilograms. According to records, there are 1,580 units of the Carrera RS that were made, and 49 of those units were equipped with 2.8-liter engines.
Although they only needed to build 500 RS units in order to qualify for the Group 4 Special GT race category, Porsche went ahead to produce 1,080 more units for selling and distribution. The decision of Porsche to produce more RS units is mainly attributed to popular demand as they easily were able to get 51 orders just a few days after the introduction of the RS at the 1972 Paris Motor Show. In addition, Porsche was able to sell out the initial 500 units a week after the preorders closed.
Because of the high demand for the Carrera RS, Porsche started the production of the second series for the model in the winter of 1972. From that production, the company was able to produce 1,080 RS cars by the end of 1973. After the manufacturing of all units, Porsche was able to move up the category of the RS from Group 4 to Group 3 at the Grand Touring race.
The basic price of a stripped RS was priced at $11,785 during the early 70s, making it just a little bit more expensive than the 911, as Porsche wanted the model to sell well in Germany. For those that have more money to spend on extra features, Porsche allowed customers to pay an extra $893 to get the “Touring Package,” which adds a trimmed interior, steel guards, and steel rear bumpers. However, the Touring Package could only be sold by dealers, as the RS comes stripped out of the factory. Because of the neat features found in the Touring Package, many buyers opt to pay the extra $893 to drive the fastest Carrera RS model during that time. Porsche then pushed the boundaries of what the RS can do by producing the RSR model, a major upgrade over the base vehicle. But, to get this model, customers would need to pay an additional $8,940, but that price is worth it since the RSR has an unbelievable 308-horsepower six-cylinder engine.
The 911 Carrera 2.7 RS won multiple Grand Touring or GT during its heyday in the early 1970s, and its constant reliability and speed made it a popular choice among many GT racers. Even in the 21st century, the Carrera RS is still considered one of the fastest cars in the world, which makes it highly sought-after among car collectors. As of 2021, a unit of the Carrera 2.7 RS would cost you more than $400,000, so you may need to save up in order to get your hands on this particular Porsche model.