The 911 entered its second decade as an admired and familiar sports car. Dealers’ sales data showed that having purchased a 911, the buyer was very likely to replace it with another one. And fast though it was – Tony Dron’s 2.4S held its one-way maximum of 150mph over 4km – competitors were catching up.
However, in October 1972, Porsche retook the lead, as it were, with the launch of the Carrera 2.7 RS. Created at the behest of Ernst Fuhrmann, the 2.7 RS was designed to give Porsche a credible racer in Group 3. Based on the 2.4T, the lightest of the 911 range, the shell was lightened further with the use of thinner-gauge steel on upper body panels, thinner glass except for the windscreen, while the engine cover was made of glass fibre.
Inside, a distinctly stark interior was bereft of any electric assistance. Exactly how the RS was accoutred depended on whether you bought the RSH specification; the stark, pure race version homologated at 920kg, the ‘Lightweight’; or for eight per cent more, the Touring that offered rear seats and a modicum of comfort (and probably weighed nearer 1,000kg). Underneath a stiffer suspension were 911S anti-roll bars, Bilstein dampers and a novelty: wider rear (seven-inch) rims than the fronts (six-inch). However, what made the new RS 2.7 stand out even more than its generously flared rear arches was its ‘ducktail’ rear wing. Combined with the less-visible front spoiler, these eye-catching aerodynamic addenda were crucial in maintaining cornering and, above all, high-speed stability when the 911’s front could become worryingly light.
Denne historien er fra Issue 233-utgaven av Total 911.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Issue 233-utgaven av Total 911.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Spotted
Total 911 assesses the rare and unusual Neunelfers currently for sale from around the world
Living the Legend
Our contributing enthusiasts from around the world share their real-life experiences with their Porsche 911s
ORANGE Crush
Total 91] gets up close and personal with an iconically liveried 934 that has raced at Le Mans, Nurburgring, Daytona and Sebring
SLIDING ROOF TARGAS
For the 993, Porsche changed the Targa to an innovative sliding-roof design, which would stay for the following 996 and 997 generations. More practical than the ‘roll bar’ design, here’s everything you need to know
Ben&Cheryl Dimson
In part two of our in-depth conversation, Ben and Chery] discuss their careers at Porsche throughout the 80s and 90s with Total 911
White Lightening
The 996 GT3 RS is brilliant out of the box, but Porsche always intended for customers to make some changes…
Euro Vision
The Thornley Kelham European RS results from one man’s obsessive quest to create the perfect Porsche 9]. We get behind the wheel
997 Rennsports
Both the Gen1 3.6 and Gen2 3.8 are superlative examples of the 911 Rennsport genre, but which is best?
Spotted
Total 911 assesses the rare and unusual Neunelfers currently for sale from around the world
Theon Design reveals restomod Targa
The Porsche specialist has debuted its first 911 Targa, which combines a carbon-fibre chassis with a 403bhp 4.0-litre flat six