Simply The Best - The Greatest 911s

Porsche would not be Porsche without the backbone of its brand – the rear-engine 911.

- Motor Staff

 

01

911 CARRERA RS 2.7

The sharply focused lightweight coupe that kicked off the enduring 911 cult

A DECADE AFTER the 1963 Frankfurt show debut of Porsche’s new sports coupe, the model that came to be regarded as the definitive 911 arrived, born out of motorsport homologation.

The Neunelfer (nine eleven), had evolved from sketches done by Ferdinand ‘Butzi’ Porsche in 1959 and was intended as a larger, more powerful 356 successor. It soon established a reputation as one of the world’s most successful racing cars.

The 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 reprised the badge from the 356 Carrera, which was named after early ’50s successes in the gruelling Mexican Carrera Panamericana road races.

RS stood for the German Rennsport (‘racing sport’) and the Carrera 2.7 was homologated for the FIA Group 4 Grand Touring category, which called for the production of 500 cars. Based on the contemporary 911S, the RS 2.7 is the classic ‘big engine in a small car’ approach to building a racecar for the road.

A fibreglass front bumper/chin spoiler and rear ‘ducktail’ spoiler/engine cover created the unmistakable RS 2.7 silhouette and broader wheel arches allowed an increase in rim size and larger disc brakes. Revised, stiffer suspension lowered the RS’s centre of mass.

Completing the power-to-weight puzzle is a 2687cc, Bosch Kugelfischer mechanically fuel-injected flat-six (346cc larger than that of the 911S) producing 154kW.