Porsche is going all out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a car that paved the way for models like today’s revered 911 GT3 RS. The 911 Carrera RS 2.7 debuted at the 1972 Paris Motor Show as a homologation special for Group 4 racing. The Carrera RS is significantly unique. In its day, it was the fastest German production car with a lightweight stature and excellent road handling. It was also the first production model to wear a front and rear spoiler. Today the 911 Carrera RS has many nicknames such as “Ducktail”, “RS” or “2.7er”. Now Porsche continues the celebration with the “Spirit of Carrera RS” with a special exhibition at the museum in Zuffenhausen.
Highlighting the exhibit is a 911 Carrera RS 2.7 in Touring guise and finished in bright yellow, Plus, there are examples from the 964, 993, 996, 997, 991, and 992 generations. There is also a rare prototype on display with a green metallic finish. The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS was presented to the world publicly, on the 17th of August 2022. A powerhouse of a vehicle with a lightweight construction that relies on the dark arts of aerodynamics The new 911 GT3 RS has a naturally aspirated 4,0-litre flat-six engine producing 386 kW, 465 N.m of torque and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. With a top speed of 296 km/h, its party piece is its 3,2 second 0-100 km/h time.
The exhibition at the Porsche Museum highlights not only the RS but also the racing version of the RSR. Apart from having the RS models on full display, there are films, photos, racing posters and brochures to further tell the story of the RS, from where it started to where it is today. Porsche initially planned to build 500 examples but with their surprising success, they originally managed to sell 1 580 examples.
In 50 years Porsche has designed and created a number of design icons and all of them follow the same design principle which was established by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. The design philosophy according to Porsche is “Optimize function. Reduce the form right down to the essentials. Overcome the familiar to continually discover new and exceptional solutions.” Porsche had other eye-catching design features to offer on the Carrera lettering, 29 paint tones were available, some in striking colours, and 27 were produced, including colours such as Bright Yellow, Red and Blood Orange. Porsche also fulfilled individual customer colour requests for their Rennsport models.
