Description
1996 PORSCHE 911 (993) CARRERA RS – LHD
£327, 950
N321 RSR
This Porsche 993 Carrera RS is a remarkably well-presented modern performance icon, which boasts a great specification and is accompanied by an excellent service history record. This particular car was specified from the factory with the larger Clubsport style front splitter and rear wing.
Grand Prix White with Black leather.
The odometer shows just 42, 675 km (26, 517 miles).
Only 1, 014 examples of the Porsche 993 Carrera RS were built.
Factory options:
• 197: 88AH Battery
• 451: Reduced Radio Operation
• 471: Carrera RS Clubsport spoilers
• 561: Drivers Air Bag
• 573: Air Conditioning
• 651: Electric Windows
The car also features a period-correct Blaupunkt Paris radio cassette player.
Understood to have been completed in July 1995, this car was dispatched to its first owner in Japan, and registered for the road in October that year. It remained in Asia until early 2015, when it was imported to the UK.
The 993 generation gave us some great Porsches. You had the 993 Turbo which was a straight line weapon and executive torque monster. Then there was the 993 GT2, a real beast of a car (in a good way) that should have come with warning stickers taped all over it. But, it is the RS 3. 8 that is the ultimate 993 car - the perfect air cooled Porsche. The 993 RS is a simply sublime driver’s cars and one of the most engaging cars ever made. Based on the Carrera Cup competition car, it was specifically conceived as a homologation special to qualify the RSR 3. 8 for BPR GT3 and GT4 racing.
The RS 3. 8’s awesome M64/ 20 engine was a fitting farewell for the naturally-aspirated, air-cooled ?at-six. It is a 3, 746 cc air-cooled horizontally opposed six-cylinder with Variocam and Motronic engine management. The engine is coupled to a six-speed manual transmission.
A host of upgrades resulted in the the Carrera RS 3. 8 producing 300 bhp at 6, 500 rpm and torque of 262 lb/ ft at 5, 400 rpm. With the additional low-end torque provided by the increased displacement, Porsche created a motor that had more low end grunt and still relished in revving to a very healthy (and fun) 7, 100 rpm redline.
Mechanically, the suspension was upgraded with a front strut brace, ball-joint front damper mounts, and adjustable anti-roll bars, with five positions for the 24-millimeter front bar and three positions for the 21-millimeter rear piece. The center of gravity was lowered thanks to a reduction, 30mm front and 40mm rear, of the suspension’s ride height. This suspension offered supreme control, not just in handling but also setup. Those 5-way adjustable front anti-roll bars and struts really allowed the driver to dial everything in precisely to their liking.
The Carrera RS also received a limited-slip differential, the same anti-lock braking system as the 993 Turbo, and ABS traction control. There is also a strong but light transverse front suspension brace in the front trunk area, bolted to special cast-alloy brackets, as well as a trunk-mounted ignition-kill switch.
Larger (12. 7 in. in diameter in front and 11. 8 in) ventilated and cross-drilled disc brakes with 4 piston brakes both decreased un-sprung mass while increasing stopping power especially on track. Stopping was also aided by ABS. Large tires wrapped around three-piece Speedline wheels all around ensured a maximum footprint on the tarmac. The wheels were standard 9- and 11-inch wide by 18-inch diameter with 235/ 40 and 285/ 35 tires.
The Carrera RS 3. 8 was based on the Carrera Cup car, which itself was basically a very heavily modified Carrera 2 bodyshell. “Heavily modified” means it was seam-welded, stiffened and track-prepped. The much stiffer chassis also had rolled wheel arches and aerodynamic enhancements that make the RS 3. 8 stand out. The beautiful split-rim alloy three-piece Speedline wheels were added too.
The Porsche team went to extreme lengths to make the Carrera RS as light as possible deleting virtually everything that was unnecessary (although this example was specified in a slightly more comfort-focused specification, with electric windows and air-conditioning, along with a driver’s airbag) including central locking, audio system speakers, power-adjustable seats, and mirrors, rear defroster, and even the headliner! And Porsche didn’t stop there. The Carrera RS even featured thinner window glass, an aluminum front boot lid and doors, lighter Recaro seats, and lightweight interior door panels with traditional fabric pulls. Sound proofing was reduced to a minimum and Porsche even removed the headlight washers to save weight too.
The Carrera 3. 8 RS is a genuinely quick car, with more than enough power for any reasonable usage. 300bhp in a car that weighs just 2800 lbs is an intoxicating combination especially with an engine that thrives on being revved and an almost instantaneous throttle response.
The balance between power, steering and chassis is near perfect, you can feel everything happening beneath you and the steering wheel wiggles in your hands and immerses you, letting you know that you are calling the shots.
• ENGINE 3. 8 L Air-cooled Flat 6 (M64/ 20)
• POWER 300 bhp @ 6, 500 rpm
• TORQUE 262 ft lbs @ 5400 rpm
• 0 - 60 MPH 4. 7 seconds
• TOP SPEED 172 mph
Accompanying the car are the original Japanese handbooks, the correct RS supplement, and also a second copy of the book in English. It is also supported by a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, a 993 Carrera RS brochure and technical books. The original toolkit, jack and air compressor are also present, along with the spare key and original key pouch.
This Porsche 993 Carrera RS represents a fine example of the final air-cooled model to wear the iconic RS moniker, and as such is rightly regarded as arguably the pinnacle of its analogue modern classic era. It is an immersive and exciting road car, but is also a great choice for thrilling track days, should the next owner so desire. Regardless of how it is enjoyed, it would be a superb addition to any Porsche collection.
