One-of-six Porsche 911 RS Club Sport for sale
There are special air-cooled Porsches, and then there are special air-cooled Porsches...
There’s a pleasing consistency to very special Porsche 911s. You know they’re going to look like quite a few other Porsche 911s, for starters; they’ll be powered by six horizontally opposed cylinders; and you’ll often be able to get a manual gearbox as well. With its new layout, the Corvette is drastically different to what’s come before. A super 911 changes, for sure, but plenty stays the same.
But every now and then, there’s a big leap forward for the ultimate Porsche sports cars. It could well be argued that the current GT3 RS, with its incredible aerodynamic enhancements, is one of those; creating a 4.0-litre 997 manual was probably one as well. And the most recent Speedster totally transformed the drop-top 911 stereotype. The 30-year-old 993 you see here was hugely significant as well because it is, of course, a Carrera RS.
And its significance wasn’t in the obvious stuff. It was substantially lighter than a Carrera, as is Renn Sport law, with measures as extreme as shrinking the washer bottle, deleting the intermittent wiper operation and keeping just one interior light for a 100kg saving over a standard 993. Which, when that was already less than 1,400kg and it was the mid-'90s (i.e. with less stuff in cars anyway) is quite some achievement. More power came from the flat-six, too, with a bored-out 3.8 capacity, bigger valves and Porsche’s Varioram intake manifold. 300hp and less than 1,300kg was more than enough to thrill, especially with all the amenities of a luge.
But it was the suspension that really marked the RS as a big step forward, introducing the five-link rear end that replaced the old trailing arms and would evolve to underpin the GT Porsches that followed. It ensured a less snappy, more secure 911 RS, albeit with the excitement very much still intact. You can read more about the 993 RS experience in John’s excellent PH Heroes story, but what you really need to know is that he reckoned it was one of the top five cars he’s ever experienced. And John’s driven more cars than you’ve had hot dinners.
So a 993 RS is a very special car, even by the standards of special 911s, and this one looks to be a top-tier example. It’s a Club Sport, for starters, back when such a package was actually quite a big deal; Porsche needed to homologate some bits and bobs for a GT2-spec 993 racer, and they were found on the Club Sport RS. While only 100 were needed to meet the regs, it’s believed just over 200 RS CSes were produced. The wing, cage and buckets are the big giveaways.
What makes this one most notable, however, is that it’s a right-hand-drive, UK market car from new - and the ad reckons there were only ever six of those. Six! There must be half a dozen YouTubers whingeing about 992 allocations right now, and that’s all that there were for the entire market in a year of production. Stripped-out 911s weren’t quite the same prospect 30 years ago, really only appealing to the most committed.
The last owner of this one has owned it since 2008, so they’ve certainly had the time to really appreciate it. (Just best not think about what a 13-year-old 911 with wind-up windows and silly seats cost then.) Currently showing a bit less than 27,000 miles, the RS is even better than might be expected: far from the dainty old Porsche, it’s mean and moody still thanks to the Club Sport changes. And absolutely exquisite, too, paint lustrous and what’s left of the interior in excellent condition. Wonder if Porsche Classic Communication Management could go in…
It’ll come as no surprise to learn that an air-cooled 911 of this importance, specification and rarity is now a highly prized Porsche. The asking price is £425,000; you don’t need us to say what kind of modern 911 that buys. But they won’t be one of six, they won’t be quite this unashamedly raw, and they won’t be a 993 Carrera RS. Just saying it sounds great. And it’s still a heck of a lot less than a GT2…
SPECIFICATION | PORSCHE 911 (993) CARRERA RS CLUB SPORT
Engine: 3,746cc, 6-cylinder, naturally aspirated
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 300@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 247@5,400rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1995
Recorded mileage: 26,846
Price new: £71,500
Yours for: £425,000
Back then, 964s were the ginger stepchild much as the 996 is more recently. Now I look at a 993 and although still a really pretty car, the 964 just has more of a classic 911 look to it-flat sided and a little more delicate looking. Back then though, the Porsche snobs all looked down on the 964 a leaky old thing that needed the heads rebuilt as soon as you looked at it.
The 993s Weissach rear axle however (which all 993s had not just the RS) was a massive step up in suspension performance over the 964. Which you prefer however being a more personal preference.
It's a funny old world the 911 one, so many different variants but a lot of owners get so tribal about their own.
Just glad someone got it..! Googling the actual car, looks quite timid vs this..!Edit to add my all time favourite car is the 993 Turbo S in this colour and that was because I saw Bad Boys which had the then older model in it. The scene at the end where they race the cobra (a replica) is my all time favorite car chase also.
, that said, lovely to see Edit to add my all time favourite car is the 993 Turbo S in this colour and that was because I saw Bad Boys which had the then older model in it. The scene at the end where they race the cobra (a replica) is my all time favorite car chase also.
Edit to add my all time favourite car is the 993 Turbo S in this colour and that was because I saw Bad Boys which had the then older model in it. The scene at the end where they race the cobra (a replica) is my all time favorite car chase also.
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