RE: Porsche Carrera RS: Time for coffee
Wednesday 12th September 2018
Porsche 964 Carrera RS: Time for coffee?
Put the kettle on and whisk yourself back to a time when 911 RSs were simple, focused and oh so pretty
If recent spy shots of the upcoming 992-generation Porsche 911 have you in tears, put the kettle on and remember when Stuttgart’s designs were a little simpler. Because a new Petrolicious video has gone live and it features the extremely simple, yet totally gorgeous, shape of a 964 Carrera RS, which, in case you aren’t already drooling, comes finished in Maritime Blue paint and squats on magnesium RS wheels.
This car lives with its owner in Arizona as one of a small but growing number of 964 RSs to have been imported to the US, something that couldn’t have been done prior to 2017 because of America’s ban on importing cars not officially sold there until they are 25 years old. As such, it lacks the weight-adding safety features and power-sapping emissions hardware of normal US Carreras and comes in pared-back German form.
Under that steeply raked back-end lives an uprated air-cooled 3.6-litre flat six producing 260hp that drives the rear axle through a short-ratio, five-speed manual gearbox via a lightened flywheel and racing clutch. This RS owner concedes that the car's performance statistics may not seem particularly spectacular by today's standards, but he promptly reminds us that they come in a taut 964 package that weighs just 1,230kg - before demonstrating the effects.
We shan’t say anymore and will instead leave you to absorb the pleasurable mechanical tones of a 964 RS being driven as its makers intended. Once you’ve done that, we’ll meet you in the classifieds…
Discussion
Tuvra said:
I think these look far more appealing in "boring" colours like silver and black:-
Although to my eyes, the 964 in any form is nowhere near as pretty as the 993
Personally I think that Polar Silver is the most gorgeous colour on the 964 and 993 Porsche 911s, as the second image shows. Arctic Silver in the background 993 is too sterile and commonplace for my taste. Although to my eyes, the 964 in any form is nowhere near as pretty as the 993
housen said:
and cheap
Absolutely, they were much simpler machines back then, I'd love to see a modern interpretation of this car that isn't £100k+, simple, pure (but with 20 years of safety knowledge added). Doesn't need a flash interior, doesn't need 15 driver modes, doesn't need active dampers, simple passive setup. Saved £25k off of list already. What else could we live without so that we can enjoy such a machine? Maybe it doesn't need 15 pot calipers with 400mm carbon cermaic discs and 22" wheels if the car weighs less? It can be great on the road and fun on track, (does it really need to be a GT3 car with number plates??) Does it now need 500BHP? Would 350-400 suffice, would that mean it would be more engaging on the road as you can enjoy accelerating in more than one gear?? lestiq said:
housen said:
and cheap
Absolutely, they were much simpler machines back then, I'd love to see a modern interpretation of this car that isn't £100k+, simple, pure (but with 20 years of safety knowledge added). Doesn't need a flash interior, doesn't need 15 driver modes, doesn't need active dampers, simple passive setup. Saved £25k off of list already. What else could we live without so that we can enjoy such a machine? Maybe it doesn't need 15 pot calipers with 400mm carbon cermaic discs and 22" wheels if the car weighs less? It can be great on the road and fun on track, (does it really need to be a GT3 car with number plates??) Does it now need 500BHP? Would 350-400 suffice, would that mean it would be more engaging on the road as you can enjoy accelerating in more than one gear?? JMothersruin said:
lestiq said:
housen said:
and cheap
Absolutely, they were much simpler machines back then, I'd love to see a modern interpretation of this car that isn't £100k+, simple, pure (but with 20 years of safety knowledge added). Doesn't need a flash interior, doesn't need 15 driver modes, doesn't need active dampers, simple passive setup. Saved £25k off of list already. What else could we live without so that we can enjoy such a machine? Maybe it doesn't need 15 pot calipers with 400mm carbon cermaic discs and 22" wheels if the car weighs less? It can be great on the road and fun on track, (does it really need to be a GT3 car with number plates??) Does it now need 500BHP? Would 350-400 suffice, would that mean it would be more engaging on the road as you can enjoy accelerating in more than one gear?? Jthings have moved on so far that a modern equivalent of the spirit behind this car (a race/cup car modified for road use) simply can't work.
wish I still had my old black 964 RS, not because of what it would be worth compared to what I sold it for, but because I simply miss how it drove. the new cars will never be like this again, just how it is.
wish I still had my old black 964 RS, not because of what it would be worth compared to what I sold it for, but because I simply miss how it drove. the new cars will never be like this again, just how it is.
seawise said:
things have moved on so far that a modern equivalent of the spirit behind this car (a race/cup car modified for road use) simply can't work.
wish I still had my old black 964 RS, not because of what it would be worth compared to what I sold it for, but because I simply miss how it drove. the new cars will never be like this again, just how it is.
Totally agree.wish I still had my old black 964 RS, not because of what it would be worth compared to what I sold it for, but because I simply miss how it drove. the new cars will never be like this again, just how it is.
Mine is wasn’t a real RS but was pretty close (C2, LHD, manual, no sunroof, Manual windows, no rear wiper, no air con, RS suspension, genuine magnesium wheels, Recaro pole position seats, rear seat delete, RS strut brace, RS brake ducts)
No seam welded shell, special rear bumper or blueprinted engine but it gave 90% of the experience I reckon.
I loved how it felt - small, nimble, connected, and powerful.
Nothing went wrong or fell off and I drove it everywhere - supermarket, station, school run, Le Mans and countless track days.
It’s the one that got away.
Selling it is my only real car regret.
Mothersruin said:
lestiq said:
housen said:
and cheap
Absolutely, they were much simpler machines back then, I'd love to see a modern interpretation of this car that isn't £100k+, simple, pure (but with 20 years of safety knowledge added). Doesn't need a flash interior, doesn't need 15 driver modes, doesn't need active dampers, simple passive setup. Saved £25k off of list already. What else could we live without so that we can enjoy such a machine? Maybe it doesn't need 15 pot calipers with 400mm carbon cermaic discs and 22" wheels if the car weighs less? It can be great on the road and fun on track, (does it really need to be a GT3 car with number plates??) Does it now need 500BHP? Would 350-400 suffice, would that mean it would be more engaging on the road as you can enjoy accelerating in more than one gear?? JStill relatively small compared to modern cars, especially in narrow body style. Good enough brakes for road, simple hydraulic steering, passive damping that although a little high is fine for road driving and can be simply uprated if track and smooth roads is more the target and it came from the factory with no sunroof or rear wiper!
I don't even know what power it is? 340bhp maybe? Quick enough...
All it needs is a little lowering I feel, I'll reserve judgement on the ARBs until I've driven it more-perhaps some lighter alloys.
CAn't wait to pick it up to be honest...
Maldini35 said:
seawise said:
things have moved on so far that a modern equivalent of the spirit behind this car (a race/cup car modified for road use) simply can't work.
wish I still had my old black 964 RS, not because of what it would be worth compared to what I sold it for, but because I simply miss how it drove. the new cars will never be like this again, just how it is.
Totally agree.wish I still had my old black 964 RS, not because of what it would be worth compared to what I sold it for, but because I simply miss how it drove. the new cars will never be like this again, just how it is.
Mine is wasn’t a real RS but was pretty close (C2, LHD, manual, no sunroof, Manual windows, no rear wiper, no air con, RS suspension, genuine magnesium wheels, Recaro pole position seats, rear seat delete, RS strut brace, RS brake ducts)
No seam welded shell, special rear bumper or blueprinted engine but it gave 90% of the experience I reckon.
I loved how it felt - small, nimble, connected, and powerful.
Nothing went wrong or fell off and I drove it everywhere - supermarket, station, school run, Le Mans and countless track days.
It’s the one that got away.
Selling it is my only real car regret.
I've owned two. The first I bought in 1998 for £18K (when C2 964s were about £25K) and the second, which had been back to the factory for upgrade to Cup spec, I sold in 2003 for £22K.
tim milne said:
Talking of regrets...
I've owned two. The first I bought in 1998 for £18K (when C2 964s were about £25K) and the second, which had been back to the factory for upgrade to Cup spec, I sold in 2003 for £22K.
arrrgghhh I feel your painI've owned two. The first I bought in 1998 for £18K (when C2 964s were about £25K) and the second, which had been back to the factory for upgrade to Cup spec, I sold in 2003 for £22K.
Perhaps we should set up a support group for ex 964 owners
Bought my 1989 C2 964 Silver back in 1994 for £25k. Loved it Drove it for 5 years, clocked up another 60k miles and sold it for £19.5k in 1999. Great car, saw 170MPH on the autobahn. Never went wrong, only downside was the lack of a/c in the summer, had to drive to client meetings in a tee shirt and then put on a shirt. I couldn't afford a 993.
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