There are few cars that are as iconic as the Carrera RS 2.7. It must rate up near the top of the list of most desirable cars for petrolheads to own, right up with the likes of a Ferrari F40 or a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing. The first RS made its debut in October of 1972, which makes it 50 this year. Porsche is taking the opportunity to celebrate this special car at every opportunity. 

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Three Legends

In this special video we watch and listen as these two two legendary racing drivers talk about the legendary RS. Walter Rohrl is a former world rally champion and Porsche brand ambassador. 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard joins his more senior colleague. The two men talk about the firsts this model heralded as well as its impact on the world of performance motoring.

The 911 Carrera RS 2.7, marked the very first time that the name Carrera was applied to a 911. Carrera is a Spanish word that translates as ‘race’ in English. While the ‘RS’ on the rear spoiler stands for ‘Rennsport’, or racing in German. Countless Porsche 911s have used the RS abbreviation since. Incidentally, it was also the first road car in the world to feature a front and rear spoiler from the factory. The rear spoiler earned the RS 2.7 the nickname ‘duck tail’.

Click here to read about the most recent RS derivative made by Porsche, called the 911 GT3 RS.

50 Years Young

The Porsche 911 RS lineage started in 1972 when the first of its kind debuted at the Paris Motor Show. “The 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was intended as a homologation special. It was to be a very light, fast sportscar,” recalls Peter Falk, who was then the head of testing for series production cars at Porsche. 

Around 15 engineers  worked on the key areas of mass-reduction, aerodynamics, engine and chassis to hone the car for racing duties. Porsche planned to build 500 units to qualify for the Group 4 class of Special GT cars. However, a total of 1 580 examples were eventually built thanks to its popularity. As a result it then qualified for Group 4 and Group 3 racing categories.

Click here to watch Tom Cruise, take on two Formula One drivers in identical Porsche GT3s.

The RS was powered by a 2,7-litre flat-six fuel-injected engine. It produced an impressive, for the time, 155 kW and 255 N.m. German magazine auto, motor und sport tested the Sport version and managed a 0-to-100 km/h run in 5,8 seconds. As a result the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 became the first production car tested by the title to break the six-second mark. Its top speed was tested as 245 km/h.