Lot 630: 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS Replica Coupé

Nothing that is desirable comes easily or cheaply and the Carrera RS is no exception, but without question it is one of the great cars of the 1970s; the personification of GT motoring and race breeding.’ - Motor Sport magazine, February 1973. Porsche revived the Carrera name for its luxuriously equipped, top-of-the-range 911 in 1973. Designated Carrera RS, the newcomer was intended as a limited edition product for Group 4 GT racing, a class that required a minimum of 500 built. However, the resulting demand for this fabulous car proved so great that the production run was later extended by 1,000-or-so units. Based on a lightened 911S platform, the Carrera RS featured revised suspension and wider rear wheels (beneath flared wheelarches) for improved handling, while the 2.7-litre, fuel-injected, air-cooled, six-cylinder engine’s 210bhp boosted top speed to around 150mph. Not merely a styling gimmick, the Carrera’s trademark ‘duck’s tail’ spoiler made a vital contribution to high-speed stability, a virtue of increasing importance as power outputs continued to rise. Announced at the same time, the lightweight version was the out-and-out GT racer. Indeed, homologation demanded that the cars be built in this form; customers wishing to purchase a Carrera RS for the road having to specify the Touring package (order number ‘472’) which cost an extra DM 2,500 (£430) and offered the greater comfort of the 911S’ trimmed and upholstered interior. Weighing a mere 900kgs (dry) courtesy of thinner body panels and Spartan interior, the Carrera RS Lightweight raised the 911’s performance to new, even more exulted levels, immediately proving itself a winner in both rallies and circuit races. According to Josh Sadler, Managing Director of renowned Porsche specialists, Autofarm, this is the best RS replica that the company has produced. Built/restored in 1990/91 from a right-hand drive 1973 2.4-litre 911E, this car incorporates the engine, gearbox, brakes, running gear, wheels and body panels of a genuine 1973 RS. Recently fully serviced and freshly MoT’d, the car is offered with Swansea V5 document and a substantial history file containing restoration invoices and all MoTs since its completion in 1991. A rare opportunity to acquire a faithful 911 Carrera RS replica at a fraction of the cost of the genuine article.