Year: 1992 | Generation: 964 | Units built: 22
Engine: 3.6L Air-cooled Flat-6 | Power: 260 bhp | 0 – 60 mph: 4.9 s | Top Speed: 161.6 mph
Introduced in 1989, the 964 was the first major revision to the 911 since it debuted in 1963. In 1992, Porsche brought back the iconic RS moniker for a stripped-out 911 aimed squarely at hardcore enthusiasts. At first, it didn’t come to the U.S., but American 911 fans complained, and we ended up with the brilliant RS America.
In homage to the 1973 911 Carrera RS, Porsche used the same formula to produce a lightweight version of the Carrera 2 from the race-ready Cup car known simply as the Carrera RS. Using the lightweight bits from the Cup car Porsche stripped 175 kg (386 lbs) off the car by use of aluminum doors, hood and trunk as well as a stripped-out interior that removed power steering, power windows, rear seats, electronically adjustable front seats and front armrests.
The 3.6 engine got a slight boost in power and came equipped with a lightweight single-mass flywheel that weighed 12 pounds. The revised 260-bhp version of the air-cooled M64 3.6-liter engine also had a limited-slip differential and track-optimized suspension with a 40-mm drop in ride height and a non-power-assisted steering set-up.
The Carrera RS was not sold in the United States because Porsche Cars North America felt the car’s aggressive tuning was not suited to the American market. In 1992, 45 US-legal cars that were very similar to the Carrera RS were imported to the US for a proposed “Porsche Carrera Cup” racing series.