NEW
T O TA L 9 1 1
PORSCHE 911 RS BOOK
EIGHTH EDITION
Digital Edition
100% UNOFFICIAL
In association with
T H E U LT I M AT E G U I D E T O T H E G R E A T E S T P O R S C H E 9 11 S O F A L L T I M E
This Rennsport
is like something
out of space
6 The Porsche 911 RS Book
Contents Rennsport icons
Rennsport Showdown
Modified Rennsports
10 2.7RS
RS v Rivals 62
RSR homage 112
Take a look at the very first 911 to wear the famous Rennsport badge
16 964 RS N/GT This rare 964 is just one of 20 cars worldwide. We tell its story
22 993 RS Take a look at our in-depth guide to the last air-cooled 911 Rennsport
30 997 GT3 RS The first-generation 997 RS is a great investment, as our ultimate guide reveals
38 997 GT3 RS 4.0 One of the rarest Rennsports of all time, the GT3 RS 4.0 is also one of the best, too
44 991.1 GT3 RS The 991.1 naturally aspriated RS is one of the most ferocious road cars Porsche has ever made
52 991 GT2 RS We take the blistering new turbocharged Rennsport from Weissach on a roadtrip
38
How does the new 991.2 GT3 RS compare against its 996 and 997-generation forebears?
2.7 v 3.0 RS 72 It’s the battle of the famed v forgotten as the first RS takes on its successor
964 RS v C4 80 Lightweight One’s a revered lightweight, the other is a rare Lightweight. Which is best on track?
993 RS real v replica 86 Is it possible to mimic the performance of a 911 RS for less money? We test a replica to find out
Carrera RS 3.0 v RSR 92 The Carrera RS 3.0 is revered as one of the all-time classic Rennsports. We put it to the test on track alongside its bigger RSR race car brother
100 997.1 v 997.2 We pit the 3.6-litre RS against its 3.8-litre successor with a fast road test in America
What does it take to make a road-legal RSR? This 997 Carrera project reveals all
IROC 118 We reunite two racers from the famous IROC Stateside series in sunny Essex, UK
Turbo RSR 126 We drive this sublime take of one of the most fearsome turbo Rennsports Porsche ever introduced to a race track
Sharkwerks 4.1s 134 We take these two brilliant 997 GT cars for a drive along some of Cali’s best roads
Speedster RS 140 This open-topped 911 is actually a bonkers Rennsport firebreather
Toad Hall 3.0RS 148 Relive the story of this famously liveried American racecar
993 RSR 154 The last iteration of air-cooled racer was one of the most sublime ever produced, as we find out
92 126
The Porsche 911 RS Book 7
Icons
THE SECOND-GEN 997 RENNSPORT
Given the desirability of the car you see here, it’s no real surprise that the second-generation 997 range would include a GT3 RS. It was no mild refresh though, as the new model would receive some substantial changes, not least of which was a 3.8-litre motor that sat on active engine mounts. With power and torque both increased – to 450hp and 430Nm respectively – the 0-62mph time was cut by 0.2 seconds to 4.0 seconds dead, and both response and mid-range shove were boosted. VarioCam Plus and a higher 8,500rpm redline also featured. Further revisions included gorgeous new centre-lock wheels and suspension that featured stiffer spring rates and tweaks to the anti-roll bars. Externally, the new model boasted various subtle changes, including redesigned air intakes, and there was a new aero package to improve downforce. 1,500 examples were produced before the 997 disappeared in 2012.
30 The Porsche 911 RS Book
997 GT3 RS
997.1 GT3 RS Just in case the standard GT3 wasn’t quite enough, Porsche added the fabled Rennsport tag to this special 911. When it comes to buying one, Total 911 is on hand to advise
Written by Chris Randall Photography by Phil Steinhardt
WATER-COOLED RS TIMELINE 2004
The 996 GT3 is the first water-cooled Neunelfer to get the RS treatment. The 3.6-litre engine produces 381bhp, enough to despatch the 0-62mph sprint in just 4.4 seconds. 682 produced
2006
Porsche follow up with the 997 GT3 RS, with essentially the same engine as the 996. Power is raised to 415bhp though, and a weight-saving regime saves 20kg. 1,106 produced
2009
It’s the turn of the Gen 2 997, this time the RS getting a larger 3.8-litre engine with 450bhp that cuts the 0-62mph time to just 4.0 seconds. Aero tweaks and dynamic engine mounts feature. 1,500 produced
2010
A sure-fire future classic arrives in the shape of the 997 GT3 RS 4.0. Boasting a stunning 500bhp, it’s the quickest RS yet. 600 produced
2010
It’s the 997 GT2 that gets the RS treatment. There’s 620bhp from the 3.6-litre engine, a 205mph top speed, and plenty of tasty carbon fibre bits. 500 produced
2015
Huge road presence marks out the RS in 991 GT3 form. Substantially lighter than Turbo variants, the 4.0-litre engine makes 500bhp. 42 sold in the UK last year
The Porsche 911 RS Book 31
Icons
44 The Porsche 911 RS Book
991 GT3 RS
MAN’S BEST FRIEND
The Isle of Man’s TT course offers one of the world’s best driving roads, so what better way to tackle it than in Porsche’s superlative naturally aspirated Rennsport? Written by Lee Sibley Photography by Ali Cusick
The Porsche 911 RS Book 45
The 964 RS
was built to go
racing 60 The Porsche 911 RS Book
Rennsport showdown The best 911 racers go head to head on road and track 62 RS v Rivals
92 RS 3.0 v RSR
72 2.7 v 3.0 RS
100 997.1 v 997.2 The 997-generation was lavished with no
The 991.2 GT3 RS is revered as the ultimate modern driver’s car, but how does it compare to its 996 and 997.1 GT3 RS predecessors?
The 3.0-litre RS of 1974 is an oft-forgotten Rennsport, so how does it stack up against the halo 2.7RS from 1973?
We pit the halo Carrera RS 3.0 against its bigger race car brother in the Carrera RSR, right where it matters – on track
less than four Rennsports, so how does the naturally aspirated 3.6-litre car compare to the later 3.8?
80 9964 RS v C4 Lightweight
Only 22 964 Carrera 4 Lightweights left the Zuffenhausen factory, but is it a match for the 964 Rennsport?
86 993 RS real v replica
Can you really recreate RS levels of fun from a home-built replica? Our head to head test reveals all
100
92
72 The Porsche 911 RS Book 61
Rennsport showdown
100 The Porsche 911 RS Book
997.1 v 997.2 GT3 RS
RENNSPORT
MASTERS
As the current epitome of Rennsport, the 997 GT3 RS offers the purest form of modern Porsche 911 exhilaration. But is the second generation a marked improvement on the first? Written by Tony McGuinness Photography by Andrew Tipping
T
he heat vapour is clearly visible, rising off the black tarmac and dissipating into the air on the desolate Southern California mountain road. It is typically cool in this part of the Temecula Valley, 45 minutes north-east of San Diego, but the day is an abnormally scorching affair, with temperatures hitting 96 degrees Fahrenheit. Among the sintering heat, two of Porsche’s finest 911s ever to grace the planet are on a mission and engaged in a duel: like the legendary gunslingers of the old west, Billy the Kid and Jesse James, these modern-day legends are going head to head to see which generation of the 997 GT3 RS is the most electrifying to drive. Aided by exceptional aerodynamics, both cars have speed and power delivery in abundance, with their stripped-back and cut-throat nature making for one of the purest forms of road-legal driving, such is the moniker of a 911 RS. Where lesser models would find such an environment exhausting, here corners are attacked with aplomb. These two differing 997-generation GT3 RSs are as at home on these mountainous roads as they would be on a race track – which, of course, they were essentially designed for. Both Rennsports jockey for position and exchange leads from
The Porsche 911 RS Book 101
Modified & Motorsport
TOAD HALL’S
WILD RIDE Total 911 looks back at one of the most successful 3.0 RSRs to race in the United States and beyond Written by Andrew Krok Photography by Andrew Tipping
148 The Porsche 911 RS Book
Toad Hall 3.0 RS
T
the most sought-after race cars ever – the Carrera RSR. The RSR started out as a 2.8-litre, 280-horsepower racer that was run by both privateers and Porsche’s works team. However, by 1974, the team were already elbows-deep in their attempt to create a turbocharged production-based car – a project that would go on to spawn both the 934 and 935, venerable champions in their own right. Thus, when Porsche created the 330-horsepower RSR 3.0, it was only ever raced by private teams. Approximately five dozen RSR 3.0s were created and sent to private teams around the world. One of those, 911 460 9049, is the one you see gracing these very pages. Porsche’s 3.0 RSR represented
a serious departure from the smaller 2.8-litre models. Aside from increasing displacement, the 3.0-litre replaced the magnesium crankcase with an aluminium variant, in order to better handle the physical forces that came with this bump in output. The 3.0-litre complemented its increase in power by way of wider wheel arches, a full-width front spoiler and the ubiquitous ‘whale tail’ rear wing. In lieu of torsion bars, the 3.0’s suspension was updated to utilise coil springs as well. This specific car, the third 1974 RSR 3.0 ever built, was sold directly from the factory to Michael Keyser of the Toad Hall Racing Team, for use in the 1974 IMSA Camel GT championship season. The year 1974 was the only occasion that the Camel GT series would leave the United States, undertaking races in both Mexico and Canada too. This also marked the first year that only two racing classes existed: GTO
9000
he 917 was the first car to give Porsche an overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, that success would prove to be short-lived, as the FIA promptly banned it at the end of the 1971 season for being such a dominant force. Thus, Porsche needed to go back to the drawing board. This time around, they conceived a production-based, naturallyaspirated race car that would go on to become one of
The Porsche 911 RS Book 149