PORSCHE 911 Carrera RS (901) 1972-1973 Photos, engines & full specs

Porsche started to offer the Carrera RS 2.7 for those who wanted to race the cars in various competitions around the world. It was a stripped-down to essentials race-car with plates.

The 911 was introduced as a concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, as a successor for the 356 model. The production version came in the next year, as a 1965 model. In the beginning, it was offered only as a coupe. Later on, an open-top version, named Targa, was introduced. Soon, the car became famous in the motorsport arena and customers around the world asked for a race-oriented car. In 1972 their wish came to reality and the Carrera RS 2.7 was introduced and 1580 units were built.

The RS was the lighter and more powerful version of the regular 911. It was based on the street-version, but with several improvements. The bodywork was lighter, with an aluminum engine-lid and an integrated spoiler (ducktail). All of the body panels were thinner and lighter: the fenders, the trunk-lid, the roof-panel, the rear quarter panels, and the external door-panels. Even the trims were removed. Moreover, the Porsche badge was a sticker instead of a metallic plaque.

Inside, the car lost the rear seat (emergency seat). The right passenger seat was fixed and there were no sound-deadening materials. To close the doors, Porsche installed leather straps were installed instead of handles. There was no sun-visor for the passenger and, to make the car even lighter, the spare-wheel was removed. Only the battery remained in the trunk.

The standard 2.2-liter engine was enlarged to a 2.7-liter. It was fitted with a Bosch mechanical fuel injected system that raised the power up to 210 hp. It was mated to a standard 5-speed manual gearbox.