Speed with Beauty

International racing rules required a production run of at least 500 road cars to qualify for Group 4 racing.  Porsche engineers responded with the Carrera RS, a stripped, lightweight, larger-engined version of the 2.4 liter 911 S.  Runaway demand for the RS took Porsche by surprise, and a total of 1580 Carrera RSs were built in the 1973 model year.  Although not officially sold in the United States, a few examples of this coveted 911 have found their way to these shores.

Beyond the basic stripped, race-ready Carrera, customers could order a 'Sport Package' or a more luxurious 'Touring Package.'  The Carrera RS trademark was its 'duck tail' rear spoiler - the first application of such a race-derived aerodynamic aid to a road car.  Combined with a front air dam, the RS spolier increased top speed and improved handling.  Other noteworthy features, soon copied by other carmakers, were its accent-colored wheel centers and wider tires at the rear than at the front.