Porsche 993 Carrera RS

After importation into the UK this 993 RS featured in several national Porsche magazines, including the front cover of Total 911 and Porsche Post. It also won several PCGB concours including car of the show.

Perhaps the best way to sum up what is like to be custodian of such a special car should be left to Steve Kings who first imported the car to the UK. Steve – a serial high performance Porsche owner told “Stuttcars” how he came across his car and his first encounter:

“In December 2005, an email arrived with photos of a 993 Carrera RS in Switzerland in the colour that I wanted, Riviera Blue. A few more emails followed back and forth, a bank transfer was made, and the car was finally mine,” Steve recalled with a broad smile. The Carrera RS was shipped to Germany then eventually delivered to the Oulton Park RS track day in March 2006. Steve still recalls the moment his 993 RS arrived, “I still have vivid memories of the trailer ramp being lowered to expose the Riviera Blue paintwork of the RS shining in the spring sunshine, and the sound of the raucous, intoxicating, air-cooled flat-six coming to life, the smile on my face and the intriguing glances of those nearby. The RS had arrived and curiously I felt, so had I.”

Subsequently passing onto to a new UK owner a few years ago the car has has been looked after with no expense spared and presents today as a reference 993 RS – in arguably the most desirable colour.

General description of Make and/or Model of this Motorcar:
Porsche 993 RS

The last air-cooled RS Porsche – the 993 RS was a considerable evolution over the preceeding 964 RS model, with a 20% stiffer structure built around a seam-welded non-sunroof bodyshell.

Rarer than the earlier 964 RS, only 1014 993 RS models were produced between late 1994 and untill early 1996. Porsche were aware a 1000 car production would homologate the car into the N/GT class. Buyers could choose from one of three variations. Option code M001 was for an RSR Cup racing car, M002 was a normal RS road car and M003 was the RS Club Sport. Suspension as in all 993s, featured a MacPherson strut assembly at the front and multi-link arrangement at the back.

The RS included a strut brace between the two front strut towers, rose joint mountings for the spring/damper units, thicker and fully adjustable anti-roll bars and stiffer track rods. Stiffer springs were incorporated and the ride-height was lowered by 30mm at the front and 40mm at the rear.

Big cross drilled ventillated 993 Turbo brakes performed the stopping duties and these were housed in 18″ 3 piece split rim Speedlines, 10″ wide at the back and 8″ wide at the front, wrapped in performance Michelin tyres. The 3.8 litre RS M64/02 engine featured the pioneering use of VarioRam – variable length intake – to boost lower and mid-range torque. Bigger valves with strengthened valve train, re-mapped Bosch ECU and a dual mass flywheel were part of the RS package, resulting in a peak power output of 300 BHP.

RS-specific upgrades included bigger intake and exhaust valves and a strengthened valve drive mechanism. There was also a re-mapped ECU and dual mass flywheel to reduce vibration.

An RS specific box – G50/31 – had longer ratios on the first 3 of the six-speed gearbox. The body had rolled arches to accomodate the speedlines, with lower quarter panels with body coloured wrap-around front spoilers and deep side skirts. Thin glass and an alloy front bonnet aided weight saving and a special rear fixed spoiler was added. Inside, black Recaro buckets with the customary sparse door panels with a canvas door handle were fitted. Rear seats, airbags, most of sound insulation, central locking and electric mirrors were sacificed for weight saving – even the washer bottle was reduced in capacity by 5.3 litres to adhere to the traditional RS dietary requirements.

An options list including cage, harnesses, adjustable rear wing and other race options were available and it was possible to order more or less any combination of parts so that club sport cars were actually ordered with carpets etc.

The ultimate naturally aspirated air-cooled RS model and highly prized today.