Presented at the Paris Motor Show on October 5, 1972, the RS was the world’s first production car with front and rear spoilers. The requirements for his 911-based vehicle for racing and rallying were clearly defined. Lightness and speed were the watchwords. To achieve the goal, Hans Metzger and Valentin Schaefer developed his 2.7-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine with fuel injection from scratch.
In the Sport version, the 210 PS, 960 kg coupé went from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and reached almost 245 km/h. Designed with racing cars in mind at the time, the precise aerodynamics still make the RS unique today. “This is the most direct transfer of technology from motorsport to mass production,” said Andreas Preuninger, head of the GT vehicle division. “Nothing has changed about this to this day, it is part of the tradition modeled at Porsche.”
The Porsche Museum tells the story of the RS and its racing car, the RSR, not only through cars and anecdotes, but also through films, photographs, racing posters and interactive features. For example, visitors can spin the kaleidoscopic model details and color wheel to assemble their own custom RS. In order to satisfy as many personal wishes as possible, Porsche has adhered to the principle of customization with the Carrera RS 2.7. Buyers can choose from a wide range of color and equipment options. This strong demand took sports car manufacturers by surprise. The company originally planned to have just 500 production cars for homologation.
From development vehicles to mass-produced Porsches
The centerpiece of the special exhibition is the bright yellow touring 911 Carrera RS 2.7 and a rare metallic green prototype. Vehicles, development documents, advertising brochures, price lists, the Carrera logo and an article in the Porsche magazine Christophorus describe the journey from development vehicle to production-ready Porsche.
Visitors can also look forward to seeing other special vehicles from the Ducktail family lineage that span Porsche’s 50-year history. With his 964 generation and his 993 generation duo of the 911 RS, Porsche has expanded his RS family to air-cooled sports cars. The liquid cooling era is represented by his 996, 997 and 991 generations of the 911 GT3 RS and his 911 Sport Classic models of the 992 generation. The final model is the Collector’s Edition of the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur’s Heritage Design series, with a fixed rear spoiler.
The car’s “ducktail” moniker from the realm of bird anatomy was inspired by the shape of the rear spoiler. At high speeds, it reduces lift by pushing the 911 to the ground for ideal balance and allows for higher top speeds. Half a century ago, with the RS, the sports car manufacturer achieved a perfect synthesis of weight, power, aerodynamics and driving dynamics. It was light, fast, race-ready and road-approved.
information
The Porsche Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00. Current health and hygiene regulations can be found at: www.porsche.com/germany/aboutporsche/porschemuseum
Visit our online portal dedicated to the 911 Carrera RS for the history, film and photographic documentation of this car.