Porsche Carrera RS - A Groundbreaking Car
The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was a revolutionary car when it was unveiled, the result of significant innovations developed by Porsche and patented in 1972 with the German Patent Office in Munich. The specific patent in question came to be known as the ducktail, arguably one of the most iconic and recognizable design elements on any sports car.
The ducktail made its first public appearance on the 911 Carrera RS 2.7, a car that was originally developed to meet homologation requirements for Group 4 Special GT cars. Initial planning was to build no more than 500 examples of the car, basically a street-legal version of the same car that could compete on race tracks.
Unveiled in October of 1972 at the Paris Motor Show, initially as only the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Sport with the more refined and luxurious Touring model set to be introduced at a later date, the Carrera RS 2.7 was the fastest German-built production car to date. Its performance still stands strong today with a 0-100 km/h time of 5.8 seconds.
Interestingly, the ducktail was originally intended to be an upgrade for owners of other 911 models, but following extensive testing the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 became the first production model equipped with Porsche’s combination of front and rear spoilers as standard equipment, leaving the rest of the automotive world seeking spoilers of their own.
2023 Tribute to the Porsche Carrera RS
Now, in 2023 Porsche has unveiled a US-exclusive tribute to the 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7 in the form of an optional package for the 911 GT3. Continuing with their tradition of very long product names, Porsche finally revealed the 911 GT3 RS Tribute to Carrera RS Package that was originally announced in 2022.
The Tribute to Carrera RS package includes Python Green magnesium wheels, mirror caps, and GT3 RS side graphics. Also included is a bespoke Porsche Design timepiece and custom car cover as well as a pair of 1:43 scale model cars, one of which is a 1973 Carrera RS and the other a replica of the car its sold with.
Enthusiasts who opt for the Tribute to Carrera RS package can choose to have the carbon fiber hood and roof that are part of the standard Weissach Package painted in the same color as the body of the car, while still benefitting from the weight savings and other performance elements such as carbon fiber anti-roll bars.
The 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS equipped with the Tribute to Carrera RS Package has an MSRP of $312,550, excluding delivery, process, and handling fees. It may not be as significant an advancement as the original Carrera RS 2.7 was, but it definitely costs less to buy than a 1973 Porsche Carrera RS. It wouldn’t be shocking to see a package of both the 1973 model and the 2023 car show up at an auction in the future – they should go quite well together in the right collection.