Along with the America Roadster, Porsche introduced three variations on a 964 RS, with slightly more comfort than Barth’s radical C4 Lightweight. Each was available only on the rear-drive platform, and each was a clear nod to the 1973 model. But here was a case where an already homologated race car, the Porsche Carrera Cup C2, inspired the customer version. The company planned initial production of 1,000 units of a car it intended to be a true dual-purpose road car/race car. To that end, Weissach engineers lowered the car 40mm (1.6 inches) and retuned springs and shocks to much firmer handling, useful for racing yet still acceptable to enthusiasts on the road. Seventeen-inch magnesium Carrera Cup wheels, non-power-assisted steering, and a brake system combining the best of Turbo and Carrera Cup pieces provided further evidence of the car’s true purpose.
Inside the 964RS, Porsche used a thin carpet and headliner that barely reduced engine and road noise. It eliminated rear seats and fitted racing seats and harnesses matching the car’s exterior color. Gone were electric seat adjusters, outside mirrors, and other motorized amenities. Buyers could option a roll cage, six-point harness, onboard fire system, and external battery kill switch in the N-GT and Carrera Cup–eligible versions. Running 98-octane fuel, no catalytic converters, and modified pistons and cylinders, the RS engine developed 260 DIN horsepower at 6,100 rpm. Weight-saving efforts dropped the road car to 1,240 kilograms (2,730 pounds), giving it acceleration from 0 to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour in 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 260 kilometers (162 miles) per hour. The lightweight N-GT (homologated as a FIA version of the Carrera Cup cars, with production finishing at 290 copies) came in at 1,220 kilograms (2,684 pounds). It sold for DM 160,000 ($102,560 at the time).
The car was known as the Turbo Look Cabriolet in Europe; though for the United States, Porsche commemorated an earlier American-market success, the 1952 America Roadster. The company fitted Turbo brakes and bodywork but with the standard Carrera 2 movable spoiler. Photograph © 2011 David Newhardt
As Porsche had experienced with its 1973 RS, demand outraced supply, and the company assembled 1,053 in 1991 and another 1,352 in 1992. The company offered neither of these DM 145,450 ($91,000) models in the United States, as they lacked both emissions controls and air bags. However, American customers enjoyed another instance of reverse price discrimination with the 1993 and 1994 RS America coupe, similar to the European touring version of the 964 RS. PCNA sold this rear-drive model for $53,900, reflecting a substantial savings over the home market version. Fitted with Carrera Cup wheels, the M030 sport suspension, and a fixed whale-tail rear spoiler, the M504 RSA provided two cloth-covered sport seats and, in a nod to American tastes, just four options, including air conditioning, a sunroof, a 90 percent locking rear differential, and an AM/FM/cassette stereo radio. Porsche manufactured 617 in 1993 as P Program models and another 84 for 1994 under the R Program. The 1993 models had two storage bins in place of rear seats, but the 1994 cars got their rear seats and belts back. The very attractive price was nearly $10,000 less than a base Carrera 2 coupe, turning the RSA into an instant classic in the States.
To meet market demand from the United States for the 964 RS that would not comply with U.S. DOT and EPA standards, Porsche developed the RS America based on the 1993 Carrera 2 coupe. Its most notable styling cue was its large whale tail. Photograph © 2011 Keith Verlaque
Porsche returned the two-seat Speedster to its lineup for 1993 on the C2 narrow body. Similar to its 1989 predecessor, it utilized a hard plastic tonneau to cover the rear storage area and provided only a manually operated cloth top. Customers throughout the world got the Speedster with the 250-horsepower (DIN) flat six and either the standard five-speed manual or four-speed Tiptronic transmission. Electric window lifts were standard, and air conditioning was optional. The company planned production of 3,000 units, but the economy tripped up its hopes and assembly ended at 904. Rolf Sprenger’s Sonderwunsch Department created about 20 Turbo Look Speedsters, reminiscent of those available in 1989.
Neither Cabriolet Turbo Looks, Speedsters, 964RS or RS America models, nor even more potent Turbos were enough to pry open the pocketbooks of cautious buyers. Porsche production for N Program model year 1992 slipped to 9,747 C2 and C4 models, plus 3,298 Turbos in all body styles. Zuffenhausen assembly turned out 1,058 Cabriolet Turbo Looks or America Roadsters in 1992 but just 321 in P Program in 1993. For the 1993 model year, the company launched its new Turbo Look bodywork as an option on C4 models. This configuration appeared for 1993 as the Thirtieth Anniversary 911, fitted with the standard electrically operated rear wing. Porsche delivered the cars in Viola Metallic, Silver Metallic, or Amethyst Metallic; the full leather interior was Rubicon Gray.
According to www.rsamerica.net, Porsche assembled 701 of these lighter-weight Carrera 2 coupes from mid-1992 into early 1994. The company offered them in five colors but encouraged customers to special order other colors for an additional $2,498.
Black was the standard interior treatment, with inner door panels from the European RS missing armrests and door pockets. The company offered only four options: a sunroof, air conditioning, a limited slip differential, and a stereo cassette radio.
Porsche Cars North America sold the cars for $53,900, a $10,000 price reduction from standard fully equipped C2 models. The RSA weighed 1,340 kilograms, 2,948 pounds, and accelerated from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds.
The Roadster and Turbo Look Cabriolet were delivered with an enhanced sound system, leather upholstery and heated seats, an on-board computer, and Automatic climate control. The normal 250 horsepower engine pushed the wider body to a top speed of 255 kilometers (155 miles) per hour. Photograph © 2011 David Newhardt
Porsche introduced its new 3,600cc (219.6-cubic-inch) Turbo in model year 1993, as it was beginning to phase out the 964 car line. The new engine developed 360 horsepower at 5,500 rpm. A performance kit boosted horsepower to 385.
Several years of working with the new 3.6-liter flat six as a normally aspirated power plant led to introduction for 1993 of the new 3.6 Turbo. Porsche’s efforts with its previous 3.3-liter version had gone as far as possible, culminating with the ultralight, ultralimited-production 381-horsepower 1992 Turbo S, based on the models that had won the IMSA Supercar Championship in the United States in 1991 and 1992 (and would take it again in 1993). Porsche developed the car using tricks from its Racing Department and its 964RS program. By removing air bags, air conditioning, power seats and window lifts, and the rear window wiper, and by giving the car thinner side glass and carbon-fiber front and rear deck lids, it pared 180 kilograms (about 397 pounds) from the standard Turbo to reach 1,290 kilograms (2,844 pounds). With less weight and more power, the S accelerated from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.7 seconds and reached a top speed of 290 kilometers (180 miles) per hour. Porsche sold it for DM 295,000; this would have been about $175,000 had the car been offered in America. The company assembled 86 of these cars.
Because the S lacked emissions controls and certain U.S.-required safety features such as air bags, Porsche developed an S2 for American buyers. This regularly equipped Turbo produced a still-respectable 322 SAE horsepower. The U.S. S2 reached 60 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds and topped out at 178 miles per hour. It sold for $119,950. Production continued through introduction of the 1994 R Program.
Porsche Special Wishes also created a run of 76 slant-nose Turbos with a “Performance Kit” during 1994 model year. Retractable headlights came from 968 and 928 models, and the tuned engine developed 385 DIN horsepower at 5,750 rpm. Porsche sold these cars for DM 290,000 (roughly $179,000) to European customers.
The S used Porsche’s M 64/50 S engine with 100mm bore and 76.4mm stroke to yield 3,600cc. The car rode on 225/40ZR18 front tires and 265/35ZR18 rears. The only option was a sunroof.
1993/4 Carrera 2 Speedster
Unlike the 1989 version, owners could not remove the windscreen of this Speedster. The company decided not to provide passenger airbags; it was worried about the force of the inflation.
Porsche introduced the Speedster as a regular production model in the narrow-body form. The Exclusiv department converted 15 of the cars to Turbo Look.
The company resurrected the hard plastic shell to cover the rear storage area and the top. Standard color selections got 17-inch Cup wheels painted in body color. For metallics, or special orders (such as this Fly Yellow), or black cars, the factory painted wheels silver.
The company intended to manufacture 3,000, but demand ebbed at 936. It was known as Option M503. Porsche sold them for 134,000DM, $80,700. Wide-body conversion cost another 16,410DM, roughly $9,885.
YEAR
1992-1994
DESIGNATION
911 Carrera Turbo Look or 911 America Roadster
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL AVAILABILITY
Cabriolet
WHEELBASE
2272mm/89.4 inches
LENGTH
4250mm/167.3 inches
WIDTH
1775mm/69.9 inches
HEIGHT
1310mm/51.6 inches
WEIGHT
1420kg/3124
BASE PRICE
$104,740
TRACK FRONT
1434mm/56.4 inches
TRACK REAR
1493mm/58.8 inches
WHEELS FRONT
7.0Jx17
WHEELS REAR
9.0Jx19
TIRES FRONT
205/50ZR17
TIRES REAR
255/40ZR17
CONSTRUCTION
Unitized welded steel
SUSPENSION FRONT
Independent, lower wishbones, MacPherson struts w/coil springs, gas-filled double-action shock absorbers, anti roll bar
SUSPENSION REAR
Independent, MacPherson struts w/coil springs, gas-filled double-action shock absorbers, anti roll bar
BRAKES
Ventilated, drilled discs, 4-piston aluminum calipers
ENGINE TYPE
Horizontally opposed DOHC six-cylinder Typ M64/01
ENGINE DISPLACEMENT
3600cc/219.7CID
BORE AND STROKE
100x76.4mm/3.94x3.00 inches
HORSEPOWER
250@6100rpm
TORQUE
229lb-ft@4800rpm
COMPRESSION
11.3:1
FUEL DELIVERY
Bosch DME with sequential injection
FINAL DRIVE AXLE RATIO
3.44:1
TOP SPEED
161mph
PRODUCTION
702
1993 CARRERA RS AND RSR 3,8
More “special” still was a limited series of two-seat 911s known as the Carrera RS 3.8 and the racing version, the RSR 3.8. To meet weight restrictions, Weissach’s Customer Racing Department removed power-assisted steering from the RS and RSR versions but kept and upgraded the hydraulic power brakes with ventilated and cross-drilled rotors, fronts from the Turbo S and rears from the 964 RS. An additional front spoiler increased down force, as did an adjustable biplane rear wing. Door panels and front and rear deck lids were aluminum, and the rear and side windows were thin-gauge glass. Weissach gutted the interior, leaving little more than two Recaro competition seats. The “street” version, with 300 DIN horsepower at 6,500 rpm, weighed 1,210 kilograms (2,668 pounds) and was a delight for European customers. To achieve its 3.8-liter (231.8-cubic-inch) displacement, engineers enlarged bore from 100mm to 102. The RS 2.8 was a special-order product that set its buyers back DM 225,000, about $140,000 in U.S. dollars in the spring of 1993.
The racing RSR 3.8s got off to a tremendous start in 1993. They took GT-class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the 24-Hours of Spa in Belgium, and a 24-hour event at the Nürburgring. The normally aspirated flat six produced 350 DIN horsepower at 6,900 rpm. The racer’s interior was trimmed down to a welded-in roll cage, a single Recaro seat and six-point harness, and an onboard fire system. Options included an air jacking system, center-lock wheel lugs, and an additional brake cooling system. Base price for the car was DM 270,000, nearly $168,000. In addition to endurance races in Europe, these cars competed in the Supercup series in the United States.
Back in the mid-1990 model year, Porsche introduced a new four-speed Tiptronic transmission, one of the first gearboxes offering a fully automatic gear shift and clutchless manual shifting. Racing engineers installed an innovative Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission in racing 956s for development and then for competition. Helmuth Bott directed this work, hoping to use this double-clutch system in the 959 and then in subsequent production 911s. By 1986, however, a hoped-for collaboration with Audi had failed, leaving Porsche to support development costs on its own. The complex gearbox was heavy and became too expensive for use in series production cars.
Weissach engineers began work with ZF technicians on another gearbox, and as time passed, priorities came clear. They wanted a transmission that could shift automatically, but it had to respond to the way Porsche drivers operated their cars, which could be very different from how Audi or BMW or even Chevrolet drivers controlled theirs. What’s more, engineers wanted a manual shift function that overrode the gearbox’s automatic characteristics yet would automatically shift to avoid damaging the engine or gearbox. Weissach and ZF invested four years perfecting the transmission, much of this time spent computer programming its brain. When it arrived, magazine reviewers anticipated the chance to criticize it. Instead, they found that Tiptronics provided acceleration and top-speed performance very close to the manual gearbox, and fuel economy in the same ranges. The new “Tip” found a home in one of every three C2 and C4 automobiles. Buyers willingly paid the DM 6,000 in Germany or $2,950 in the United States for the intelligent transmission.
In its debut year 1993, Porsche’s development engineer Jürgen Barth along with Dominique Dupuy and Joel Gouhier co-drove to victory in the GT class at Le Mans. Others racked up GT wins throughout the season.
Porsche manufactured 50 of these 1,200-kilogram (2,640-pound) GT racers. Depending on gearing, they easily exceeded 265 kilometers (165 miles) per hour. The company sold the cars for 270,000DM, roughly $166,700.
Historians look back on this era at Porsche as a time of tumult. Heinz Branitzki, the cautious finance expert elevated to the front office to replace Peter Schutz, heralded the arrival of the 964 as the 911 for the next quarter century. Doubtlessly he hoped his engineers and designers would not need to repeat the lavish spending that had taken place under Schutz and Bott. Yet just as Porsche introduced Bott’s all-wheel drive 964 C4, Branitzki retired, in March 1990. Arno Bohn, a man from the computer industry, replaced him, but after battling the economy, exchange rates, business, and the Supervisory Board, he left on September 30, 1992.
Porsche’s third CEO during a single model run stepped into the spotlight after much hard work backstage. Production engineer Wendelin Wiedeking had supervised massive construction projects, completing them ahead of schedule and under budget. Studying the company’s business practices, he had confronted Bott over development costs. He left Porsche in 1988, frustrated by front office and Supervisory Board indifference to his alarms. But Porsche invited him back to the company in 1991 as board member for production. In late 1992, when he assumed his new role, he pledged his own savings account as collateral to establish additional lines of credit for Porsche. In exchange, his contract provided him a bonus if Porsche turned a profit. Few on Porsche’s board believed that would happen any time soon. They all believed Wiedeking had even more work cut out for him than any of his predecessors.
Porsche used the 911 Turbo body for these RS and RSR race cars. The street version shown here weighed 1,210 kilograms (2,668 pounds) and developed 300 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. They sold for 225,000DM (roughly $140,600 at the time) though not in the United States.
The road-going Carrera 3.8 RS, with plaid-upholstered racing seats, a full roll cage, and 300 horsepower with little insulation was barely street civilized. Porsche quoted accele
ration from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.9 seconds. They were available only on special order from Porsche’s racing department.
The M64/04 engine used 102mm (4.02-inch) bore and 76.4mm (3.00-inch) stroke for 3,746 cc (228,5-cubic-inch) displacement. For Le Mans, these cars ran with 350 horsepower at 6,900 rpm.
YEAR
1993
DESIGNATION
911 Carrera RS and RSR 3.8
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL AVAILABILITY
Coupe
WHEELBASE
2272mm/89.4 inches
LENGTH
4275mm/168.3 inches
WIDTH
1775mm/69.9 inches
HEIGHT
1270mm/50.0 inches
WEIGHT
1210kg/2420 pounds (1200kg/2640 pounds RSR)
BASE PRICE
$140,602 ($166,700 RSR)
TRACK FRONT
1440mm/56.7 inches
TRACK REAR
1530mm/60.2 inches (1535mm/60.4 inches RSR)
WHEELS FRONT
The Complete Book of Porsche 911 Page 17
