1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS

Considered one of the finest and sportiest cars of all time, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS Lightweight was to epitomize all that an excellent driving car could be. The result would be the very definition of 'Power-To-Weight-Ratio' and a must-have for all collectors and enthusiasts.

Considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, dual-purpose Porsche ever to be created, the Carrera RS was as close to the track as one could get without building a purpose-built race car. But if someone did want a purpose-built race car he or she would not have to look any further than the lightweight model of the Carrera RS.

Originally, the Carrera RS was so built to satisfy the homologation rules governing sportscars available for use in competition. However, what Porsche would manage to create with the RS would be so popular that the production run would continue well past the 500 hundred examples needed to be produced and would total some 1,580 examples.

The Carrera RS had been designed for street use but with the goal of satisfying homologation so that the model could also be used for competition. Therefore, the RS would come in two model forms. The 'touring' would include such amenities as a sunroof, leather upholstery, and nice radios. These examples were still solid performers but added some rather staggering performance statistics into the mix.

However, if someone was strictly looking for performance, then the lightweight form of the model was the car to have. Void of almost all of the amenities and featuring such modifications as lightweight body panels and glass, lightweight RS competition seats, minimal body trim, and lightweight carpeting throughout, the Carrera RS Lightweight weighed as much as 200kg lighter than its fellow touring model. Utilizing a 210bhp, 2.7-liter air-cooled SOHC six-cylinder engine, Bosch fuel injection, and a five-speed manual gearbox, the Carrera RS Lightweight would come to symbolize nimbleness and balance.

By Jeremy McMullen