1984 Porsche 911 SC RS Gruppe B “Evolutionsserie”

911 “Evolutionsserie”

Unless you’re attending Luftgekühlt, a 000 event, or perhaps a special Porsche collection visit, a discussion of the Porsche Type 954 is likely to illicit some confusion – even among Porsche enthusiasts. Yet it is precisely those special gatherings where the true rarities of the Porsche world are discussed, where connoisseurs and the connected meet eager to pour over the details and trade facts and figures on Porsche’s rarest and most exciting models. Just 21 1984 Porsche Type 954, sometimes known as the 911 Evolutionsserie and best known as the 911 SC RS, were created and for those that revel in the details of such special cars, the SC RS remains a crowd favorite.

Much like the vaunted 1967 Porsche 911 R, the 1984 Porsche 911 SC RS was built in small batch of less than two dozen, built strictly to go racing – yet also remained road legal. While Porsche had a difficult time finding the proper home to race the 911 R, homologation for FIA Group B World Rally would be the home for the SC RS. FIA homologation document number B-207 Extension number 06/02 ET lays out the build specification and modifications to turn a normal 911 SC into a rally star.

Lightweight

Beginning with a reinforced, seam-welded widened body shell of 911 Turbo specification, in the words of Colin Chapman, lightness was added. Aluminum front doors, hood, and front fenders are highlighted, along with thinner Glaverbel glass, glass-reinforced plastic front and rear bumpers unique to the SC RS, and a lack of undercoating. A minimalistic interior with lightweight “Lollipop” fixed seats borrowed from the Porsche 935 along with door pocket, radio, power window, rear seat, heat, and sunroof delete cut the SC RS’s homologated weight to 980 kilograms or 2,160 pounds. This weight was calculated after adding wider forged Fuchs wheels, larger 917-derived brakes, an aluminum Matter roll cage, and an underbody skid plate robust enough to conquer the world’s most difficult rally stages.

More caffeine

The Type 954’s performance enhancements weren’t simply limited to weight reduction. Porsche endowed the SC RS with the type “930/18” 3.0-liter flat-six engine. This special engine featured the final form of Porsche’s favored race-bred fuel injection, the Bosch-Kugelfischer system first utilized on Carrera 6 (906) sports racing prototype. Redline was set at 8,000 rpm aided by lightweight internal competition components and a free-flowing dual race exhaust. With nearly instant power pushed through the race-spec five-speed gearbox with oil cooler and 40 percent locking differential, performance was electric. Auto Motor und Sport tested the SC RS, some 600 pounds less than then 911 SC, blasting to 60 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds confirming that Porsche’s performance statistics remained typically conservative with the factory quoting zero to 60 in 5.3 seconds on the way to 158.8 miles per hour.

Rothmans Porsche Rally Team

Of the 21 SC RS produced, Porsche’s own internal documentation confirms that five were earmarked for Rothmans Porsche Rally Team and Dave Richards Engineering, later known as Prodrive, to contest innumerable cut and thrust rally events worldwide. Several others were quickly sequestered for private collections; chassis 018 was delivered to the world-famous Matsuda Collection of Japan and 015 was delivered via Carlsen Porsche to Dr. William Jackson’s quiet collection based in Denver, Colorado. This particular example —the final SC RS produced — was first earmarked for South African importers Lindsay Saker; however, it was diverted, eventually landing with Tycho Christian van Dijk, owner of the eponymous van Dijk Racing Team in February 1984. Van Dijk prepared the car with subtle Dutch flag-inspired colors, a hood-mounted rally light pod, radio equipment, a roof mounted antenna, and a Jaeger rally computer.

Provenance

In March 2024 this final SC RS was inspected by Porsche San Diego while obtaining a Porsche Classic Technical Certificate (CTC). Naturally, this highly original example passed with flying colors and, once again, was noted to retain its original Type 930/18 engine and Type 915/71 racing gearbox. In addition to both inspections the history file is bolstered with original Tour de Course route maps, a factory Type 954 Technical Information and Spare Parts Catalog binder, copies of van Dijk’s Swiss registration documents, and digital copies of its internal Porsche Fahrzeugauftrag build sheet and a Porsche homologation document featuring information on all 21 Evolutionsserie 911 SC RS produced. It’s clear to see that this is one of the finest raced 911 SC RS remaining and simultaneously one of the best documented as well.

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Perhaps the ethos of such a car is best described by Barth, the experienced rally racer who championed the car from within Porsche. In a 2005 interview, he described the 911 SC RS as “very controllable even at the handling limit. With coordinated throttle and steering, it could be driven on a very tight line, without resorting to such spectacular drift angles… The potential of this sports car could best be experienced on closed roads – and that, after all, was its intended purpose.” Well said!

Ready for Luftgekühlt, Goodwood or Rennsport?

As one of the rare dual-use road and race Porsche competition cars, created in the same vein as the 904 Carrera GTS and 911 R, it is fitting that all three were conceived as circuit and rally cars. Required to be road legal to travel in between special stages, this unique circumstance only adds to the collectible allure that radiates from this, the rarest of all 911 RS models and certainly one no serious RennSport collection should be without. So, to the new owner of final Type 954 SC RS rally car produced, historic rally or Luftgekühlt? A Goodwood special stage or a paddock showpiece at the next Rennsport Reunion? Fortunately, this difficult decision will remain but a thought experiment as SC RS 021 offers its new owner ample opportunity to properly enjoy Porsche’s dual-use Group B rally car just as the factory intended.