If you’re like me, there’s something about the air-cooled 911 that holds your attention and keeps you coming back for more. Sort of like your mom’s comfort food when you were young, or the way that favorite pair of faded jeans feel. It’s called nostalgia, and we’re all susceptible to it. Over the past 35 years, I’ve owned a dozen Porsche 911’s. All air-cooled. It started with a Bitter Chocolate 1976 911S in the mid 1980’s. After that, it was a couple of 3.0 SC cars, four 3.2 Carreras, and then a big jump- bypassing the 964 -to a 993 Coupe in Guards Red.
I’m not sure why I skipped the Porsche 964, but I recall being instantly smitten by the shape of the sleek new 993 when I first saw it. With all new multi-link rear suspension (VS torsion bars in previous 911’s) a 6-speed transmission, a revised front end, and many other upgrades, the 993 looked and drove like a significant leap forward. With the introduction of Varioram in 1996 the 993’s smooth 3.6 mill became just that much more tractable, and 35 horsepower up on the 964 before it. All this and no driver nannies like traction control made for a wonderfully spirited drive that still felt “old school” in a then new car. Ah, heaven.
Over the course of a couple of decades I owned four 993’s, including three normally aspirated (N/A) models and a 1996 twin turbo. All were reliable and possessed the attributes Porsche 911’s became famous for: reliability, a reassuring “clunk” when the door is closed, and the wonderful aural shriek from its unjacketed flat six as it approaches redline.
As much as I enjoyed all my 993’s, there was always one that was out-of-reach, and forbidden fruit in the US: The 1995/96 993RS. Like all former RS (Rennsport) models it was lighter, more powerful, and more focused than a standard 911. It was also stripped of most creature comforts and not available in the land of Big Mac’s and Big Gulps. The 993 RS was a purpose-built track car for the street with a scant 1014 examples produced. Far less than the 964 RS (2282 examples) and 1973 2.7 RS (1580 cars).
If you accept the idea that each new model at Porsche is an improvement over the cars that came before it, then the 993 would be the most advanced and refined air-cooled 911 series. Discount the blown models, and logic therefore says the 993RS becomes the best of the best. The greatest normally aspirated air-cooled 911 to ever come from Stuttgart. But is it?
My car shipped from Japan and arrived at the port of Long Beach California in early January. It was sourced by well-known Porsche marque expert (And SCM contributor) Prescott Kelly. According to Kelly Japan is the best source of RS models these days as owners there typically treat them as glorified street cars as opposed to track weapons to be thrashed on weekends. The car was then shipped to Jeff Smith in Bend Oregon. Smith, an expert on RS, RSR, GT2 and Clubsport models performed a major engine-out service and addressed any and all details that needed attention. From there the car moved to Rothsport in Portland for alignment.
The 993RS arrived in the Seattle area mid-March.
One of the first surprises with the 993 RS is its old-style key. No FOB, no central locking, no alarm. Just a key to unlock the door. How quaint. After that, you also notice, no radio, no sunroof, no inside door latches, no rear seats, no 5-way adjustable leather seats (lightweight Recaro buckets instead) no dome light, and no electric mirror adjustments. The car is spartan! It also has lightweight glass and an aluminum frunk. All told, the weight savings make the 993RS about 300lbs lighter than a standard US car.
I turn the key and the engine whirrs to life with a metallic mechanical sound that permeates the cabin through the thin carpet sans sound deadening. Yes, it’s quite loud, but not horribly so. At 3.8L, its mill is also bigger than the standard 3.6L 993 motor and manages to make 300HP compared to the 3.6’s 285. I wonder if I’ll notice much of a difference on the road? I put the car in first gear and instantly detect a slightly notchy feel. I then remember that Jeff Smith pointed out that the RS has a Homologation gearbox with all gears loose on the shaft allowing for quick ratio changes. Makes sense. (Racers often need to make adjustments). As I ease the clutch out and add some fuel, the RS surges forward. It feels very alive right from the start. Much more alive than my memory of previous 993’s. Once warm, I start to push it a bit, and the more I push, the better it gets. The steering is quick and precise. The RS changes direction effortlessly and compared to former air-cooled 911’s you’d swear the car was mid-engine. The chassis is stiff and the suspension seems perfectly suited to the rest of the kit. In fact, the whole package feels incredibly sublime and perfect. And I’ve only been driving it for an hour!
I spend more time driving the car on that first day, and any doubts I might’ve had about its ability to impress and justify its rarity and dearness disappear. It’s far and away the best air-cooled 911 I’ve ever driven. I’m reminded of something Prescott Kelly once wrote when describing another RS “Some people read the specs and said, ‘that’s not so special’. But then they drove the car. The whole was surprisingly better than the sum of the parts. The handling was almost perfect old-school Porsche, and the power to weight ratio was more than inspiring…”
I couldn’t have said it better.
