Porsche had originally planned to build 500 examples of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 to meet the regulations for Group 4, the Grand Touring Special category.
On October 5, 1972, the new model was presented at the Paris Motor Show, held at Porte de Versailles.
By the end of November, all 500 units had already been sold.
The brand was surprised by the success of the car, and managed to triple the sales figures until July 1973. In total, 1,580 copies were built and, once the milestone of the 1,000th passed, the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 also received homologation for Group 3 in addition to Group 4. The optional equipment package M471 led Porsche to build 200 "Sport" versions of the car, also called "Lightweight".
In addition,
0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds
The new fuel-injected 2.7-litre flat-six engine developed by Hans Mezger and Valentin Schäffer developed 210 bhp at 6,300 rpm and 255 Nm at 5,100 rpm.
In order to preserve the daily use of the car, the compression ratio, valve timing and diameter of the valves had remained identical to the specifications of the 2.4-liter engine.
In sports trim, the power allowed the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds, making the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 the first production car to break below the six-second mark.
The top speed exceeded 245 km/h.
Reduce lift
The leitmotif for the bodywork was weight reduction.
The thin sheet metal, the thin windows, plastic elements and the elimination of the soundproofing made it possible to contain the total weight of the racing cars under the 900 kg required for the new model to be homologated.
At the same time, aerodynamics were improved.
The goal was to minimize lift on the front and rear axles at high speeds in order to achieve more neutral handling.
Engineers Hermann Burst and Tilman Brodbeck, together with stylist Rolf Wiener, therefore developed a rear wing for the first time, which they tested in the wind tunnel and on test tracks.
Their goal was to retain the original character of the 911, while improving its aerodynamic properties.
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An icon
Like the front wing developed a year earlier, the rear wing was originally designed as a retrofit kit for 911 customers. But things turned out differently: the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was equipped standard of the combination of a front and rear spoiler.
The model quickly sparked a global craze for fins.
“At the time, I thought the wing was just a solution to a technical problem.
It took me a long time to realize that we had created an icon,” recalls co-inventor Hermann Burst.
From September 20, 2022, the Porsche Museum will present a special exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7.
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