Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS

Think a the responsibility Porsche had when the 911 was made and updated, a car which has been universally recognized as one of the best sports cars ever made for driving experience, design, philosophy and versatility. Everytime a new version was relased, raising the bar of quality seemed an impossible, titanic undertaking: years after years since its birth, when the car was presented for the first time under the eyes of car worldwide critics. Half a century later we cannot talk about Porsche without thinking of the 911 as a benchmark for sport coupe market worldwide.

Luckly here in Ruote da Sogno we are able to admire (and touch) what is considered the queen of 911s: a Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS. But let's make a fast travel into the past.Following the growing sports car market, Porsche decided to evolve the already legendary Carrera 911, but with a sharped racing vocation. The intent of Stuttgart engineers was the desire to create a car gritty and exuberant on the track, but sweet and placid on everyday road. For this reason in 1973 Porsche made its debut with the Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, in the Sport, Touring and Racing versions. The enthusiastic welcome given by fans to the new Carrera immediately put the Stuttgart company in serious difficulty, because after just three months from the start of production, Porsche had already sold the first 500 units of the first series: just think that the company second serie of cars made to satisfy the demand of enthusiasts, was placed with the same ease as the first.

Impossible not to fall in love with it: the lines of the car are very attractive, so much so that you can't take your eyes off them. Approaching the body in a shining Tangerine Red painting (1 of only 126 made in this color) we realize that it is automatic to caress its bodywork, starting from the front hood to the rear, where a pronounced spoiler makes its appearance. Ducktail: this is how sport car enthusiasts defined the rear wing mounted on the Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS.Although it is a definable element of "design" for its charm, its function is much more than purely aesthetic. According to Porsche engineers, in fact, the spoiler would have served to increase the downforce of the car at high speeds and improve stability, as well as favoring the cooling of the 6-cylinder boxer engine. On the same wing, the decal showing the initials Carrera RS, or RennSport (the name that the Stuttgart company adopts for the sportiest models of its cars) makes a fine show of itself. This spoiler peculiarity became the distinctive element of the Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, which will forever be referred to as the "duck tail".

On the 911 Carrera RS everything is aimed at performance: the doors were molded in steel and aluminum alloy, therefore thinner and lighter than the previous models, as were the window panes, which were given particular attention by the Stuttgart company in order to reduce the weight of the car. The treatment leads to a weight reduction of about 100kg.

The ingredients for the perfect Porsche are finally ready: when you get on board, you realize that essential minimalism reigns supreme. This does not means being spartan, but on the contrary it is the simplicity of the car that makes it an incredibly interesting object. After all, you don't need any special artifices to have fun: everything you need is mounted behind the rear axle.The control deck of the Porsche 911 Carrera RS is the driver's seat: slightly enveloping by 1973 standards, comfortable and at the correct height. The pedals and the gearbox are easily accessible and the controls are sincere even for those who are not familiar with over thirty-year-old cars. The dashboard is centrally surmounted by the engine rpm indicator, the only real thing that you will care to check (in addition to the temperatures) while driving this sports car.

Once in front of the steering wheel you learn that it takes patience to start the engine of a 911: turn the key that is on your left (As always on Classic Porsche) and listen to the petrol pump working and then wake up the Porsche 6-cylinder holding a thread of gas, listening to the engine emit some slightly confused notes which in a few seconds turn into a clear and decisive symphony.

From the first few meters you already understand that the engine likes to rev high: the more you drive it, the more you want to drive, corner after corner, letting yourself be carried away by the progression of the engine and the feeling that only the Porsche 911 can convey. Surely not a monster in terms of horsepower, the progression is smooth and constant. The steering wheel is light enough to be precise and not tiring. The gear lever invites you to take advantage of every downshifting ratio even when not necessary. You feel really involved but never awkward as you enter the front cornering, with an eye to the rear which is one of the most knowed for its unpredictability due to the engine mounted on the rear axle.

Telling about this car it's a difficult task: the Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS is an experience rather than a car.Once you return to your garage, it is almost natural to leave the car on in neutral in the yard to let the engine cool, perhaps sitting on the ground contemplating a work of engineering and design in the history of the world automobile.