One of six Porsche 911 RS Club Sport for sale

But every now and then there’s a big leap forward for the ultimate Porsche sports cars. You could argue that the current GT3 RS, with its incredible aerodynamic improvements, is one of them; Creating a 4.0-liter 997 manual gearbox was probably one too. And the latest Speedster completely transformed the stereotype of the drop-top 911. The 30-year-old 993 you see here was also of great importance, because it is of course a Carrera RS.

And its significance was not in the obvious. It was substantially lighter than a Carrera, as was the Renn Sport law, with measures as extreme as reducing the size of the windshield washer bottle, eliminating the intermittent wiper function and retaining just one interior light for a saving of 100kg over a standard 993. Which, when that was already less than 1,400kg and it was the mid-nineties (that is, with less stuff in cars anyway) is quite an achievement. More power came from the flat-six too, with a bored out 3.8, bigger valves and Porsche’s Varioram intake manifold. 300 hp and less than 1,300 kg was more than enough to enjoy, especially with all the amenities of a toboggan run.

But it was the suspension that really marked the RS as a major step forward, introducing the five-link rear end that replaced the old wishbones and would evolve to support the GT Porsches that followed. It made for a less racy, safer 911 RS, although the excitement was still largely intact. You can read more about the 993 RS experience in John’s excellent PH Heroes story, but what you really need to know is that he thought it was one of the five best cars he ever experienced. And John has driven more cars than you’ve had hot dinners.

So a 993 RS is a very special car, even by the standards of special 911s, and this one seems to be a top example. For starters, it’s a club sport, back when such a package was actually quite a big deal; Porsche needed to homologate some parts for a GT2-spec 993 racer, and they were found on the Club Sport RS. Although only 100 examples were required to meet requirements, it is believed that just over 200 RS CSs were produced. The wing, cage and buckets are the big giveaways.

What makes this car most notable, however, is that it is a UK market right-hand drive car from new – and according to the advert there were only six of them. Six! There must be half a dozen YouTubers right now whining about 992 allocations, and that’s all there was for the entire market in one year of production. Stripped-down 911s weren’t quite the same prospect thirty years ago and were really only appealing to the most dedicated.

The last owner of this has owned it since 2008, so he has certainly had time to really appreciate it. (Don’t even think about what a 13-year-old 911 with wind-up windows and weird seats costs.) Currently, the RS has just under 43,000 miles on the odometer and is even better than you might expect: far from the graceful old Porsche, it’s still mean and moody thanks to the Club Sport changes. And absolutely superb too, the paint shines and what’s left of the interior is in excellent condition. Wonder if Porsche Classic Communication Management could intervene…

It will come as no surprise to hear that an air-cooled 911 of this importance, specification and rarity is now a highly prized Porsche. The asking price is £425,000; you don’t have to tell us what kind of modern 911 you’re buying. But they won’t be one of six, they won’t be as unapologetically raw, and they won’t be a 993 Carrera RS. Just saying it sounds great. And it’s still a lot less than a GT2…

Engine: 3,746cc, 6-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine
Transfer: Six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 300 at 6,500 rpm
Torque (lb⋅ft): 247 at 5,400 rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1995
Registered mileage: 26,846
Price new: £71,500
Yours for: £425,000