Porsche 993 Carrera RS: £200k-£20k 911 buyer’s guide
This is it: the final curtain call of the air-cooled Rennsport, the zenith of road-going, race-bred precision of the truly classic ‘RS’ moniker before it switched to a water-cooled ‘Mezger’ powerplant.
The 993 RS has long been revered by purists, but today it has achieved halo status as a lightweight racer devoid of significant driver aids by modern standards. This is reflected in market values: upon release in 1995, a 993 RS in comfort specification would have set you back ££68,495.
Nearly 20 years on, that same model has now comfortably eclipsed the £200,000 mark.
Records show that 1,104 993 RS models were built by Porsche for worldwide markets, of which 227 were the even lighter Clubsport variants (recognisable thanks to a larger and taller rear spoiler).
38 993 RSs were sold in the UK (26 in 1995 and 12 in 1996), although there has been much coalescence of the cars since, and multiple left hand-drive cars are currently on the market here.
So: revered, rare and raw. These are the alliterated adjectives crashing through my mind as I stand before this particular left-hand-drive example ahead of its road test to kick-start our definitive 2015 buyer’s guides.
Walking around the RS, I’m struck by just how small it appears in comparison to the 991 Turbo I’d arrived in. Appearing to hug the floor thanks to its factory-lowered suspension (30mm at the front and 40mm at the rear), the figure of the RS is accentuated by aggressive yet oh-so smooth lines flowing from the front corner spoilers to that purposeful flat tail over the decklid.
The three-piece wheels encapsulating huge ‘Big Red’ brake callipers all round are a pertinent nod to the car’s sporting credentials, yet thanks to the Midnight blue paintwork, there’s a deep mystique emanating from this particular 993.
For the rest of Lee’s drive in the 993 Carrera RS, as well as our comprehensive £200k-£20k buyer’s guide, pick up your copy of Total 911 issue 119 in store and online now. Alternatively, download your copy for an instant Porsche fix.
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