Spectacular Porsche RS Celebration for London Concours 2023
The London Concours, presented by Montres Breguet, has announced the first exciting feature of what is set to be another stand out show in 2023. June’s event – firmly established as the capital’s leading summer automotive garden party – will pay homage to one of the most iconic performance models of all time, the Porsche 911 RS.
Building on the great success of previous Supercar Thursday celebrations, in 2023, for one day only – Wednesday 7th June – 50 landmark cars from this most feted and thrilling of model ranges will be on display in the secluded Honourable Artillery Company grounds. Models on show will range from the seminal 2.7 RS right up to the very latest, technologically advanced examples.
The London Concours’ special celebration of all things ‘Rennsport’ – German for ‘Race Sport’- will savour these carefully honed models, which, over the past half century, have continuously pushed the envelope of performance and driver involvement, all while remaining enticingly useable. The unique display will be at the centre of this summer’s event, which will run from the 6th to 8th June, bringing the very finest cars to the heart of the City for London’s ultimate automotive garden party.
The display will feature cars such as the first model to wear the now famous RS badge: the 2.7 RS. Launched in 1972 to homologate the Carrera RSR racer, the 2.7 RS was significantly lighter than the standard car. Thanks to featherweight body panels and a stripped-out interior giving the 2.7 RS had a kerbweight of just 960kg in ultra-focused ‘sport’ guise. With a 210bhp flat-six motor, performance was superb for the period, with 0-60 dispatched in 5.8 seconds, and a top speed of 152mph. Handling at high speed was improved through the addition of the now iconic ‘ducktail’ spoiler, which boosted stability whilst also reducing drag. With just 1580 produced, the 2.7 RS ranks as one of the most sought-after drivers’ cars of all.
A year later the 3.0 RS arrived to homologate an evolved RSR racer for the ’74 season. The 3.0-litre was more extreme than the 2.7 RS, designed to be just as at home on a circuit or tarmac rally stage as it was on the street. While the 2.7 was stripped out, the 3.0 RS was lighter still, thanks to the extensive use of fiberglass and thinner gauge steel for the body. It tipped the scales at just 900kg. With some 230bhp on tap, it could hit 60 mph from rest in 5 seconds flat. The 3.0 RS was a high-performance, visceral road car that was also highly competitive on track. These attributes coupled with its extraordinary scarcity – just 56 were built – have seen it take on legendary status in the ensuing decades. The holy grail for Porsche collectors.
Another highly-sought after RS variant is the 993 RS – the last of the air-cooled models, which was introduced in 1995. Weight saving and purity of driving experience were again at the top of the agenda. The 993 RS variant had lighter body panels and thinner glass, while also ditching the standard 993’s central locking, radio as well as electric seats, mirrors and windows. The extensive diet resulted in a weight of just 1280kg, with handling further enhanced by a limited-slip diff and fully adjustable suspension. The package was rounded off with a 300bhp 3.8-litre motor, featuring forged pistons. A serious, hugely desirable drivers’ car and a fitting swansong for air-cooled RS models.
Another high-water mark for Porsche RS was the ultimate incarnation of the 997 GT3 RS: the hallowed 4.0-litre car. Produced between 2011 and 2012, it was a special machine, combining the beautifully balanced, communicative handling of the ’normal’ 3.8-litre car with a sensational, motorsport derived larger capacity motor. The 4.0-litre unit produced a remarkable 493bhp, well over the magic 100bhp per litre threshold, and revved all the way to 8500rpm, producing perhaps the finest flat-six howl in the process. Extensive use of carbon for the body kept weight down to 1360kg, enabling the limited run – just 600 were made – 6-speed manual equipped machine to hit 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, and 193 mph flat out. Many rank the 4.0 RS among the finest Porsches, and indeed the finest performance cars, of all.
Porsche continues to push performance boundaries with its RS products; the latest ‘992’ GT3 RS is the most extreme yet. It sports outrageous aero elements – including active front and rear wings (with DRS function) – generating 860kg of downforce at 285 kph, three times that of a standard GT3. The 4.0-litre flat-six powered 518bhp machine is so extreme that it forgoes luggage space entirely – the front boot is filled with motorsport derived cooling systems. All the details add up to give startling performance; a completely stock RS lapped the fearsome Nürburgring in just 6:49.3.