1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS
Ebbro - 43262 (diecast)
Published 07/28/17
Introduced in 1972, the Carrera RS evolved from the F series 911S. The car specifically came to be to homologate the 911 in Group 4 racing (Special Gran Turismo Cars). That being so, at least 500 were necessary. Though it had the exact same lines as the regular 911S, it was very different . Basically, it was more powerful, lighter (900 kg), stiffer and with better brakes. The 2.4 l air-cooled boxer 6 cylinders of the 911S was expanded to 2687 cm³ (called Type 911/83), allowing 210 hp. With a taller 4th and 5th gear, the top speed increased to almost 240 km/h.
But maybe the most striking difference between the regular 911S and the Carrera RS and what gave the car it’s iconic looks were the wider flares to accommodate the (larger) Fuchs alloy wheels and the famous “duck tail” rear spoiler, the first Porsche with that feature. Because of the weight considerations, the car was very spartan. Even so, it was a commercial success, and though Porsche only planned 500, in the end they sold around 1600 units. Of these 1600 units, 1053 were actually “lightweight” models (that could be converted to more comfortable “De Luxe” specifications at Porsche dealers), so Porsche was also able to homologate the car for Group 3 racing (Production Gran Tourism Cars).
The Carrera 2.7 RS is one of the most iconic Porsche models. Along with the 917K, it’s the car that made me love the brand. Back in 77 or 78, Revell had a plastic model of this exact car in white and red. I saw the model every week at the “The Hobby Shop”, in East Lansing, MI. Unfortunately though, according to Google the store doesn’t exist anymore. While my mom was at the supermarket next door, I wandered around the store drooling over their Revell kits. And to this day I remember thinking how cool that car looked.
As a model however, the Carrera 2.7 RS fell short of my expectations. The detail level is awesome, maybe my best from Ebbro, but the paint job is terrible. The paint on the left side door is irregular and with bubbles, and on the hood it’s thin and uneven. Talk about letdown… I got the model cheap, and it would be more hassle than anything to return it, therefor I kept it. It’s not terrible, but it’s NOT nice.
So it looks like I’m still on the market for a decent Carrera RS.