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Of all the 1580 Carrera RS 2.7s, only 200 were made were ordered with this lightweight ‘Sports’ trim which made the car more responsive and purposeful. In many ways these few cars were the ultimate road-going Porsche of the 1970s. Known as the Sports, Lightweight or even the M471 option code, these cars had improved the power-to-weight ratio. Reports of 75kg were stripped from the standard model by fitting lightweight body panels and lightweight glass.
Revealed at the 1972 Paris Auto Show, the Carrera 2.7 RS was a special model used to homologate the 911 in Group 4 racing. Developed from the 911S, the 2.7 was more potent in almost every area. Compared to the standard Carrera, the 2.7 RS featured a larger engine, wider flares to accommodate the Fuchs alloy wheels, stiffened suspension, larger brakes and a ducktail rear spoiler. The Touring outsold the Lightweight, with a total of 1380 units built (the Lightweight had only 200 units).
In 1966 the beefier 160hp 911S was introduced as the first variation of the 911. The "S" which stood for "Super" boasted performance upgrades and modifications that included larger valves, a higher compression ratio, better porting and larger carburetor jets. Along with the mechanical tweaks, the 911S also received chassis upgrades in the form of a rear anti-roll bar, Koni shocks, distinctive 5-spoke Fuchs alloy wheels and ventilated disc brakes on all four corners to replace the solid discs.
Image credit: Tim Scott / Fluid Images
To homologate the 1968 911 for competition purposes, Porsche began with the Spartan 911 T which were a full 54 kg (118 pounds) lighter than their 'S' siblings. Porsche offered clients the opportunity to buy a 911 T outfitted with competition equipment directly from the factory, and the resulting cars have become known as the 911 T/R. They were built in low quantities to a range of specifications depending on their intended competition purposes.
In 1967 the A-Series Porsche production line was divided into the entry-level 911T, the standard 911 L for Lux and the sporting 911S. The 911L was effectively the 911 2.0 from previous years with only very minor updates such as new door handles, a brushed aluminum dashboard, a black steering wheel and other very minor details. In Europe, where it was considered the midrange model it featured engine Type 901/06 (Type 901/07 with Sportomatic) rated at 130 hp. In North America, the 911L was the highest level offering.
The Porsche 911 E was designed to fall nicely between the 911 T touring model and the top of range high-performance 911S. The Porsche 911 T would continue for its second year in Europe, and newly introduced into the United States market, as the entry level offering for the 911, sitting below the 1969 911E and the 1969 911S. The 1969 911E was powered by engine Type 901/09 (Type 901/11 with Sportomatic) featuring mechanical fuel injection (MFI). The 2.0 L Aircooled Flat 6 was good for 140 bhp at 6500 rpm.
The Porsche 911T continued as the entry level 911 for the 1970 and 1971 model years, sitting below the 2.2L 911 E and the 2.2 L 911 S. The 911 T featured all the upgrades that came with C-Series production updates including longer wheelbase and Fuchs alloy wheels. During its production years it was available as both a Coupe or Targa bodystyle. As with the E and S variants, Porsche would upgrade the 911T to a larger 2.2 liter engine.
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8
Introduced in 1973, the RSR was a factory-built racing car based on the 911 chassis. The Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8 was the first 911 to ever wear the RSR badge. Homologated for racing by the iconic 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, the RSR’s racing career got off to the perfect start thanks to Brumos Racing’s overall triumph in the 1973 24 Hours of Daytona, while a factory car won the latest ever Targa Florio road race. For the privateer in the mid-1970s who wanted to go sports car racing this was the chosen weapon.
The final early 911S befitted from Porsche's 2.4-liter engine the the long-wheel-base body. As such it is one of the final classic 911s before the 2.7 came out in 1973. Visually, the 2.4 range received a new chin on the front valence that was standard on the 911S and optional for the rest of the range. The S model had slight larger 6Jx15 Fuchs alloy wheels over the other models. The final early 911S benefitted from Porsche's 2.4-liter engine the the long-wheel-base body