Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 50-Year Anniversary

A huge milestone Porsche Carrera anniversary–50 years. Porsche has had a historic fleet of special luxury sports cars including the Carrera GT, 959, 918 Spyder, and the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 but none are more dear and beloved than the latter. Born in 1972, the 911 has achieved legendary status. And this year, the Porsche Carrera anniversary reaches the fifty-year mark. Porsche celebrates 50 years of 911 by looking back at the Carrera RS. 2.7

Some of the iconic features of the 1972 911 Porsche still remain intact including the design and shape.  The 911 RS 2.7 was instantly recognizable because of its rear spoiler, and one of the reasons for its survival has been the 2.7-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine. The 911 did have great success on the race track but by the late 80s, the RS moniker was temporarily lost. It later reappeared on the rear of the 964 Carrera RS in 1991. Over the ensuing 3 decades, many models and variants of the RS were developed.

The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 had many nicknames including ‘Duck tail’, ‘RS’, or ‘2.7’. But whatever the name it was the first model to have front and rear spoilers and was intended to be a fast, but light sports car.

Fifty years before this landmark Porsche Carrera anniversary, the plan was to build two variants of the car: one sporty with a matching interior (but without the rear bench) and the Touring model with a rear bench and an optional sunroof. Initially, Porsche only planned to develop 500 models but no one could have anticipated the customer demand. All 500 Porsches were sold immediately. It was not until a year later that 1,580 units were built– of which many still survive today.

Today we have the 2023 Porsche 911, which has evolved from the first generation Porsche 911. The 2023 Porsche 911 Special Edition is something extraordinary; comfortable with a low center of gravity, it is agile, fast, and powerful. The interior is extravagant and trimmed in top-notch fabrics. Perfection can be found everywhere, including the turbocharged 3.8-liter 6-cylinder that generates 543 hp. And if you want more power, there is the Sports Classic with RWD and a manual transmission

The Sports Classic has many upgrades from the turbo S including rerouted engine air intake, a hood made partially of carbon fiber, and a retro-style tail spoiler. But it is on the road where the 2023 Special Edition 911 excels; it has rapid acceleration going from 0- 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. The car is apt at going around corners and has impressive brakes. It’s loud, but only when you reach high revs. And the interior is pleasingly modern and retro. With fewer physical buttons and more touch screen controls, the car is spacious, clean, and easy to drive. Like all sporty cars, the cargo space is limited but you can use the rear space for storage.

The 2023 911 Special Edition Porsche is a superb car and offers full value for money. It’s reliable, and the build quality is excellent. The one downside is that the upgrades are costly. The 2023 911 Porsche will be available in the US later this year. The special edition Sporty Porsche will be around $200,000, and the number of cars made will be limited.