The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 celebrates its 50th anniversary
The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 is referred to by many nicknames, but the best known is undoubtedly “Ducktail”. In 1972, Porsche launched the rear spoiler fashion on production vehicles.
Porsche had originally planned to build 500 examples of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 to meet the regulations of Group 4, the Special Grand Touring category. On October 5, 1972, the new model was presented at the Paris Motor Show, held at Porte de Versailles. By the end of November, the 500 units had already been sold. The brand was surprised by the success of the car, and managed to triple the sales figures until July 1973.
A total of 1,580 examples were built and, once the milestone of the 1,000th passed, the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 also received homologation for Group 3 in addition to Group 4. The optional M471 equipment package led Porsche to build 200 lightweight “Sport” versions of the car, also known as “Lightweight”. In addition, the manufacturer had 55 examples of the racing version assembled, 17 basic vehicles for homologation, and 1,308 Touring versions (M472).
0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 s
The new 2.7-liter flat-six engine with injection developed by Hans Mezger and Valentin Schäffer developed 210 hp at 6,300 rpm and 255 Nm at 5,100 rpm. In order to preserve the daily use of the car, the compression ratio, timing and valve diameter remained identical to the specifications of the 2.4-litre engine. In the sporty version, the power allowed the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds, making the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 the first production car to go under the six-second mark. The top speed exceeded 245 km/h.
Reduce lift
The leitmotif for the bodywork was weight reduction. Thin sheet metal, thin windows, plastic elements and the elimination of soundproofing have kept the total weight of the racing cars below the 900 kg required for the new model to be homologated. At the same time, aerodynamics were improved.
The aim was to minimise lift on the front and rear axles at high speeds in order to achieve a more neutral behaviour. Engineers Hermann Burst and Tilman Brodbeck, in collaboration with stylist Rolf Wiener, developed for the first time a rear spoiler, which they tested in the wind tunnel and on test tracks. Their goal was to retain the original character of the 911, while improving its aerodynamic properties.
An icon
Just like the front wing developed a year earlier, the rear wing was originally designed as a retrofit kit for 911 customers. But things turned out differently: the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was equipped with the combination of a front and rear spoiler as standard from the start. The model quickly sparked a worldwide craze for fins. “At the time, I thought the aileron was just a solution to a technical problem. It took me a long time to realize that we had created an icon,” recalls co-inventor Hermann Burst.
From 20 September 2022, the Porsche Museum will present a special exhibition dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7.
50 years of Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7
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The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 celebrates its 50th anniversary, special car