Vehicle Description
1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8
VIN: WP0ZZZ96ZPS497092
One of only 55 street-legal examples produced, available only in
1993
Rare example painted in black, believed one of 5
Extreme weight savings - 2,668lbs
Factory-developed 3.8-liter engine producing 300 horsepower
Documented maintenance from new
Includes original Fahrzeugbrief, books and tools
Considered by many to be the ultimate driving 964 ever created
German-delivered car, then imported into Japan
27,143 miles (43,683km)
January of 1989 marked when Porsche revealed its newest 911
platform, the Porsche 964. Claiming that the car was over 85% new,
the 964's unibody was completed reengineered to accept the new
all-wheel drive system from the development of the 959 and 961.
Named the Carrera 4, Porsche would introduce the less-complicated
rear-wheel drive Carrera 2 a few months after and would provide the
foundation for the higher-performance variants for both street and
racing applications. In 1992 Porsche created the RS 3.6, naturally
aspirated with a twin-plug engine breathed on by Porsche Motorsport
to pump power up. Porsche then one upped themselves in 1993,
introducing the Porsche 964 Carrera RS 3.8.
Per Roland Kussmaul, the project manager for the Carrera RS 3.8,
the first car was built in 1991 on a pre-production 964 for testing
purposes. The RS 3.8 would be based on the Turbo bodywork, complete
with the same bumpers and wider fenders for improved handling
characteristics. Although Porsche was feeling the downturn of the
global economy, the project was given the go ahead and was soon
redeemed by wins in the 1993 ADAC GT Cup and the 1994 BPR
series.
While the Carrera RS 3.8 resembles its Turbo sibling, the cars were
easily spotted by its large rear wing with a special "3.8" embossed
into each side. Weight reduction was taken to the extreme. Aluminum
body panels were employed instead of steel in numerous areas, such
as the doors and front hood, while the door glass and rear quarter
windows were thinner than usual. The carpeting was thinner and
lighter, the rear seats removed, and power options on the windows,
seats and power locks were removed in favor of lighter components.
The door cards were made from a lightweight design with simple
strap pulls and no arm rests. Air conditioning was removed and
power steering was ditched in favor of a lighter, non-assisted
rack. Even the undercoating was not sprayed onto the bottom in the
name of weight savings. This focus on weight reduction produced
real results, as it saved close to 600 pounds vs. a standard street
car.
Despite losing close to 600 pounds of weight in pursuit of
lightness, the cars were still very civilized for street or track
use. Transmission gearing for the RS 3.8 was changed, with first,
second and third gears being slighter higher. Gear synchronizer
gears were made of resilient steel, shorter shifter throws, and a
limited-slip differential came as standard. These host of upgrades,
along with the massive weight loss, resulted in brutal acceleration
and top speeds closing in on 170 miles an hour.
Only 55 street cars were produced in order to meet the FIA
homologation requirement. According to J�rgen Barth, 52 were left
hand drive and 3 others were right hand drive. While built to be
excellent driving cars, most of the cars were purchased and stashed
away into private collections, used occasionally by their lucky
owners. While the most common color leaving the factory was Speed
Yellow, there were other colors that were much less common and some
even customer specific. Due to being a street-legal race car barely
disguised as a street car, bracing in the front trunk was added
along with a trunk-mounted ignition-kill switch. Fitted to the
Carrera RS 3.8s standard were 9" and 11" Speedline wheels with an
18" diameter, fitting the large ventilated and cross-drilled
brakes, aided by ABS. This left-hand drive example began life as a
German-delivered Carrera RS 3.8, sent to a Dr. Walter Reichhart and
believed to be only one of 5 cars that was painted black. Reichhart
would keep the car well maintained, having the car at serviced at
its required intervals. In June of 2002 he would sell the car to
Helmut Koch of Schopfheim. Like Reichhart before him, he would take
the car to be serviced at its required interval. In March of 2005
the car was then sold to Silke Koch, showing 26,646 miles on the
odometer (42,882km) on August 22, 2008, and would be the last
German owner. In approximately 2010 the 964 RS 3.8 was exported to
Japan where it stayed with the same owner the entire time until
being imported to the U.S. in late 2018.
Upon arriving at Canepa, the car was carefully inspected from front
to rear. With only 27,143 miles (43,683km), the car presents as if
it only has a quarter of its indicated mileage. Once a full report
was completed, the car was entered into Canepa's system and went
through the "Canepa Difference" process. This consists of a full
top-to-bottom concours-level detail and mechanical inspection so
that nothing is left to question. The car was thoroughly cleaned
underneath in order to remove the factory cosmoline, revealing the
factory finishes in excellent condition. Once done, the car was
given a full exterior hand wash, along with a complete polish of
its rare black paint finish, using only foam pads and light
compound in order to preserve the surface. With its deep black
finish now done, the trunk, interior and engine bay were also given
attention, cleaning out each and every crevice to ensure nothing
was left unturned and untouched. When finished and rolled into the
Canepa showroom, this exceptional 964 Carrera RS 3.8 steals the
show. From its signature wing with "3.8" embossed or the stance
with its 18" Speedline wheels, this car presents a unique
opportunity for a serious enthusiast looking for the ultra-rare and
ultra-capable Porsche 911.