RS Dreams Come True: Driving Porsche’s Forbidden Fruit

Some of the most exciting cars ever produced from across the pond never make it to US shores because they don’t meet US DOT standards. I’m sure you can name several supercars or light-weight variants you wished to have sampled but were relegated to reading about instead! You know the article, the one that ended in, “….but unfortunately we won’t see this car in the US.” So your dreams were crushed, no E46 M3 CSL, no C63 AMG Wagon, no RS4 Avant and more my vintage—no R32 Skyline GT-R or R5 Turbo!

As a fan of Porsche’s last great air-cooled cars, I was content with the fact that maybe by chance I might run into a 993 GT2 or RS when I least expected it, but of course that ‘run in’ never materialized. Enter highly regarded historic Porsche street and race car collector Jim Edwards, who invited 6SpeedOnline out to the Grand Canyon state of Arizona for a day to sample his newly-acquired 4.0 liter GT3RS and compare it against his ’95 993RS…..wait, what? That’s right, occasionally, dreams do come true!

The setting was gorgeous Inde Motorsports Ranch located in Wilcox just east of Tuscon. The immaculate private club is the creation of IMR’s CEO Graham Dorland and provides a safe, comfortable experience with first-class amenities geared towards the motorsport enthusiast. One special highlight is the presence of several military aircraft including a MiG-17 and F-86 which made for great photo opportunities!

I stepped into Polar Silver 993RS #147 first and immediately re-acquainted myself with the familiar feel of earlier 911’s. Except in this case, even the seats were items that the DOT wouldn’t have allowed onto our shores! Stripped door skins with pull strap openers and the absence of rear seats were other cues this was no ordinary 993. I fired the 3.8 and set out for a handful of laps. Acceleration was pretty decent, but the deep growl of the 3.8 was even better as the rear squatted exiting each corner. Braking and turn-in resembled 911’s of the past—excellent pedal feel, stand-on-the-nose grip and a nice rotation at corner entry. Compared to today’s standards, the RS was soft and tended to ‘float’ a bit but there is no substitute for glancing through the rear-view mirror and seeing that gigantic RS wing! I liked the view out the back more than the front!

As the rotors on the RS struggled to dissipate heat after a few laps, I realized my time driving this remarkable car had come to an end—but what a thrill!

Stepping out of the 993 and into the 4.0 liter will catch your attention: the seats and seating position in the GT3 are tight, supportive and low—clearly designed for ferocious braking and cornering. The 4.0 liter fired in an instant and revs freely, almost like a motorcycle engine. Compared to the 993RS, everything in the GT3 happens in an instant—clutch action, shifting, acceleration, steering response, weight transfer (what weight transfer!). It’s almost like a formula car in comparison. But in the end, the largest leap in technology is in the braking system. I could haul the car down in half the distance of the 993 and catch myself slowing the GT3 too much into a corner!

The grip was so amazing grip that I had to remind myself this was a street car, actually, it’s a race car disguised as a street car. The GT3RS would have lapped forever but my body said checkered flag and I returned to the pits.

Jim also had his Le Mans GT class-winning Burton 934 as well as the last 935 present which I was able to sample too. Highlight for me was to once again hear the flat fan turbo engines spool and scream. It’s such an iconic sound, and I could listen to it forever.

Road & Track’s Sam Smith along with Darren Law drove these two historic racers which will be part of an all-911 Road & Track special issue due later this year. Be sure to look for it—and check out the rest of my pics below.