6SpeedOnline - Porsche Forum and Luxury Car Resource - FS: 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS Lightweight

1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS Lightweight (Chassis #9113601014)
M471 Lightweight

One of Only 200 Such Examples Produced
Matching-Numbers Engine and Transmission
Porsche Certificate of Authenticity (see attached scan)
Copy of original build sheet (see attached scan)
Color: Tangerine body with Black “Carrera” side-lettering, Black interior
Mileage: 18000 km (~11000 miles)

Arguably the Most Recognizable Classic 911, this is the real deal!... A real RS Lightweight, not a clone. A magnificent, highly-collectible, iconic Porsche, and undoubtedly a great investment.

Of all the 1580 Carrera RS 2.7s, only 200 were made were ordered in a 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 every amenity removed to reduce overall weight and improve the power-to-weight ratio. Reports of 100kg to 200kg were stripped from the standard model by fitting lightweight body panels and lightweight glass. As a result, the Lightweight was a nimble 900kg car compared to its Touring counterpart.

Inside, competition-style bucket seats, minimal door panels, thin carpeting and lack of sound deadening contributed to the theme. Gone were the rear seats, glovebox panel, the clock and passenger-side visor. Under the hood, a plastic 85-litre gas tank was fitted and only one battery was used.

Both the Touring and Lightweight shared some of the same hallmarks such as the ducktail rear spoiler, larger flares for the Fuchs alloy wheels and the larger 2.7-litre engine capable of 210 bhp. The lightweight is easy identified by its fibreglass rear bumper guards. Other than that it is almost outwardly identical to the Touring models.

Porschephiles around the world will often point to the Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS Lightweight as the perfect iteration of the model – its profile, ducktail, wheels and high power-to-weight ratio have been design touchstones for the 911 ever since it was released.

1973 was the first year for the 911 RS, it was offered with an enlarged 2.7 litre engine producing 210bhp with a SOHC horizontally opposed 6-cylinder layout with Bosch mechanical fuel injection, a 5-speed manual transmission, independent front and rear suspension, and disc brakes fitted front and back. The Lightweight designation denotes the use of thinner gauge steel for the body panels and thinner glass in the windows, it saves 100 kilograms over the RS Touring version which had a dry weight of 1075 kgs (2370 lbs). For homologation, Porsche needed to produce a minimum of 500 units, which they handily surpassed with a total production volume in 1973 of 1,580.

This particular car has a long rally racing history in Europe including:
1976 Rally due Valli
1976 Rally Appennino Bolognese
1976 Rally Campagnolo
1976 San Martino di Castrozza

1977 Rally due Valli
1977 Rally 1000 Miglia
1977 Rally Alto Appennino Bolognese
1977 Rally Cesena
1977 Rally Citta Modena
1977 Rally Prealpi Venete
1977 Rally San Martino di Castrozza

1978 Coppa Feraboli
1978 Rally 1000 Miglia
1978 Rally Alto Appennino Bolognese
1978 Rally Colline Romagna
1978 Rally due Valli
1978 Rally Valli Piacentine

"Gulf sponsored car for the 1979 season"
1979 Rally 1000 Miglia
1979 Rally Fernet Tonic
1979 Rally Modena
1979 Rally San Marino

1980 Rally Cascina Terme
1980 Rally Modena
1980 Targa Florio

2007 displayed at Techno Classica Institute, Essen, Germany

This is an extremely special car that has obviously garnered quite a bit of attention in our showroom. Should you have any questions, feel free to call or text me directly at 973.370.5851, PM me, or email highmarques@gmail.com