By Lee Sibley
3 years ago
Top 5 lightest factory Porsche 911s of all time
We all like a light Porsche 911, but which are the lightest factory models? Here's our 9WERKS guide to the five lightest production 911s – so light, in fact, they're each just three figures…
5) Model: 911S Year: 1969 Weight: 995kg
Made for just a single year, the 'B' Series 911S of 1969 was the first regular factory model not to tip the scales into four figures. Lithe and linear, this early car is the lightest regular model to drive off the production line.
Made for just a single year, the 'B' Series 911S of 1969 was the first regular factory model not to tip the scales into four figures. Lithe and linear, this early car is the lightest regular model to drive off the production line.
4) Model: 2.7 Carrera RS Year: 1973 Weight: 975kg
The enduring favourite, the 1973 2.7 RS will probably always be the one every collector dreams about. Not all 2.7 RS models are equal: we're focussing on the factory code M471 Sport, otherwise known as Lightweight models, which shaved weight off anything surplus to the essential, paring the car down to 975kg.
The enduring favourite, the 1973 2.7 RS will probably always be the one every collector dreams about. Not all 2.7 RS models are equal: we're focussing on the factory code M471 Sport, otherwise known as Lightweight models, which shaved weight off anything surplus to the essential, paring the car down to 975kg.
3) Model: SC RS Year: 1984 Weight: 940kg
Purpose-built by Weissach essentially so David Richards could go rallying before the 959 was ready, the SC RS is one of the sharpest tools Porsche have made. Twenty-one cars were produced, with five going to Richard's Prodrive company to race. A 255bhp 3.0-litre engine was used so it slotted in the Group B up to 3,000cc class – carrying a lower weight limit of 960kg. Simply, one of the most dynamic 911s of all time.
Purpose-built by Weissach essentially so David Richards could go rallying before the 959 was ready, the SC RS is one of the sharpest tools Porsche have made. Twenty-one cars were produced, with five going to Richard's Prodrive company to race. A 255bhp 3.0-litre engine was used so it slotted in the Group B up to 3,000cc class – carrying a lower weight limit of 960kg. Simply, one of the most dynamic 911s of all time.
2) Model: 3.0 Carrera RS Year: 1974 Weight: 900kg
Lighter, more powerful and rarer than a 2.7 RS, the Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera RS is often quoted as being the better driver's car. Just 109 cars were built to homologate the 3.0 RSR, with 54 going on to be 3.0 RSRs. Brakes from a 917 were hidden by wider Fuchs, housed in hand-fettled wider arches, plus a 'whale tail' spoiler. The 2.7 Rennsport gets the attention, but the 230bhp, 900kg 3.0 is the more special of the two RS icons.
Lighter, more powerful and rarer than a 2.7 RS, the Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera RS is often quoted as being the better driver's car. Just 109 cars were built to homologate the 3.0 RSR, with 54 going on to be 3.0 RSRs. Brakes from a 917 were hidden by wider Fuchs, housed in hand-fettled wider arches, plus a 'whale tail' spoiler. The 2.7 Rennsport gets the attention, but the 230bhp, 900kg 3.0 is the more special of the two RS icons.
1) Model: 911R Year: 1967 Weight: 800kg
Motorsport's head of R&D, Ferdinand Piëch, spearheaded a project for a light 911, which arguably created the paragon of the model to date. Anything that could be removed, or made lighter, was done so, via material choices or simple deletion. The 1967 911R featured a fibreglass bonnet, bumpers and doors, perspex windows – plus a magnesium 901/22 racing engine from the 906. The R stood for racing, and this is the car that started that game for Porsche, with just 20 being produced.
Motorsport's head of R&D, Ferdinand Piëch, spearheaded a project for a light 911, which arguably created the paragon of the model to date. Anything that could be removed, or made lighter, was done so, via material choices or simple deletion. The 1967 911R featured a fibreglass bonnet, bumpers and doors, perspex windows – plus a magnesium 901/22 racing engine from the 906. The R stood for racing, and this is the car that started that game for Porsche, with just 20 being produced.