Porsche 2.7 RS lightweight

Perhaps the most desirable 911 isn’t the original after all – as the later 2.7 RS makes a very compelling case for itself.

This model is widely regarded as one of the finest ever to wear the Porsche badge, and is seen by many as the ultimate performance 911. Motorsport has always played a large part in the brand’s identity and, with this particular machine, the lines between track success and road car performance started to blur.

To meet motorsport governing body the FIA’s Group 4 entry requirements in the early Seventies, 500 road models – near-identical to the racers – had to be built. Such was the demand for the RS after its 1972 Paris Motor Show debut, though, that more than 1,500 were produced.

The first 17 examples off the line were badged RS H (for Homologation); the rest were offered in Touring or Lightweight trims. The latter weighed 100kg less than the Touring, and only 200 were made.

Sound deadening, powered windows, rear seats and carpeting were all jettisoned. Light body panels and thin glass were added in order to achieve the 975kg kerbweight, making the Lightweight a no-holds-barred performance machine.

What’s more, engine capacity was increased to 2.7 litres, and power rose to 210bhp. As a result, the car was capable of rocketing from 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds, and reaching a top speed of 153mph. All RS variants looked the part, too. The exceptionally rare H versions had black Carrera decals, while the Lightweight and Touring could be specified with black, blue, green or red stickers, complete with matching wheel centres. The styling was finished off by an unmistakable rear spoiler and swollen arches.

There are thousands of replicas around today, but the car in our pictures is an original Lightweight. It still features the etched markings of the specialist glazing company which manufactured the unique thin glass windows.

As with the 911 E, however, one of the RS’s most striking attributes is its size. The tiny sports car is dwarfed by modern equivalents, and feels cosy inside. Peer out from behind the wheel and the two headlight humps frame the view.

The 2.7 RS delivers performance that’s impressive even by modern standards, so it’s no surprise that it inspired the later GT3 RS. The Seventies model is arguably the Porsche that set in motion the 911’s progression from great road car to one of the finest track machines of all-time.

Today, Porsche Motorsport sells more than 300 racing 911s annually. In 40 years, the car has secured more race and rally victories than any other. Rare, fast and stunning, the 2.7 RS is as thrilling to drive now as it was three decades ago. That, plus its significance in the sporting history of the brand, makes it easy to see why it gets a place in our top six.

Owner profile Paul Bellis
The owner of the stunning 2.7 RS Lightweight in our pictures is Paul Bellis, from Dorset. He was bewitched by the marque as a child, and has owned five of its cars. But there was one model he particularly wanted to get his hands on: the 2.7 RS.

“It is the ultimate 911 and, having found one, it takes pride of place in my collection. I can see myself owning it forever,” he explains. This left-hand-drive example was bought new by a German rally driver. It arrived here in 1980, joining one of the UK’s biggest private collections of Porsches. Paul put his name in the logbook two years ago, and shows no inclination to hand the car over to anyone else!