When a Porsche 911 has a price tag of $2 million, you know it’s no run-of-the-mill machine. That’s certainly true of a remarkable 1973 Carrera RSR 2.8 race car that has just been listed for private sale with RM Sotheby’s. The RSR was the weapon of choice for privateers in the mid-1970s looking to put pedal to metal on the track. The wide-body race car was based on the 911 chassis and was a fiercer take on Porsche’s RS 2.7 road car. It was both lighter and faster than its predecessor. In fact, the marque trimmed some 176 pounds to give the RSR a total weight of just 1,851 pounds.
At the same time, the flat-six engine was tweaked to give the RSR 90 more horses for a total output of 300 hp, no small feat for the time. The chassis was strengthened to cope with that additional speed and the now-iconic Fuchs wheels were added to give the racer even more attitude. Porsche also adjusted the suspension and fitted a 917-based braking system for better handling.
Only 49 RSR race cars were delivered to customers, which explains that eye-popping price tag. This particular model—chassis number 9113600614—was first campaigned by Puerto Rican racing driver Diego Febles who nabbed various victories in North and Central America throughout the ‘70s. In fact, the RSR even raced in the 1973 Daytona Finale 250 Miles in which Febles finished 24th overall.
The RSR was treated to a number of racing upgrades throughout its racing career, from a roll cage to a new engine and a whale tail spoiler, but has been completely restored and returned to the 2.8 spec in which it left the factory. RM Sotheby’s says you can also negotiate the purchase of a 3.0 RSR engine.
Article source: Robb Report
