(1993 – 1994) Porsche 911 Carrera RS America
The original 1973 Carrera RS was available in Europe but not in the USA. Porsche decided to build the 1993 Carrera RS both to European spec and a limited number in compliance with US regulations. These US spec cars were assigned the name “RS America”. The intent was to create a basic lightweight, no frills 911 with minimal luxury options.
The standard US Carrera 2 brakes, engine and gearbox were used. The RS weighed 2,945 pounds so it was almost 80 pounds lighter than a standard Carrera 2. Fitting the RS America with the M030 sport suspension package, which included the use of much of the running gear from the 911 C2 Turbo, led to higher performance limits.
The Turbo’s progressively wound coil springs, larger diameter front stabilizer bar, and upgraded shock absorbers were standard equipment for the RS America, as were 17” diameter C2 Turbo wheels. The RSA rims were 7” wide on the front and 8” wide on the rear (as opposed to the 7” wide front and 9” wide rear wheels of the C2 Turbo). It also got a very cool “whale tail” spoiler.
In all, 701 cars were built as model year 1993 – 1994.
(source stuttcars.com)
While the 964 was unquestionably a faster, more refined car than the Carrera 3.2itreplaced in 1989, the newest 911 received a tepid welcome from many ofthe Porsche faithful.
Traditionalists disliked the car’s heavy-looking bumpers and saw it as a 911 that appealed more for status seekers than driving enthusiasts. Porsche addressed that secondcomplaint in 1993, when it unveiled the RS America.
The name says it all: a RennSport {2.k.a. motorsport) model for U.S. consumption. The RS America was lighter, louder, and decidedly sportier than the two-wheel-drive Carrera 2 it was based on.
Yet Porsche did this without altering the C2’s 247-horsepower 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine or its sheet metal.
So what did change? From the out-side, the most visible difference was a fixed, one-piece whale tail, whichreplaced the C2’s retractable unit.
The interior alterations were more extensive.
Porsche fitted cloth-faced sport seats and lightweight door panels and carpeting, removed the rear seats and much of the cabin’s sound deadening, and deleted such fripperies as air-conditioning and the radio.
(Those last two items made up half of the RS America’s options list, along with a sunroof and limited-slip differential.)
Also deleted was the C2’s power steering, which saved 15 pounds and, when combined with standard M030sport suspension, transformed the car’s demeanor.
The RS America’s ride was hard and jiggly, and its mission was driver involvement.
The enthusiast press loved it.
While acknowledging the car wasn’t for everyone, Sports Car International called the RS America “a Porsche like Porscheused to build, like die-hards used to buy.”
In Excellence’s own review, we described it as having “a fundamental honesty and clarity of purpose that returns this manufacturer to its racing roots.”
Enthusiasm remains high for the RS America. While the model cost $10,000 less than a standard C2 when new, today one will cost far more.
One reason is rarity. Porsche built 701 RSAmericas in 1993 and 1994 (rear seats reappeared in the latter year) versus a total production run of morethan 6,000 U.S. C2 coupes.
But there’s also a demand for the RS America’s raw personality.
Besides being pricey and difficult to find, the RS America suffers from a handful of mechanical issues that plague all 964s.
As outlined in the accompanying “Shop Talk” sidebar, oil leaks are the most common problem, with age-related items such as the front control-arm bushings, DME relay, and a/c evaporator popping up over time.
This isn’t to suggest that an RS America is a money pit. While repairs can be expensive, many known problems have been resolved over the years.
Besides, it’s a fact of life that older cars need more care than newer ones. And for those who believe older Porsches arethe true enthusiast’s cars, it’s hard to go wrong with a good RS America.
(Source: EXCELLENCE BUYER’S GUIDE 2022-2023)
