Speed Yellow Porsche 964 Carrera RS 3.8 Hits RM’s Private Sales Department

What: 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8
Color: Porsche Speed Yellow (speedgelb; non-metallic uni; L12G / X4 / 12H / 12G; Porsche)
VIN: WP0ZZZ96ZPS497084
Mileage: 77,600 km, 48,218 miles
Asking Price: $950,000
CarFax: N/A
Window Sticker: N/A
Location: Paris, France
Link: RM Sotheby’s

Unlike the much more common Porsche 911 Carrera RS of the 964 era, the 911 Carrera RS 3.8 is an actual homologation special. Okay, technically the “plain” Carrera RS boasted a lot of changes consistent with the then-current Carrera Cup series, but the 911 Carrera RS 3.8 was built literally to homologate the car for international GT racing requirements.

Beginning the with shell of a Porsche 911 Turbo used for its wider track, each car was transported to Weissach’s racing department so that it could be hand built. Lightweighting ensued, limited not just to deletion of unnecessary equipment but also introducing aluminum equivalents of doors and front trunk lid from the RS 3.6. The car’s RS front spoiler got an extra lip for improved downforce, while other changes included replacement of the foglights with air ducts for the oil cooler, a larger adjustable rear wing, plus 3mm gauge glass for side and rear windows.

Those are just the visual changes. This was a Porsche homologation special after all, which means the chassis got its share of changes too. A larger diameter adjustable anti-roll bar, strut brace, Bilstein suspension, Turbo brakes, reprogrammed ABS, and deletion of power steering all added to the car’s capabilities. Beyond that, it rolled on three-piece 18-inch Speedline Cup wheels in 9-inch width at the front and 11-inches at the rear.

Under the fiberglass engine cover was the M64/04 3.8-liter flat six. That motor was derived form the same 3.6 as the Carrera RS, though it was bored out to 102mm while stroke was retained. Lightweight pistons with shorter wrist pins and reduced head height were also part of the design, as were six individual throttle bodies positioned close to the inlet ports. There was a custom inlet manifold and larger valves with lightweight rockers, not to mention a twin-pipe exhaust system.

Only 55 examples of the 911 Carrera RS 3.8 were built, plus another 49 Carrera RSRs, which was enough satisfy the FIA’s homologation requirement of 100 cars. Interestingly, only one road car was required by the rule, though Porsche shrewdly built quite a few more in order to net some additional income. This was, by the way, the 964 era where Porsche was struggling to stay afloat financially.

This specific car was built in 1993 and is one of twelve examples to be built in Speed Yellow. The seatbacks of the car’s Recaro Pole Position seats were color matched to the body, while the rest of the interior was trimmed in black leather along with contrasting grey seat inserts just as we tend to see in the Carrera RS.

The car was first delivered to Porsche Zentrum Bielefeld in Germany in October 1993, then was exported to Japan before again returning to Europe in 2007. It’s currently located in Paris, France, though its age would make it an easy import into North America.