1993 Porsche 911 RS America
Created exclusively for the American market
Made to be a stripped down and basic version of 911
Least expensive Porsche in 1993, however is now more sought after
Porsche’s goal in creating the 964 RS was to offer a basic and lightweight 911 with minimal luxury options. Thus, it produced a de-contented C2, stripped of most standard convenience features. The RS America is quite the opposite of its predecessor the 959, which was all about adding technology to make it better. While the Carrera RS 3.6 was available in Europe, it was unable to meet U.S. import regulations, so it was slightly detuned to meet DOT regulations and dubbed the RS America.
The 911 RS America having been stripped from nearly all of its basic features, showing true rennsport. Race cars, as we know, do not have basic features - A/C, radio, power windows, power sunroof, etc. and the 911 RS America is the same. The 911 RS America is a true road going race car. As it has the bare minimum number of amenities for the driver, this gives a similar experience to being in a race car. Only 701 RS Americas were constructed over a two-year period beginning in 1992 for the 1993-1994 model years. Only four options were available: an electric sunroof, air conditioning, a limited-slip differential, and a stereo system. Standard colors were also limited to Guards Red, Black, or Grand Prix White, and two metallic colors, Midnight Blue and Polar Silver, were available at extra cost.
The RS package is similar to the modern Wiessach package, reducing nearly 80 pounds of all of the luxury goods. The rear seat was replaced with a luggage shelf, and all seats were swapped for manual bucket seats.
Along with the removal of these necessities, the Porsche RS America has no power steering - another feature that was key was the lighter, non-adjustable rear wing. You can tell if car is a genuine RS America due to its rear wing. The 3.2 Carrera offered the option to have a rear windshield wiper, hence, there is a nub at the end of the wing for that wiper. If the car has this nub, it is not an RS America, as the rear windshield wiper is one of the features that was removed to save weight.
The RS America is typically more sought after by collectors, as it was made exclusively for North America. This was due to North American DOT regulations that did not allow the immense power of the RS made for Europe. This created a detuned version for the United States. The RS America also has a steel from lid, manual side mirrors, and 17-inch wheels.
The 911 RS America featured corduroy-upholstered seats, unlike the leather seats in its sister car, the 964 RS.The America also has large side holsters for performance driving. The 964 RS came equipped with Recaro bucket seats, commonly nicknamed “Pole Position” seats.
The RS America was the cheapest 911 offered during its model run. Nowadays, the RS America is generally more sought after than the standard Carrera, perhaps due to low production numbers and the fact it was only sold in North America. This comes as a surprise now as the modern Wiessach package which removes around 80 lbs from the car, costs more than a regular Porsche.
Specifications:
911 Chassis Code: 964
Engine: 3.6L Air-cooled naturally aspirated flat 6-cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Power: 247 hp @ 6100 rpm / 228 lb/ft torque @ 4800 rpm
Speed: 167 mph (Top) / 0-60: 4.6 Seconds
Curb Weight: 2917 lbs