Rennsport Porsche 911 RSR Brings Modern Comfort to Traditional Speed
Rennsport uses 911 shells from the 1980s to make retro version of the RSR that Porsche never built.
Carfection may have stumbled across the best Porsche 911 ever. Ok, that is entirely subjective, but Paul Cockell‘s company, Rennsport, has worked magic with the 911. Like other companies, Cockell takes a 911 and envisions something that Porsche never made. In this case, a “Touring” version of a 911 RSR. A fast racer that’s comfortable and compliant to drive.
The basis for the car’s power is a 3.2 liter engine. It is enlarged to 3.5 liters and fitted with independent throttle bodies designed by Rennsport. Engine management is performed by a standalone ECU and power is about 350 bhp. Not bad for a car weighing just 1,100 kilograms.
Rather than go for pure performance, Rennsport adds comfort. Air conditioning, sound deadening, a decent sound system, even Bluetooth are all part of the package. “We actually go against the grain and put a bit of soundproofing in it. Its the way people want the cars now,” Cockell explains.
What about upsetting the purists? Cockell tells Carfection, “the cars which we actually use are 1980’s cars. They are impact-bumper cars. There’s thousands and thousands of them out there… in my eyes its not really sacrilege.”
The reason for a duck-tail RSR is simple. Cockell says of the purity of the shape, “its the shape of the ’73 car before it got ruined with the big impact bumpers.” With the flared wheel arches, it is also his favorite design. And to get there, each shell is stripped down and widened with steel panels. The total time invested into the build nears 1,000 hours.
Its worth noting that the RSR created by Rennsport is approximately $130,000. Sure, a lot of money, but for a hand-crafted vintage experience, its a value that can’t be beat. Especially because most of us would be hesitant to put a real-deal RSR out on the roads. One for fear of damage, and secondly because most are priced in an unattainable level for mere mortals.
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