Rarest Porsches Ever Made

Why We Picked It:

It's not hyperbole that the Porsche 964 911 Carrera RS 3.8 was stuffed to the gills with big-deal amenities. For instance, it had the wide-body look of the Type 964 Turbo, a massive rear spoiler, and three-piece "Speedline for Porsche" wheels with 235/40 and 285/35 tires, making it look noticeably more aggressive than the subdued Carrera RS of 1992 and capable of providing significantly more mechanical grip. Its 3.8-liter displacement air-cooled engine was larger than the one in the Carrera RS, allowing it to generate greater torque.

The 964 Carrera RS 3.8 was developed as a homologation base for the renowned 3.8 RSR, which dominated the international racing circuit. Only 55 were ever produced after its 1993 debut as an extreme version of the 964 Carrera RS from the previous year.

Porsche prioritized lightweight design in the RS 2.7 and RS 3.0 before it by taking many cues from the 964 Cup cars. For instance, we optimized the power-to-weight ratio by modifying the transmission's gearing. The 964 911 Carrera RS could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and have a top speed of 169 mph.

Why We Picked It:

The homologated (street version) of the Porsche 911 GT1, also known as the "Strassenversion," is one of the most ferocious and exclusive 911s ever made. This one-off GT1 is virtually identical to its fully race-prepared sibling, except for a more basic cabin.

The flat-six turbocharged engine of the GT1 is located behind the back axle. Instead of the usual 911 rear subframe, it uses chassis tubes and the six-speed transmission is mounted longitudinally behind the engine.

The GT1's chassis was derived from the 993's, but it included revised bodywork and a much beefier roll cage to protect the engine, transmission, and suspension. The GT1 was virtually perfect as a racing vehicle. Its distinguishing features were a carbon fiber fuselage, a wide wing, a cramped cockpit, and 600 horsepower.

Steel brakes replaced the carbon discs of the race vehicle, and the road-going version rode higher and had softer suspension than the Le Mans GT1s. The engine was only slightly detuned from the race version, and a complete interior included sport seats and an entire dashboard from the 993 line.

Why We Picked It:

The 964 C4 Liechtbau (lightweight), the most exclusive RS model, is also one of the series' top performers. The 964 Leichtbau incorporated unused components from the 953 Paris-Dakar effort. Porsche only made a small number of 911s with reduced weight. The 959's better all-wheel-drive technology would be installed into the 964 RS chassis for a limited run of only 22 vehicles.

Like the 964 RS, the 964 C4 Lightweight got its power from a flat-six engine, but its output increased to 300 horsepower. Porsche engineers could liberate more horsepower by removing the car's mufflers and catalytic converters. The powertrain of the 953 Paris-Dakar car has a Rally-style gearbox with two rotary knobs on the center console that allow the driver to adjust the torque distribution between the front and back axles.

This AWD setup was initially designed for racing and had a split of torque that the driver could change. The RS Lightweight partially gets its moniker from its relatively lightweight, at 1098 kg. The car's seam-welded tub and sliding panels on its fixed windows made it ready for the track. Once again, visible in front of the right rear wing is the external oil filler.

Why We Picked It:

Porsche never officially made a production 993 Speedster. In 1995, the company created a dark green 993 Speedster for Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche's 60th birthday. Jerry Seinfeld felt left out; he commissioned a silver 993 Speedster in 1998. However, it began life as a Targa or Cabriolet before being sent to Porsche Exclusive. Only two 993 Speedsters were ever made. The rarest among these models is the 911 Speedster. In fact, only two genuine units were made.

One was sold, and the other was given away but returned to the factory museum on loan. Today, it's of inestimable value. Based on a Carrera 2 Cabriolet, an extraordinary one-off model was produced: the green 993 Speedster from the 993 series. The specialists adopted the flat windscreen from the 964 in principle.

A Tiptronic transmission, a dark brown leather interior including RS seats, beautiful wood trim, and special storage compartments under the roof stowage compartment rounded off the masterpiece. F. A. is said to have been very pleased, even though he seldom drove this exclusive one-off model.

Why We Picked It:

There has never been anything quite like the Porsche 911 (993) Project Gold. In honor of Porsche's 70th anniversary, Porsche Classic created this one-off special edition vehicle in 2018, twenty years after the end of the 993 series. The car's foundation is the 911 Turbo from the 993 generation, but it boasts various innovations that set it apart.

The bright yellow hue of Project Gold is immediately eye-catching. "Golden Yellow Metallic" is the name of the gold paint used on the automobile. The exclusive gold finish of the Porsche 911 Turbo S served as inspiration for this color.

The heart of the Project Gold is a 450-horsepower, 3.6-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine. The vehicle can accelerate from zero to sixty miles per hour in 3.9 seconds thanks to this engine and its six-speed manual transmission.

Project Gold is an incredible vehicle and an instant classic. It's a great way to celebrate 70 years of Porsche and demonstrate the company's dedication to making top-tier sports vehicles.

Why We Picked It:

Porsche produced only two 914/8s. Both are rare examples of the 914 model still in Porsche's possession and on display at the Stuttgart museum. They were equipped with a 3.0L 908 engine with 300 horsepower and a 916 transmission but were never licensed for public use. This 914 was a prototype and test vehicle with several advanced features that did not make it into the final production models.

The 914-8 prototype supercar is one of the rarest Porsches because only two were ever made. The first was customized for Ferdinand Piëch and powered by a 350-horsepower Flat-8 racing engine. The second one was a 60th birthday present for Ferry Porsche. Ferry's 914-8 engine had been detuned such that it only produced 300 horsepower.

The 2,100-pound 914-8 was terrifying because of its 350-horsepower flat-8 racing engine. The 914-8 brought performance generally seen on the track to the road. This feature is now standard on most modern supercars, but back in 1969, it was revolutionary.

Why We Picked It:

1979 saw the beginning of Porsche's work on a 924 Turbo that would be used for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and would go on to compete in Group 4 of the Gran Turismo in 1980. The automobile manufacturer based in Stuttgart included a roll cage and a variety of reinforcements in the bodywork of the vehicle while also decreasing its overall weight by employing aluminum and fiberglass.

In addition to these features, the vehicle would be equipped with disc brakes from a 935, a new five-speed transmission, adjustable suspension, and a 380-hp inline 4-cylinder engine capable of reaching high speeds of 180 mph.

After the debut, Porsche decided to produce 924 GTRs for sale to the general public and returned to compete at Le Mans with a GTR and a GTP, both of which had a turbocharged engine displacing 2.5 liters. These cars were similar to those used in the race, except for a less powerful engine that produced 375 horsepower from a 2.0-liter turbocharged displacement. Between 17 and 19 Porsche 924 GTRs were produced.

Why We Picked It:

With the 3.3L engine, larger injectors, a larger KKK turbo, larger valves, larger camshafts, and tuned electronics, the Porsche 911 Turbo S was one of the fastest cars released in 1992. It was a street version of the cars competed in the International Motor Sports Association.

Porsche eliminated air conditioning, power windows and locks, rear seats, rear wiper blades, a radio, insulation, power steering, and backrests from the 964 Turbo S to make it more track-focused. Porsche lightened the 964 Turbo by 180 kilograms (kg) using Recaro rival seats, narrower side and rear windows, Carrera RS quarter doors, and carbon fiber reinforced plastic doors.

Two air intakes were installed on the rear fenders, and two more were installed in place of the fog lights up front. The larger brake calipers were painted red to match the wheels, and they were mounted on 18-inch Speedline wheels with three spokes. A front stabilizer bar was installed, and the suspension was lowered. The Turbo S, with a 3.3-liter engine, was produced in only 86 cars.

Why We Picked It:

In 1983, Porsche produced a stunning one-off road car for TAG owner Mansour Ojjeh. Based on a 934 chassis, it was designed to mimic the potent 935 racecars and subsequently became one of the first flat-nose Porsche.

The front and rear sections were similar to the potent 935 race car, which dominated the Group 5 SportsCar Championship. This silhouette series allowed radical modifications to the repositioned nose, ultra-wide flares, and extended rear bodywork. All of these were carried over to Mansour Ojjeh’s car. Porsche's brand-new Sonderwunsch division, responsible for creating the slant nose and adding other competition features to specially chosen 911 Turbos, did most of the work.

In 1982, the single-turbo Group B 911 Turbo was available, but for this special, the 3.3-liter engine was upgraded to 400 bhp, and an oil cooler was fitted in the nose. Eventually, the car was sent to Werk 1 and modified alongside Porsche’s factory race cars. Other unique features of this car include BBS center-locking wheels, an upgraded suspension, and a premium interior. Inside were a new roll cage, Recaro seats, deleted rear seats, storage boxes, and a stereo system.

Why We Picked It:

As the production of the Porsche 964 came to a close, the company produced a limited run of Turbo models designated as the 3.6 S. The '36S' bundle had regionally tailored body packages for the X88 'S' engine. The 3.6 Turbo S could go from 0-60 in 4.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 174 mph. Porsche has only produced 93 Turbo chassis. These were shipped to Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, meticulously crafted into the one-of-a-kind 964 Turbo 3.6 S.

While the "Flachbau" (flat nose) was a standard feature on most Turbo S models, it was an extra expense for some. There were 76 automobiles with a Flatnose and 17 with a different body style (called a "Package option"). The X88 package added an auxiliary oil cooler and boosted power to 380 hp for these vehicles.

A larger turbocharger (the K27 7006 turbocharger with greater boost), new camshafts, new cylinder heads, and revised valve timing all contributed to the increase in output. The package cars had an X92 front lip spoiler, an X93 rear spoiler, and optional X99 engine air inlets. The Flachbau was the last Porsche 911 that was entirely hand-built and limited to 75 units.