Doug DeMuro Tests Verboten Banana 993 Porsche 911 Carrera RS
Stripped-down, performance-focused version of the 993 that was never sold in the U.S. is proof that less is more.
Whenever an exotic car manufacturer releases a high-performance version of one of their cars, the end result usually brings the expression “Less is more” to mind. Such focused machines usually have no carpeting, fewer features, and less weight than their more mainstream counterparts and more power and appeal to devoted customers of their respective brands. As Youtuber Doug DeMuro recently discovered on his channel More Doug DeMuro, the 993 Porsche 911 Carrera RS is one of those kinds of cars.
According to DeMuro, Porsche only produced about 1,000 RSs in the mid-1990s and none of them were sold in the U.S. That rarity only made them more desirable to stateside Porsche nuts. There’s more to the RS’s allure than just its production numbers, though. It’s from the 993 generation of Porsche’s signature sports car, meaning it’s one of the last air-cooled 911s. It’s also a predecessor to today’s GT3 and GT3 RS models, although, as DeMuro puts it, it’s “not quite as hardcore and angry” as its descendants.
That connection to Porsche’s modern high-performance 911s is clear once DeMuro starts examining the RS in his usual thorough fashion. There’s no carpeting in the frunk. Instead of hydraulic struts, the lid is held up by a manual prop rod. The spartan doors use lightweight fabric pulls as door handles. The narrow seats look straight out of a track car and the back seats look straight out of the RS – literally. There are no rear seats.
Like other highly focused cars, the RS has more power under its hood. Its 3.8-liter flat-six is larger and generates more horsepower (a total of 296) than the 3.6-liter engine found in regular 993s.
On the road, all of Porsche’s efforts to make the RS lighter and more athletic put a smile on DeMuro’s face. He recalls how much he enjoyed driving 993s in the past because they were so fun to drive and had great clutches and transmissions, and fantastic steering. “This car is that, just taken to the next level. It feels amazing to drive.”
There are more powerful 993s out there, but once again, with the RS, less is more. As DeMuro puts it, “I love the 993 Turbo, but you don’t need that much power to enjoy the car and, in fact, you can have a lot of enjoyment with a lot less power, as this car proves.” It doesn’t even need to. The smile on DeMuro’s face is proof enough.
Join the 6SpeedOnline forums today!
