Porsche’s 964 RS Remains Best Of Air Cooled Era
The 964 RS wasn’t winning over hearts and minds when it was new, so what changed?
Thinking about the 964 RS as being a poor choice of car seems a bit daft these days. But that’s absolutely true if you were to rewind all the way back to the early 90’s. Harry Metcalfe re-visited this one, and an old magazine that covered it back in the day. “The ride is appalling, the suspension so uncompromisingly hard it jars your stomach, rocks your head.” Well then.
It might be a true and fair point though. At the time, a Porsche Carrera 2 was rated for only a few less horsepower. But more importantly the C2 would have been tens of thousands cheaper. And arguably nicer. Sure, the RS was lighter, but that was accomplished the old way. No air conditioning, thinner glass, aluminum panels, magnesium wheels, harder seats, no radio, manual mirrors, etc. So all of the comfort is taken away in order to purchase speed.
Speed is exactly what it does deliver, though. Metcalfe notes the throttle is razor sharp, with even the smallest prod of the pedal. And the tach backs that up. Ties into the fact that the car weighs about 2,600 lbs – quite light by today’s standards, and you have an incredible experience. Sure the ride is crashy, but when you have an engine that’s in a happy spot above 4,000 RPM, well as Metcalfe says, “it feels exciting, and the soundtrack only enhances it.”
But at the end of the day, it’s a car based on the Carrera Cup race car. And that puts it as a direct contrast to today’s RS models. While the newest ones follow the same principals, something like the GT3 RS is much more user friendly, more comfortable, and can blow cold air at your face if you want them to. Factually too, the GT3 RS is much faster. It’s more car. But you’ll find GT3 RS owners who’d yearn for a 964 RS.
All you have to give up is an exciting remind-you-what-you’re-in ride, a thrilling gear change, and the tactile directness of a non-power assisted steering rack. In essence, you just have to give up a little bit of soul.
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