AR,

From what Ive read, it seems like it was a little more then "decals and a few less pounds"... Your right, the RSA wasn't exactly the ultimate race machine that Porsche was producing but it is exactly what Ive been looking for ... Thanks for the link, that website is great.. The cup car is very impressive, but it seems like the going rate for a cup car is around $65,000 which is out of my price range.. All the mods that were done to the RSA is exactly what I thought about doing to a TT so when I heard about the RSA I was totally blown away.. I could buy a C2, and (add the decals, change the suspension, install lightweight carpet, change the flywheel, remove the rear seats, build the rear seat storage compartment, add a fixed wing, get larger rims, remove the power steering, and replace the seats) but I know the C2 would end up costing more (plus I could have been at work while trying to build a fake car).. Will I mod the RSA? Probably not, because I want to leave the car the way Porsche built it, and I also wanna be able to say the car is stock 20 years from now at a car show..

John

 

Dear Bill,
Yes, a little bit,
Ciao,
Adrian

 

John,

I think you will be completely happy with an RSA. As far as being a "stickers only" car, I think thats just flat out wrong, while I do agree that it does not have all the euro RS components that would be nice, the updated chip, no cat, thin glass, alumninum hood etc... many of the things that make a euro RS the car it is keeps it from being importable for road use in the states.

In addition most of the cup cars I have seen are getting close to twice the cost of an RSA, and with only 45 built, most have become investors garage queens.

The Cup cars were returned to streetable cars in US trim, which in my mind negates the real purpose of the cars, racing. Don't get me wrong, they are very desirable cars, but a slightly modified RSA in autoX trim will run rings around it for far less cash, and still be a relativily rare ride.

Porsche owners figure out pretty quick what cars are desirable and which ones are just a marketing ploy. The prices of the cars reflect it. The fact that the cars are run consistently at club events and auto crosses speaks volumes for their capability.

Most of the peices that you would want to change on the car will get you as much or more than the euro RS performance: DME chip, (the euro/cup chip can be used but you must have 93 octane fuel), Dual mass flywheel- I am running a cup lightweight, lowering the car to euro specs is a standard for any sporting Porsche owner, I am running H&R springs, Monoball suspension with bilstein struts and factory camber strut. This combo is great on the track, fun on the street and not too hard to find in the used RSA market for a pretty reasonable price.

And as I stated before my 93 does have factory rolled rear fenders, seam welds and reinforced suspension pickups. (I have found this to be true of several other 93's as well, I will post picks next time I get the car up on a lift.)

Anyway good hunting, you'll enjoy the ride...

 

J,

Thanks .. Just wondering if you knew of any books written on the RSA only, or a book geared toward the 964?
John

 

I do agree to some extent. But given that the RSA are going for $40k plus putting a cup clutch, DME and exhaust and monoball cup suspension on the car pushes the cost of these car into the mid $50s and that is not without the weight savings. Add a transmission with steel synchros and limited slip, short shifter and turbo brakes on aluminum spindles and blue printed motor pushes the envelope even farther in terms of cost. There is no comparison between a stock RSA and a Cup Car. The stock RSA is mere 70lbs lighter than the C2. The cup cars save almost 200lbs of weight and thus improve the power to weight ratio. I looked long and hard at the RSA and the issue of making them highly competative as you mention costs as much as $20k plus the purchase of the car, thus narrowing the margin between the two. The restoration of these cars to street trim meant that the roll bars went away and a more docile DME went in. It is not a gimmick per se as much you describe. These are hand assembled by Porsche race cars and the way these cars run is very different than a built up car by putting on pieces to make them line item identical from say a C2 or an RSA. Something is lost in the translation. I agree that there are some garage queens out there but you can't blame people for that. These are rare. Would you make the same comments about the 1973 RS cars which were considerably more plentiful than Cup Cars and are the replicas of the RS better...in some cases yes and in some not. It is all a matter of perspective. I mere feel that the US Carrera Cup Cars/RS cars should have been the stock for the RSAs. It is just as unfortunate that we got the 996 and not the GT3...we get the spoiler package and the Euros get the real thing...both are nice but not the same...my 2cents.

 

I don't want to break any advertising rules here....but I have one in our showroom here in Florida now that is 1 of the 11 made its style.
The neat thing about it is it doesn't have a sunroof like the others but it does have A/C.
odd combination I thought. Neat car though. I havn't driven it yet but I understand it quite quick.
Cheers
Dayton