1993 964 RS is a fantastic road-burner

The Porsche 911 Carrera 2 964RS is not only very rare, but it's a driver's car par excellence, writes John Tipler. But, tempting proposition as it might be, I wondered if it's just too extreme to qualify as an everyday car in the way that the regular 964 does. To find out, I called on RS specialist MCP Motorsport up on the north Norfolk coast.
During the summer the area around the sleepy seaside town of Sheringham is justifiably known as Poppyland. But in the winter it can provide a rain-drenched, wave-lashed scenario to rival any port in a storm you care to think of. Surveying the drenched promenade and deserted beaches last December from the premises of MCP Motorsport one could perhaps be forgiven for wondering why anyone would venture to this (admittedly picturesque) outpost of East Anglia to buy a car.
The thing is, though, that MCP doesn't sell just any old cars. In fact, it specialises in that most exotic of late-model Porsches, the 964 Carrera RS. Proprietor Martin Pearse justifies his off-the-beaten-track location. 'Naturally, I've thought about - and been offered - premises in the Midlands,' he explains. 'But this is where I happen to live, and if someone wants a 964 RS or similar exotic Porsche, then they're usually prepared to travel to find it.'
His cars are sourced abroad, mainly from Germany, so they're all left-hookers. 'Right-hand-drive cars are overpriced,' claims Pearse. 'And once a car gets to a certain age, there's a far wider market for a left-hand-driver than a right-hand-drive one. I cater for a niche market, and I sell to people who like the kind of cars that I specialise in.'
Among the feast of exotica he has on offer are an immaculate mint-green 964 RS, a custard-yellow 964 RS, even a 400bhp 935 Euro II by DP Motorsport and, a little more down to earth, a fabulous Maritime Blue 240bhp 968 Club Sport.
But it was the white 964 RS that caught my eye, partly because that was the unassuming colour the works racers were painted in the 1960s, and also because - at £27.000 - it's rather less money than the other RS examples.
That said, you have to take an RS for only a short outing to appreciate the hard edge of these Spartan cars compared with the cosseting cosiness of regular 964s. There are no electric windows, sunroof or alarm, and the wiring loom for all these are absent. Rather than normal interior door levers you get red canvas-type 'pulls', and the rear seats are replaced with carpeted hollows with woven 'RS' logos.
The side-window glass is thinner, while wind-up windows mean that at least you don't have the bother of iffy motors that seem to seize up with age. Accommodation consists of a pair of lightweight Recaro racing-style seats with only fore-and-aft movement, and there's no sound deadening to speak of. The body shells are seam-welded, with rolled wheelarches that can accommodate larger wheels than standard, and there's no underbody sealant.
All this missing kit results in a car that tips the scales at just 1230kg. The quoted power output for the rechipped 3.6-litre engine is 264bhp at 6100rpm, although Pearse believes that there is some variation from car to car, and most are more powerful than the factory specification. He suggests that this example is producing around 270bhp.
This 1993 example has done 69,000km (43,000 miles), having been imported from Hong Kong in 2000, where it was originally supplied by the factory to Porsche main dealer Jepson of Kowloon. It was brought to the UK by a London dealer, which then approached Pearse. His mechanics gave it a clean bill of health and, once a couple of tyres and an exhaust pipe had been replaced, it got its MoT. The service book is fully stamped, but there are no invoices to substantiate any work done.
On the face of it, then, a straight, good-looking example of the beast, and it drives perfectly well over the undulating bends and cambers of the north Norfolk coast road. In motion the thing comes alive, and one is always acutely aware of the guttural exhaust and the mechanical cacophony from the back end, and the more nervous feel of the nailed- down suspension and steering, which between them register every bump and nuance of the surface. A notable experience, in fact, and presumably fantastic on a race circuit. But I was still left wondering if I could live with it on an everyday basis.
Indeed, whether you want a 964 Carrera RS rather depends on how much you covet the competition image, and how often you plan to attend trackdays. Perfect for a blast around the Nordschleife, then. But quite tiring to drive there, and no possibility of taking the kids. There's the rarity angle, though, which is always a turn-on. Porsche made just 2051 units in 1992-93, in Sport, Carrera Cup (competition) and softer Touring guise, plus 816 units of the less austere RS America version.

Fact File
Model: 964-model 911 Carrera 2 RS
Year: 1993
Mileage: 69.000km (about 43.000 miles)
Price: £27.995
Background: Ostensibly a one owner car, imported from Hong Kong, apparently mechanically and bodily perfect. Being sold by a committed RS specialist.

Where is it?
The car is being sold by:
MCP Motorsport of Sheringham, Norfolk.
Tel: 01263 822481: mobile: 07957 856281;
e-mail: [email protected];
website: www.mcpmotorsport.com