For a car whose fate was anything but certain at the outset, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 has been more than vindicated. A runaway success commercially and competitively, this groundbreaking variant of the 911 would unwittingly form the very bedrock of Porsche’s engineering and corporate strategy since debuting in 1973 during a period of internal upheaval as the German automaker restructured its production and motorsports programs. Indeed, the close kinship between Porsche’s roadgoing and competition models—now a Porsche hallmark—is largely thanks to the 911 RS 2.7, which was developed in the early 1970s for Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile Group 4 competition, which required 500 streel-legal examples for homologation.

Hard to fathom given the RS 2.7’s present popularity, Porsche marketing execs had little faith at the time that the company could sell more than 80 examples to private racers. “Considering the extremely spartan equipment necessitated by weight requirements, and having seen and driven the car, we do not believe that we can effectively market the car under normal circumstances,” wrote the marketing department to then engineering director Ernst Fuhrmann, as quoted in the book Carrera RS.

How wrong they were. Debuting at the 1972 Paris Motor Show as the first 911 to feature the “Carrera” moniker, brisk demand for the RS 2.7 drove Porsche to produce more than three times the homologation requirement, with 1,580 units built for the 1973 model year. Of these, approximately 200 were specified with an M471 Lightweight specification, which jettisoned what existing “spartan equipment” there was on the interior and fitted thinner body panels and glass to reduce weight and increase performance. A less extreme M472 Touring version, as seen on the example here, retained a hint of civility while compromising little in terms of performance.

Understood to have been delivered new to Italy in June 1973, this Touring specification RS 2.7 was finished from the factory in Tangerine (code 2323) over Black Leatherette interior with corduroy seat inserts. Notably this Porsche was completed as part of the final batch of 100 cars, of which some were fitted with a more robust sand-cast “Silumin” aluminum alloy engine crankcase in place of the previous magnesium—notably making them rarer even than the RS 2.7 Lightweights, and particularly sought-after by knowledgeable collectors today. This changeover evolution marked a pivotal moment in Porsche history: These aluminum cases were a key ingredient in solving the durability issues for endurance racing, helping further the success of subsequent RSR models, not only making the handful of RS models that received these motors extremely rare, but even more reliable as well.

Acquired by the consignor in 2013, it is now offered from an extensive collection of important Porsches. Fully restored, and retaining its numbers-matching engine and fitted with a correct-type gearbox (number 7830430), it has been carefully maintained within the consignor’s care to ensure correct operation and optimal presentation.

It is for good reason that the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 has always attracted a dedicated group of enthusiasts that grows stronger with each passing year. This rare Touring-specification example, from the final batch of 100 cars, would be ideal for rallies, vintage racing, or augmenting a collection with one of the most desirable and impactful Porsche 911 models ever produced.