Petrolhead or no petrolhead, you simply can’t say no to a video of a 1979 Porsche 911 Carrera RS ripping through a picturesque rally stage that runs through a lot of farmland and forest areas in Germany. And you might be surprised, but the lightweight sports car can hold its own in front of more modern, turbocharged AWD cars.
Although it’s not off-road kitted to the nines like the $375,000 Porsche 911 Carrera Safari, this 911 Carrera RS driven by Andreas Dahms during the Visselhoveder Herbstrallye is certainly no pushover. We’re loving it even more because the video is a perfect example of how much fun you can have by driving (or hooning, for that matter) a car that’s not necessarily oozing waves of horsepower but instead uses its low weight and crisp handling to thrill the driver - and finish the rally stage in a respectable fourth place, despite going head to head with turbo’ed Mitsubishi Lancers, Impreza WRXs, Ford Fiesta STs, and Honda Civic Type-Rs.
Come to think of it; this is the best way to illustrate the legacy Porsche created with the 911 Carrera RS. Coined in 1973, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS (RS means Rennsport, which is German for “race sport”) had to meet motorsport homologation requirements.
Porsche went for the ducktail in order to reduce the rear-end lift generated by the car’s recessed rear window. The Carrera RS tipped the scales at 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms) which, coupled with the tweaked aerodynamics, made it a blast to maneuver on twisty roads.
Again, the sports car’s behavior as the driver pushes it hard is absolutely flawless (that’s due to the driver’s skills as well, of course) and yet another reminder of why the 911 Carrera RS is still considered by many - gearheads and auction houses alike - as the quintessential driver’s 911. That being said, head above to watch 20 minutes of pure racing bliss. You’ll thank us later.