1993 Porsche 964 Carrera 3.8 RSR At Gooding & Company
Asking Price: £575,000
Chassis WP0ZZZ96ZPS496079
Engine 62P85578
One of 51 Built; One of Just 11 Delivered to North America
Rare and Desirable 964-Based Factory Racing 911
Campaigned in Period at Daytona, Sebring, and Road Atlanta
Impressive and Preserved Example of a Porsche Racing Legend
Technical Specs
3,746 CC SOHC Air-Cooled Flat 6-Cylinder Engine
Bosch Electronic Fuel Injection
325 HP at 6,900 RPM
5-Speed Manual Transaxle
4-Wheel Ventilated Disc Brakes
4-Wheel Independent Suspension with Coil Springs
A development of the Carrera RS introduced two years before, the 964 Carrera 3.8 RS was built to homologate the 3.8 RSR for international motor sports competition. The RS 3.8’s body was identifiable by flared wheel arches and a bi-plane rear wing embossed with 3.8 on its sides. The interior was stripped of many unnecessary items, while the front trunk and doors were replaced with aluminum pieces. A fully-adjustable suspension system with Bilstein dampers carried larger brakes and wide Speedline wheels. The capacity of the naturally aspirated engine was increased from 3.6 to 3.8 liters with output climbing to 300 hp at 6,500 rpm.
The more extreme RSR competition variant was set apart from the standard road model via an interior that contained the barest of racing essentials, a welded-in roll cage and a seam welded bodyshell. A pneumatic air jack system was made available for quicker pit stops. Matched to a five-speed gearbox, Porsche claimed 325 hp at 6,900 rpm for the dry- sump, single-ignition 3.8-liter M64/04 RSR-specific engine, however reviewers in period believed the official figures underrated.
The RSR would rack-up outstanding race results, winning overall at the Spa 24 Hours, Suzuka 1000 Km, and 24 Hours of Interlagos, while clinching class victory at Le Mans, Sebring, and a 1-4 class sweep at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Chassis 79 is one of 51 factory-built RSRs and one of only 11 supplied to North America. Ordered directly from racing legend and Porsche Motorsport coordinator Jürgen Barth during the September 1993 Porsche Parade in Cincinnati, Ohio, this RSR was delivered in November 1993 to renown privateer racer Jochen Rohr for the 1994 IMSA GT racing season. Finished in Grand Prix White, this RSR was configured with center-lock wheels, on-board jacking system, and “Le Mans” specification exhaust system as documented in the definitive book, Porsche 964 Carrera RS 3.8 by Jürgen Barth, Norbert Franz, and Robert Weber.
During testing for the February 1994 Daytona 24 Hours, this RSR sustained accident damage to the front-left corner. Repaired by March 1994 for Sebring, the RSR notched an impressive 3rd in Class and 8th Overall. Other highlights for Rohr racing include a 2nd in Class and 11th Overall at the April 1994 Road Atlanta and 3rd in Class and 11th Overall at the June 1994 Watkins Glen 3 Hour. The RSR’s last race with Rohr was at the February 1995 Daytona 24 Hours, finishing 5th in Class and 11th Overall.
The RSR was subsequently sold to collector and fellow privateer racer Charles Coker of Bluffton, South Carolina. Campaigning under the Hendricks Porsche banner for the 1995 and 1996 IMSA GT racing seasons, the RSR achieved 3rd in Class and 3rd Overall at the April 1996 Road Atlanta 40 Minutes and 2nd in Class and 9th Overall at the May 1996 Texas 500 Miles. Alex Job Racing would run the car for the 1997 season. From 1999 until the end of 2000, the RSR was used by Fordahl Motorsports in the ALMS sportscar championship. All in all, between 1994 and 2000, this car competed in 34 sanctioned North American races.
Resplendent in its 1994 Rohr Corporation livery, this RSR has been well maintained under current ownership and conveys with extensive documentation and a spares package. In 2017, this car was road converted and UK road registered by specialist BS Motorsport in Wiltshire, England. The work performed included installing a handbrake, fitting indicator lamps, and mounting a passenger seat and seatbelts. Notwithstanding some signs of use from its racing career, chassis 79 appears today as a well-preserved and original example. According to experienced UK-based Porsche specialist Andy Prill, in a February 2020 inspection report on file, the Porsche appears to retain the majority of its original body panels and core systems including its engine and is in good working order
overall.
Having enjoyed a fruitful competition career that included two finishes at the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona, this factory-built 964 3.8 RSR must be amongst the most significant privateer-campaigned Porsche racers of the era. With some sympathetic recommissioning, this RSR would represent a highly attractive and competitive entry for its next owner at any number of historic racing or concours events worldwide.
Text and image courtesy of goodings
