Well it is a hell of a car to start with let me tell you that much. It’s right between the appraised 964, and the beginning of a new era or the rebirth of Porsche if you will with the infamous 996 (which we will speak about at a later stage).
I drove this car on a few occasions. A few shootings, film-making and a rally. A lot of mountains and empty roads. Tight corners. Everything you need to correctly examine a car’s behavior, risks, flaws or surprises.
To begin with, I was not a big fan of the 993 shape, let’s start with that. It is close to the 996 which strangely I am starting to like because I do believe it will be the next target of collectionneurs. Nonetheless, the nose of the 993 was very modern in a way compared to my all time love, the 964. Today, I love the 993 all the same, and perhaps it is because it got to my heart with its exciting personality. I’ll go ahead and say it loud and clear right now, you can quote me:
“ The Porsche 993 Carerra RS, is the single best “driver’s” car i’ve even driven.”
Sacha, you might ask, why such a strong statement. Well, to answer that I’ll firstly answer what a driver’s car is in my opinion. It is a car you love and adore on the road. A car that you drive with your guts. IT does not have to be of extreme value (Although in this case it is but that’s not the point). It is a car you love most when you are behind the wheel, period.
The interior is still, “ from that era”. Minimalist, but everything is where it needs to be. Bucket seats have you comfortably held, soundproofing is reduced to a minimum and racing doors.
There are two aspects of this car and make it particularly fun to drive. It’s steering and the gearbox. In tight turns, the chassis is very incisive and precise. Take from that what you want, but vintage Prosches weren’t all extremely incisive, which don’t get me wrong sometimes added to the fun. But here, the car is just where you want it to be. It is an RS after all, it used a front and rear anti roll bar, a lower ride height and Bilstein dampers. Not to mention the reduced weight to 1,280kg. Pure joy.
The gears go in place in a very mechanical manner. It is actually hard to describe with words, but imagine explaining in person and just saying “clack!”. In fact the 6-speed G50/31 gearbox had a modified short shifter and a shorter gear ratio on the first 3 gears. A recipe for augmented excitement and feeling of power.
Now I’ll explain why I think this is the best driver’s car. It is somehow between two worlds. It is not really made for the track, and isn’t your normal commuter. That is why it is so amazing. It keeps the edge on regular roads,meaning you will be “using” the potential of the car and perhaps, even test your own limits. With this car you can go up a mountain road, get in 4th, 5th gear and still not feel like a criminal. You have to work for fun. You have to up.shift, down shift, brake properly even heel-n-toe to feel pure driving nirvana.
Modern cars despite all the love I have for them, reach the top too quickly without making any cheeky references. It is the moment that matters and being over 120km/h in 2 gear with a modern carrera 4s as amazing as this might make me feel a little useless.
The 993 Carrera RS, is a strong lady, with values and a family history of strong and heroic relatives and she’ll tell you.Next time you see one, hear one, drive one. Tell me what you think.
Sacha /
