1997 Porsche 911 Cup 3.8 RSR: The Last Great Air-Cooled Factory Race Car

Explore the rare 1997 Porsche 911 Cup 3.8 RSR, one of only 45 built by Porsche Motorsport. Factory racer with documented history, available through RGB Motors.

1997 Porsche 911 Cup 3.8 RSR in Guards Red, front three-quarter view
1997 Porsche 911 Cup 3.8 RSR · The final air-cooled factory customer racer Photography · RGB Motors

When Porsche introduced the Type 993 in 1994, it marked the final evolution of the air-cooled 911, a platform refined through three decades of continuous motorsport development. The road-going Carrera brought a new multi-link rear suspension and greater chassis rigidity. Porsche Motorsport immediately recognised its potential for international GT competition.

The result was the 911 Cup 3.8 RSR.

Built at Weissach

Developed at Weissach and assembled by Porsche Motorsport, the RSR was not a modified road car. It was a purpose-built customer race car, incorporating technology proven in Carrera Cup, Supercup and endurance racing. Every component served one objective: winning races.

Power came from Porsche’s naturally aspirated 3.8-liter Type M64/75 flat-six, producing approximately 349 horsepower while retaining the durability required for long-distance competition. A close-ratio G50/30 six-speed gearbox, reinforced body shell, adjustable suspension and lightweight competition interior completed a package that proved highly effective in GT racing across Europe, North America and Japan.

Type M64/75 air-cooled flat-six in the 1997 Porsche 911 Cup 3.8 RSR
Type M64/75 3.8-liter flat-six · Approximately 349 horsepower

The 993 RSR matters because it is the final expression of Porsche’s air-cooled customer-racing philosophy: light, mechanical, durable and built for the driver.

Forty-five cars

Porsche Motorsport produced only 45 examples, 30 for 1997 and 15 for 1998. They were supplied to professional teams and experienced private entrants for competition at circuits and endurance events including Daytona, Sebring, Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring and Le Mans.

Today, the 993 Cup 3.8 RSR occupies a singular place in Porsche history. It is widely regarded as the last and most refined air-cooled customer race car produced by Porsche Motorsport before the water-cooled GT3 generation arrived.

For collectors, it represents the culmination of almost forty years of continuous air-cooled racing development, a chapter in Porsche history that will not be repeated.

RGB Motors currently represents a 1997 Porsche 911 Cup 3.8 RSR. View Ref N° 137 and its complete vehicle dossier.

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About the writer

Ralf G. Bahr · Founder · RGB Motors

Field notes, market analysis and occasional essays, written by RGB Motors. Each issue is published when there is something genuinely worth sharing.

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Founding philosophy

I couldn’t find the sports car of my dreams, so I built it myself.
— Attributed to

Ferry Porsche

Founder of Porsche AG · 1909–1998