Louder, lighter, barer and a little faster than the Carrera 2, is a pretty good description of the Porsche RS America which was produced in 1991, 1992 and 1993. In 1991 Porsche released the RS America into the USA market in hopes to answer a demand from enthusiasts yearning for the RS available in Europe at that time.

The RS of Europe was virtually a race car for the weekend warrior. Unfortunately the Porsche RS America fell short of its European cousin because for US laws regulating the release of new cars into the USA market. For a car to be approved for the roads in United States they are required to be crash tested and pass strict emissions (among many other things), so what makes the RS of Europe truly great could not be fully adopted by the RS America.

The RS America is essentially a lighter version of the Porsche Carrera 2. The RS America did come stock with a stiffer suspension and an upgraded set of wheels (which where both options for the Carrera 2 and 4) and the brakes are from the stock Carrera. The appearance inside and out is slightly altered. The Porsche RS America came standard with a fix mounted whale tale and an aluminum hood. The interior boasts 2 Recaro seats, removed rear seats, less sound dampening, pull strap inside door handles and thinner side glass. The modifications to the Porsche RS America lightened it by about 80 lbs and lowered the original sticker by about $10,000 (less than the Carrera 2). Their where only 4 options available on the Porsche RS America; Limited Slip Differential, Air Conditioning, Radio and a Sunroof.

The Porsche RS America has a 3.6 liter air cooled flat 6 cylinder engine that powered the Carrera 2 and 4. With 247 hp and 228 lbs of torque the Porsche RS America goes 0 to 60 in about 5.4 seconds (factory).

To many enthusiasts, this special edition brought Porsche back to a more functional time. Due to its limited production numbers, the Porsche RS America is rather rare and typically demands a price accordingly.

For more information on the 1991, 1992 and 1993 Porsche RS America please visit RSAmerica.net (Porsche RS America Registry)

See also the new 2007 Porsche GT3 RS