Porsche 911 R Coupe - 1967
Car scale model kit in 1/24 scale manufactured by Fujimi (ref. FJ127033, also 4968728127033, 12703 and RS-121)

The 1967 Porsche 911 R was the lightest 911 of all time, and it also served to lay the foundation for its sporting success. The Porsche 911 had made its racing debut shortly after the start of production in 1965, contesting the Monte Carlo Rally. Later, with a sports version of the 160 hp Porsche 911 S, a class victory was achieved at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, to which must be added the victory in the European Rally Championship. For all these reasons, for the brand the development of new, even more powerful versions suitable for competition was a high priority.

But there was also the option of reducing weight, as the coachbuilder from Baur did in collaboration with the Porsche racing department starting with the S version of the 911. The bonnet, doors, fenders and wings were replaced fiberglass elements, while the windows became Plexiglas. In addition, the lower part of the body and many other metal parts were simply punched with holes, while in the passenger compartment the equipment was reduced to a minimum, removing the heating system, rear seats, upholstery, and even eliminating sound insulation. The diet had really paid off: instead of the approx. 1.030 kg of a standard Porsche 911 S, the modified 911 weighed only 800 kg! The Porsche 911 R was born, which to this day is still considered the lightest 911 of all time.

And if the weight reduction hadn't been enough to improve the cornering of the 911, the 911 R was fitted with wider tires and the rear track width was increased... it was the first time the 911 had mounted wheels with different depth between the front and the rear: 6 inches in front and 7 in back.

The engine chosen for the 911 R was the 210 PS aluminum six-cylinder, which was also used in the Porsche 906 and 910 racing cars. It used two triple-barrel Weber 46 carburettors, and was fitted with the Marelli dual ignition

One of the first racing drivers to test drive the new Porsche 911 R was Mille Miglia and Targa Florio winner Huschke von Hanstein. He liked the car so much that he, together with Porsche racing manager Ferdinand Piech, lobbied for Porsche to build the 500 units needed to get homologation for GT racing. But Porsche's sales department was less optimistic and believed that all 500 units could be sold, so production of the 911 R was discontinued after only 19 examples.

We will never know if all 500 would have been sold, but what was beyond doubt was the potential of the car. In October 1967, a team made up of several Swiss drivers, including Jo Siffert, traveled to Monza with the aim of breaking the high-speed world records set by Ford and Toyota, for which they had a powerful Porsche 906. But the car was not adapted to the rough Italian track, and to make matters worse the suspension ended up damaged. They needed a replacement car, and this was a Porsche 911 R… and with it, Jo Siffert set five new world endurance records, including the distance of 20.000 kilometres.

And this was not the only success of the 911 R. When in 1969 the Tour de France Automobile allowed the participation of prototypes, Gérard Larrousse prevailed with the 911 R, repeating the feat shortly after in the Tour de Corse with the same car.

However, the energy spent on the 911R project was not completely wasted. Porsche expanded the range of homologated components in the FIA homologation documents with many of the equipment developed for the 911R, such as its racing gearbox, widened wheel arches, stiffer suspension, wider wheels, oil cooling system... that explains why there are later variants of the Porsche 911 that combine several letters, the final one being R, like the 911 T/R, since they mounted elements of the 911 developed in the lightest 911 in history.