Light and powerful, the RS 3.8 is among the most desirable of Porsche’s 964-era road machines.

While the wide-bodied 1993–1994 RS 3.8 resembled its sibling 964 Turbo, it is readily identifiable by its larger fixed bi-plane fiberglass rear wing with the ‘3.8’ logo embossed on its side plates.

Porsche claimed that its Type 964 platform, unveiled in January of 1989, was more than 85% new.

The 964 was a bit stubbier in appearance, with both its nose and tail sheathed in new, smooth thermoplastic bumper covers that hid its impact bumper systems.

While instantly recognizable as a 911, the 964 floor pan was designed to accommodate a new all-wheel-drive system developed for Porsche’s first supercar, the other-worldly Gruppe B – later known as the Type 959 and 961.

The 964 with this system would be called the Carrera 4, which was followed a few months later by the rear-drive Carrera 2.

It was this version upon which Porsche created its higher-performance and racing derivatives.

The first...