One of the most significant and sought-after air-cooled 911s ever produced, the RS 2.7 was the first of the line to feature the “Carrera” moniker.

The name honoured Porsche’s success at the Carrera Panamericana rally of the early 1950s, while this was also the first 911 to wear the now-famous “RS” designation, which stands for “Rennsport”—or “motor racing”—in German.

Aptly named, the Carrera RS 2.7 stemmed from Porsche’s efforts in the early 1970s to create a 911 for FIA Group 4 competition, which required 500 road-going examples for homologation.

As such, the Carrera RS 2.7 blurred the lines between road car and race car, establishing a revered legacy for the 911 that endures to this day.

To create the RS 2.7, Porsche increased displacement of the 2.4-litre, flat-six engine from the 911 S to 2.7 litres, added Bosch mechanical fuel-injection, and lined the cylinders with low-friction Nikasil.

Output was a claimed at 210 brake horsepower and 188 ft lb of torque, while stiffer suspe...