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Uniting an early 1973 Porsche 911 RS 2.7 with a 2006 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 997.1

Separated by thirty-three years, this 911 Carrera RS 2.7 and first-generation 911 GT3 RS 997 share Porsche’s crucial ‘road racer’ DNA...

Editor's comment
FRUIT OF THE ZOOM
Porsche released the now legendary 911 Carrera RS 2.7 in readiness for the 1973 model year. Fifty years on, we can look back at a strong suite of road-legal, race-inspired 911s able to trace their DNA back to the ducktailed homologation special. Today’s Rennsports, however, have become somewhat burdened by size, weight and a wealth of electronic driver aids, all of which are dictated by modern safety standards, a result of engine output increasing exponentially. Not so with the first-generation 997 GT3 RS, which expertly straddles the analogue and digital eras of Porsche production. With this in mind, we brought together one of the first five hundred Carrera RS 2.7s (build number 433, in fact) and a super-low mileage 997 GT3 RS. You might think comparing 911s separated by more than three decades is a tough call, but these zesty coupes have more in common than one might consider at first glance. This features a pretty even split of retro and modern Porsches — not only do we spend quality time (both on- and off-road) with the new 992 Dakar, we return to New England to check out the trio of air-cooled classics owned by Def Leppard guitarist, Vivian Campbell. Enjoy the article.
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In July 1973, the British car industry’s woes were just beginning. But were unions or American management at fault?

On the cover of CAR’s July 1973 issue the tabloid-style headline screamed ‘Whose Spanner In Whose Works?’ The story of the British car industry’s woes in the Seventies is wellknown in retrospect, with unrealistic trade union demands and corner-cutting management generally blamed. But this article brings in an international angle that’s rarely discussed. ‘British Leyland’s much vaunted money injection last spring may have come too late,’ wrote Clive Ranger. ‘In 1971 they invested only £48 million against £130 million for Fiat and £124 million for VW. No wonder foreign competitors in the British market have become a cause for concern.’

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1973 Porsche 911 S/ST - a racer specially civilised for the road

This 911S once pounded America’s road courses. Now it begins a new life as a road-legal homage to Porsche’s racing all-rounder, the 911 ST.

Editor's comment
Things don't get much better than getting up early and spending the day hammering a high-revving 911 along empty Devon roads. It's a visceral experience that leaves your ears ringing, your pulse racing and the biggest smile on your face this side of Christmas morning. Life is good.' Porsche 911 S/ST.
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1973 Gilbern Invader MkIV prototype

By 1973, Gilbern had graduated from kit cars and was eying promising new markets with a big new coupé. Fate had other ideas – but today we drive the sole Invader MkIV prototype.

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1973, the Belgian Gendarmerie became Porsche’s third police customer

Between the late 1950s and the end of aircooling, the German and Dutch police forces ran Porsche fleets of several hundred cars. In 1973, the Belgian Gendarmerie became Porsche’s third police customer. The Gendarmerie operated as a civilian police force under a military command structure. Among its responsibilities was road policing. By 1970, Belgium had a motorway network that not only facilitated traffic flow, but criminal activity as well.

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1973 BMW 3.0 CSL with Racing Kit E9

The Original… and best? The E9CSL is undoubtedly one of BMW’s finest creations and a direct result of the company’s desire to win on track.

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1973 BMW 3.0CS Automatic E9

When Jack Reason fell in love with the BMW E9 he put himself on course to undertake a colossal restoration project. As you can see, it was well worth it...

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1973 De Tomaso Pantera GTS

Earls Court, 1973: a supercar with Italian panache, American throb and Argentinian parentage is foisted upon an unsuspecting British public. Today we drive the British Motor Show De Tomaso Pantera GTS.

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1973 Citroën DS23 Pallas Semi-Automatic

The Citroën DS seemed like a spaceship when it was launched nearly seven decades ago – how does it stack up today?

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Modified classic 1973 BMW 2002 E10

When contributor, Rob Richardson, set out to build a period correct 2002 “cafe racer” we had to come along for the ride. Now ‘our’ project reaches a milestone – its full feature in BMW Car!

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1973 Triumph Dolomite Sprint

By the Seventies the sports saloon had really come of age. Ford showed that, because of motor sport success, it could sell ship-loads of Escorts. Other makers wanted a slice of the action – Triumph chief among them, with the Dolomite deemed an ideal base for something fruity. Led by Rover’s Spen King, the Triumph Dolomite Sprint engineers won a Design Council award for the new model’s innovative single-cam, 16-valve cylinder head – and British Leyland advertising literature of the time incorporated one of the best puns of the era, ‘The award has gone to our head’.

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The 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7’s ducktail may have become a style icon

The Carrera RS 2.7’s ducktail may have become a style icon, but it was the start of Porsche’s focus on aerodynamics for both its race and road cars. Fifty years on, it’s also a feature of the manufacturer’s very latest products...

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Gorgeous air-ride 1973 BMW 520 E12

It may glister like gold, but this E12 is, in fact, Amazonite green. And that’s not the only secret it’s hiding…

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1973 Mercedes-Benz 250 W114 vs. 1971 Jaguar XJ6 2.8 Automatic Series 1

If you were an executive in the late Sixties and early Seventies, there was only two choices of car – the Spartan Mercedes-Benz W114 or the prestigious Jaguar XJ6. With both cars worth similar values today, how do the 2.8-litre versions of both compare now?

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