Porsche 911 GT3 RS Tribute to Carrera RS Package, honoring the famous car of 1972

Shortly after the online debut of the 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Porsche unveiled a retro version that pays homage to the classic model.

Unveiled at The Quail, a motorsports gathering during Monterey Car Week, the customized show car is a tribute to the 1972 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, and the U.S.-only Tribute to Carrera RS package It will be used as a template, Porsche announced in a press release Friday.

The Carrera RS 2.7 is designed as a racing homologation special, with a more powerful engine, an emphasis on weight reduction, and aerodynamic elements such as the signature ducktail spoiler. In other words, it is the ancestor of the modern 911 GT3 RS. This new package celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 911 GT3 RS.

The 911 GT3 RS tribute car wears a white and python green livery, a reference to one of the color combinations available on the Carrera RS at the time. This theme continues with the paison green wheels with white pinstripes, custom taillights, and side plates on the rear wing painted white with the RS logo in paison green. At the front, the headlights have white pinstripe rings, while the interior features the same white contrast stitching and trim panels as the exterior, and a paison-green painted roll cage.

The 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS follows the RS template by offering more downforce, more power, and less weight than the standard 911 GT3. Motorsports-inspired aerodynamic elements, including a drag reduction system (DRS), generate 900 pounds of downforce at 124 mph and 1,895 pounds at 177 mph, Porsche claims.The GT3's 4.0 liter flat-six engine produces 518 hp and a maximum rpm of 9,000 rpm.

Pricing and availability information for the Tribute to Carrera RS package is not yet available, as the project is still in its early stages. However, we do know that it will be handled by the personalization department of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, which will launch a North American-only 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet America Edition for the 2023 model year.