The 1973 Carrera RS 2.7 established a visual language — ducktail spoiler, front spoiler, side lettering and coloured wheels — that Porsche has been quoting for fifty years. This 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (996) came into Sauri Classics to receive that language, applied with intent to a modern body. First, though, it had to go through a rebuild that touched every one of its systems.
Starting point
The approach was never cosmetic. The car went up on the lift and was stripped until the rear end was completely open: engine, transmission and exhaust lines came out of the bay to be worked on outside the car, and the running gear was taken fully apart.
Drivetrain
The 3.4 flat-six and the Tiptronic transmission were overhauled and reconditioned on the bench, component by component, before going back into the bay. The goal was the same as in any rebuild at this workshop: the mechanicals should never be what limits the car.
Running gear
The suspension was renewed with Bilstein units, which give a firmer feel without compromising road use. The braking system was completely overhauled and fitted with braided lines, eliminating the expansion of rubber hoses and returning a firmer, more consistent pedal under hard braking.
Body and colour scheme
The Carrera RS look was built onto the 996 line: a ducktail rear spoiler and a specific front spoiler, the two pieces that define the seventies RS silhouette. From there, the colour scheme was taken all the way.
The white body carries Carrera lettering in red along both flanks, accompanied by a lower stripe running the full length of the car. The wheels were removed, masked and sprayed in the same red in-house, closing the scheme from below. White and red work here as a single thread: exterior, wheels and interior all answer to the same decision.
Interior
The interior was rebuilt from the inside out. The dashboard was completely removed and the instrument cluster opened up and reconditioned piece by piece before being refitted.
The upholstery combines black leather on backrests and bolsters with centre panels in Scottish tartan cloth in black, grey and red — the detail that defines this car visually more than any other. The steering wheel was finished in Alcantara and the gear knob in red. Connectivity was integrated with a Porsche PCCM Plus, Porsche Classic's official head unit, which adds a touchscreen, navigation and Apple CarPlay without altering the look of the dashboard.
Result
A fully rebuilt 996 with an identity of its own that owes nothing to the badge. 200 km since the rebuild: drivetrain, running gear, body, interior and electrics all addressed in the same pass.
