Daily Slideshow: Top 5 Lightest Porsche Models Ever Made
Keeping things as light as possible has been part of Porsche's DNA since day one. But these are the five lightest cars they've ever built.
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Since the very beginning, building lightweight cars has been a big part of Porsche's DNA. While many other manufacturers in the '50s were concerned with making more power, Porsche competed at the track by improving both handling and overall performance by keeping things simple and light. Over the years, they've built some amazing featherweight models for both road and track. But none were lighter than these five.
5. 911 Carrera RS 2.7
The ducktail spoiler equipped Carrera RS 2.7 arguably sits atop the legendary 911 heap, and one of the biggest reasons is its status as a featherweight. The RS Sport was actually 220 pounds lighter than the RS Touring, tipping the scales at a mere 2,149 pounds. Porsche shaved off those additional pounds by merely adding Recaro buckets up front and removing the rear seat, passenger sun shield, clock, door arms, and trays. Add in a 210 hp air-cooled flat-six, and the RS Sport is still quite the performer today.
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4. 906 Carrera 6
Interestingly enough, the 906 Carrera 6 was originally designed as a high-speed camera car for motorsport. For this reason, Porsche worked hard to keep it as light as possible. The car's body is made of fiberglass, with the 2.0-liter engine mounted mid-ship. A steel grid serves as the oil delivery system, but also allows for folding doors. Sans the driver, this all served to give the 906 Carrera 6 a dry weight of only 1,488 pounds.
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3. Porsche 356 SL
The Porsche 356 SL, or "Sport Light," was the first Porsche to win its class at Le Mans back in 1951. Building a coupe version of the 356 Roadster prototype was the logical next step for Porsche in the late '40s, and the result was a featherweight racer with a distinctly styled aluminum body. And with only 1,410 pounds to move around, it was also a monster on the track.
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2. 718 Formula 2
Standing only 35 inches tall, the 718 Formula 2 didn't exactly have an imposing presence. But it did go on to enjoy unprecedented success on the track, thanks in large part to its 1,005-pound dry weight. It was quite simply the perfect recipe of size, weight, and girth, giving Porsche drivers an "unfair" advantage over the competition.
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1. 909 Bergspyder
It's almost cliche to say that automakers seek out ways to make everything as light as possible on particular models. But in the case of the 909 Bergspyder, that mantra couldn't possibly be truer. The outer shell was made of thin plastic, the frame from aluminum. Even the brake discs were fashioned from the rather rare element known as Berillium. With a 2.0-liter engine producing 275 HP and a dry weight of only 846 pounds, it was unsurprisingly a monster at hill climb events.
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