They really don't make them like they used to.
Porsches like the 2014 911 Turbo S have gotten faster and more sophisticated than the 1974 911 Carrera RSR, but none of them sound quite as good. Just listen to this example battle its way from the back of the pack to first place--all while in blinding rain--in a classics race at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
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A mechanical failure during qualifying forced appropriately-named driver Jim Pace to start from pit lane. He went on to win the race despite less-than-ideal conditions.
Pace's job may have been harder than usual, but it makes for quite a spectacle.
There's some pretty gutsy driving on display. At one point, Bell passes two other cars while apparently hydroplaning, with visibility reduced by a fogged windshield. Pace even has to employ a technique known as the "Mississippi Windshield Wiper"--wiping the glass with his hand--just to see where he's going.
The 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR was a factory racer designed for European GT racing. In stock form, it's 3.0-liter flat six produces 330 horsepower, enough to get the 1,980-pound RSR from 0 to 62 mph in 5.4 seconds, to 125 mph in 21.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 155 mph.
According to Jim Pace Motorsports, this particular car won its class at Le Mans in 1975.
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