What: 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8
Color: Porsche Paint to Sample Riviera Blue (rivierablau; non-metallic Uni; S8 / L39E; Porsche)
VIN: WP0ZZZ99ZTS390261
Mileage: 8,725 miles
Price Estimate: $750,000 to $950,000
CarFax: N/A
Window Sticker: N/A
Location: RM Sotheby’s 2025 Miami Auction, Coral Gables, FL
Listing: Link
Another from the Todd Blue LAPIS collection is this über rare 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.8 RS, #261 of 1,104 examples ever produced. It was delivered new in Germany. Of those, it’s the only example produced in Riviera Blue with Clubsport aerodynamics and black leatherette interior with Grey seat centers and Riviera Blue accents from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.
Other options include the Clubsport front spoiler, Clubsport rear wing, Clubsport strut tie bar, power steering, motorsports steering wheel in leather, air conditioning, German market equipment group, radio, locking differential and special-order heated and power adjustable Clubsport sport seats with Riviera Blue color-matched fiberglass shells. RM shares that they also have an accompanying build shit confirming further Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur options such as door pulls and seat belts in matching Riviera Blue.
For those who don’t know, a 993-generation Carrera RS 3.8 is effectively a homologation special. These cars were built to qualify the visually similar Porsche 911 3.8 RS for BPR GT3 and GT4 classes of racing. Like many homologation specials, this effectively makes the car a bit of a racing car for the road. It’s widebody stance is also believed to be an inspiration to the RWB Porsche movement and the Idlers racing series from which it spawned.
Of the 1,104 911 Carrera RS 3.8s built between 1994 and 1996, 227 were spartan Clubsport versions. It’s not known how many were standard RS versions utilizing the lightweight Clubsport options as did #261 that RM will be selling as part of their Miami sale this year.
The 993 Carrera RS 3.8 is powered by a 3.8-liter version of Porsche’s normally-aspirated M64/20 engine. It produces 296 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 262 lb-ft of torque at 5,400 rpm. As with the previous 964 3.8 RS, the 993 3.8 RS also makes use of 18-inch modular 3-piece alloy wheels from Speedline, though their magnesium centers were updated to match the 993 era “Cup 2” design.
As for the Riviera Blue paint color itself, it is a hue that seems to harken earlier decades like the 1970s, but was actually introduced as a 993 launch color. Like many colors over the years, Riviera Blue was a bold color Porsche introduced with their new models that suffered in period from being polarizing enough that the take rate was very low. However, it aged gracefully and today is highly sought after by collectors both for its unique hue and its rarity.
The car was delivered new to Porsche Center Dusseldorf in June of 1995. It remained in Dusseldorf until 2007 when it next spent its time in several significant Porsche collections in England, Holland and France before being imported into the U.S.A. prior to being 25 years old via NHTSA’s “Show and Display” exemption. Today, it is titled in the USA.
