Porsche Flachbau RS revives the 'slantnose' design for a one-off

At the request of a wealthy Porsche collector, the sports car manufacturer has created a one-off 911 model that mimics the 'slantnose' design of the 935 and 'Moby Dick' 935/78 race cars.

The commission is known as the Flachbau RS, after the German name for the slantnose design, and is based on a "like new" 2018 911 GT2 RS that was fitted with the Weissach Package.

Development of the one-off model took place over three years, and involved people from the Sonderwunsch or special projects division; Porsche's design, engineering and motorsport teams; and tuner Manthey.

The design side of the project was led by Grant Larson, who also led the design of the 2018 935. While the 935/78 and 935 were both race cars, the Flachbau RS is a road-legal vehicle.

According to Alexander Fabig, Porsche's head of individualisation, "converting the car to a slantnose model proved to be very challenging, even though we left the drive unchanged" because the company didn't want to compromise on "safety, technology or road legality".

The key change is a completely redesigned front end, which includes flatter front wings, a series of louvred vents above the wheel arches, and a new set of hidden slimline headlights. The low and high beam units live in separate tiers, with each level being just 40mm high.

A U-shaped band of matte black and exposed carbon-fibre, encompassing the wheel arch vents, headlights, and the section where the bonnet meets the bumper, is a homage to the look of the Martini-liveried 935/78 Moby Dick race cars.

A black finish is also used for the bonnet stripe, rear wing blade, vents and air intakes, and it contrasts sharply with the rest of the body that's finished in Grand Prix White.

The aero package includes a front splitter and rear diffuser from Manthey, and a new rear wing with S-shaped supports. The wing can be manually set into three positions, with the high setting generating 554kg of downforce on the rear axle.

In addition to computational testing, the aero setup, especially the new rear wing, was subjected to physical tests, including at least 50 laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, wind tunnel analysis, and a static load-bearing exam involving sandbags. 

Inside there are just two carbon-fibre bucket seats finished in a mixture of black leather and red faux suede with Flachbau RS embroidered on the headrests. 

The interior has been pared back to the absolute minimum, meaning the car weighs 31.6kg less than the donor vehicle. Items sent to the scrap heap include sound deadening material, carpets, and all the lining for luggage compartments. 

Wiring has reduced to only what's needed and left exposed, except for their protective sheathing. Also removed is the PCM infotainment system, which has been replaced by a leather-trimmed storage area.

The mandatory warning triangle and towing eye have been placed in an emergency box that can be easily removed when the car is taken onto a track.

The mechanical package underneath the revised body is carried over, with a 515kW/750Nm 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six driving the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

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