For nearly 20 years, the GT3 has served as the definitive hardcore Porsche 911 for enthusiasts. But before it launched in 1999, the Carrera RS was the most hardcore naturally aspirated version of the 993 you could buy. Based on the Carrera Cup competition car, the 911 Carrera RS was built as a homologation special so that a racing RSR variant could qualify for GT3 and GT4 racing. As such, it never made it stateside as it was only sold in Europe, which should make this rare 1995 example heading to auction highly desirable for car collectors.

One of only 1,114 examples ever made, this 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera RS is powered by a 3.8-liter flat-six engine which boasted numerous improvements over the earlier 3.6-liter version. It was fitted with a variable-length intake system, as well as forged pistons, dual-oil coolers and a host of other upgrades. Mated to a six-speed transmission to please purists, the 3.8-liter engine produced 300 horsepower resulting in a top speed of nearly 175 mph, making the Carrera RS faster than any other naturally-aspirated 911 road car at the time. As well as upgrading the engine, engineers sought to make the Carrera RS as light as possible by removing anything that was deemed unnecessary.

Among the unnecessary luxuries that were removed include the central locking, radio speakers, power-adjustable seats, electric windows and mirrors, sound insulation, air bags, the rear defroster, and headliner. Thinner window glass was also used, along with lightweight seats and interior door panels to shed the weight down to just 1,280 kg, making it lighter than a GT2. The suspension was also upgraded with a front strut brace, ball-joint front damper mounts and adjustable anti-roll bars, as well as a limited-slip differential and the same anti-lock braking system as the 993 Turbo. This example only had three previous owners, and has around 15,000 miles on the clock.

Combine that with an optional Club Sport rear wing and front spoiler package, and this Carrera RS represents "the purest way to sample the marque's last air-cooled 911." It comes as no surprise, then, that RM Sothebys is predicting this highly desirable sports car to fetch between $450,000 and $550,000 at the Santa Monica auction later this month. Not that seeing Porsches sell for eye-popping prices is unusual, of course.