Absolute Beast! McKernan Restorations Porsche 911 RSR Replica

Today, I'll be talking about the Porsche 911 RSR. Brad from Brad McKernan Restoration (as profiled in the last article), after our interview, took the car out for a drive. And I got to go shotgun. The car, pictured below, has a pride of place in the McKernan workshop- it is one of the first cars you see when you walk in. And it is indeed spectacular. It's a top class restoration- painted in baby blue with gold detailing, and the famous duck-tailed spoiler. The interior is fairly sparse, but it has all the essentials. A detail I really like about the car is the retro-style dials on the dash (the speedometer is even in mph!), and there is also a classic-style radio. The RSR features a 3.0L engine making 227 horsepower, although what the engine is in this model is uncertain given it is a replica version.

Then we left the garage.

The acceleration of the car is absolutely brutal when it's laid into; it was by far the fastest I've ever felt, and that includes a stint in a 2005 Monaro. The handling is pin sharp. A full 360 degree turn was negotiated with ease. The sound was also absolutely magical. It's pretty incredible, the difference between this car and the Monaro, and I'd assume that a Caterham or an Evo would be just as different. The Porsche seemed brutal, while being somewhat civilian; the 1974-spec interior is a cause of this, considering even the door handles are just red straps attached to the door.

But the important thing to remember is that the Porsche can be civil as well as brutal. It idles well, and it is also stable on the (speed) limit. It's even somewhat practical as well, as there was some practice around roundabouts, T-junctions and even some reversing to get it out of its hidey-hole. It really is a fantastic car, and I was lucky to get to experience it.