Porsche Flachbau RS: A One-Off 911 Inspired by ‘Moby Dick’
you don’t get to read much about one-offs from Porsche, but they actually make more of these unique cars than Ferrari does per year.
The newest of these is the Flachbau RS, which brings one of the marque’s most distinctive racing-inspired designs into the modern era. While it is street-legal, it is a very serious track-day toy.
Created through the Sonderwunsch program, the Flachbau RS transforms a like-new 2018 Type 991.2 911 GT2 RS with Weissach Package into a collector’s car inspired by the Porsche 935/78 Le Mans race car, better known as 'Moby Dick.'
Developed over close to three years, with contributions from various divisions within Porsche and its partner Manthey, virtually every aspect of the car was modified, except the powertrain. If you’ve ever driven a GT2 RS, you’ll understand the thinking behind keeping the powertrain in place.
A Modern Interpretation of the Flachbau
The Flachbau (aka Slant Nose) name has deep roots within Porsche history. In the 1980s, Porsche offered a special version of the Type 930 911 Turbo with redesigned front fenders and pop-up headlights. Its appearance was directly influenced by the competition-bred 935.
For the new Flachbau RS, Porsche turned to designer Grant Larson, who previously designed the modern Porsche 935 (shown in the top image) unveiled at Rennsport Reunion VI in 2018. His latest interpretation again draws from the famous racing car, but integrates the concept into the architecture of the 991.2-generation GT2 RS.
Grand Prix White
The visual connection with Porsche racing history extends to the color scheme. The Flachbau RS is finished in Grand Prix White, a Porsche shade introduced for the 911 in 1974. Porsche developed a special version of the color specifically for the one-off.
Black-painted areas and exposed carbon fiber echo the beautiful contrast seen on the GT2 RS. Stripes extend across the hood and roof, while an exposed carbon U-shaped element at the front recalls a design feature of the Martini-liveried Porsche 935/78.
More Downforce, Less Weight
The Flachbau RS design emphasizes aerodynamic performance. A front splitter combines with the underbody structure and rear diffuser from the Manthey Kit, while carbon-fiber aero discs on the rear wheels reduce drag.
A massive Type 992 Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport-inspired wing is mounted on distinctive S-shaped supports on the truck. It sits almost two inches higher on the Flachbau RS and can be manually adjusted.
According to Porsche, the car generates more rear-axle downforce than a 911 GT2 RS equipped with the Manthey Kit. In its High Downforce configuration, at a track speed of about 211 mph, the Flachbau RS produces around 1,221 lbs of rear-axle downforce.
Extensive lightweighting also reduced the car’s mass by almost 70 lbs. That’s in addition to the Weissach-optioned GT2 RS’s strong emphasis on weight reduction.
A Cabin Stripped Back for Performance
Inside, Porsche retained much of the red Alcantara, black leather, and exposed carbon fiber in the forward section of the cabin. Behind the seats, the approach becomes considerably more focused.
Several comfort-oriented components were removed. The Porsche Communication Management system was replaced with a leather-trimmed storage compartment, while the audio system was removed (who needs anything but exhaust sound in a car like this?).
Large areas of exposed metal are painted in Grand Prix White, while selected sections receive carbon-fiber trim. The wiring harness is visible beneath protective sheathing, and unnecessary individual wires were removed to further reduce weight.
Given all that extreme 'liposuction', it's safe to conclude the owner will enjoy the car a lot better on track day than on coastal backroads.
