Porsche seems to be prepping a modern incarnation of a totem of 1980s ‘greed is good’ culture, the 911 Turbo Flachbau.
In addition to recently registering the name Flachbau with the EUIPO, Porsche has also registered the name Flachbau RS. This appears to signal a new exclusive edition 911, melding track-bred dynamics with a heavy aero-influenced frontal restyling.
Porsche has recently been mining its history with a succession of models, each harking back to a previous decade.
The latest is the 911 Edition 70, which recalls the body stripes and psychedelic Pascha seat fabric of the 1970s.
We might now have a clue to the next celebration model, recalling the 1980s.
The Slantnose Legacy and What It Meant
Completists of the 911 will immediately recall that the original 911 Flachbau – or ‘slantnose’ – was an ultra-expensive limited edition from the factory’s Sonderwunsch (special wishes) program.
In that era, racing 935s from teams including Kremer flattened the 911’s nose for aero purposes. The street 911 Turbo Flachbau replaced the tall front fenders with a line that matched the front hood.
To fit the headlamps, they used that symbol of 1980s automotive potency, big pop-up units.
Ahead of the rear wheels were giant intakes, with horizontal strakes as per a Ferrari Testarossa. Dominating the rear was the iconic Turbo tea-tray wing.
Of the 950 or so built, many ran a 3.3-liter engine instead of the 3.0 that was standard with Turbos from 1978. They also mostly got a power boost to 330 horsepower.
Could the Flachbau RS Be Coming Back?
So what about a high-price revival using the modern 911 as a base? We called a Porsche source, who said he’d never heard of this trademark registration. But he also said it wouldn’t be at all surprised if the factory is planning such a car.
Porsche has officially said it will build four Heritage Design series. First, in 2019 was a Targa 4S with 1950s’ style paint and corduroy upholstery.
More significant was the 2022 911 Sport Classic, a celebration of the late-1960s race 911s. It also had classic trim, including wood on the dash, but it had mechanical back-up. It was the most powerful 911 Porsche had made at the time, with 550 hp, hooked to a manual transmission and RWD-only.
So we know the Heritage Design program can do more than just trim. Calling a car the Flachbau RS would signify the involvement of the GT department, developer of the GT2 and GT3 series cars. We’re licking our lips.
But what about the pop-up lamps, critical to the vibe of mullet hairstyles and big shoulder pads? While they’re no longer legal in most markets due to pedestrian safety regulations, our Porsche source suggested that modern ultra-slim LED technology could offer a clever workaround.
