In Porsche folklore, few models command such reverence as the 911R. Built in 1967 under the direction of Ferdinand Piëch, the R was an experiment in pure performance. The experiment of course relied on eking as much power as possible from the 2.0-litre but equally a challenge in the true art of lightweighting in the form of the featherweight composite development prototype intended to homologate the 911 platform for international competition. Just four prototypes and 20 production cars were created, their rarity eclipsed only by the technical ambition they embodied. With ultra-lightweight bodywork principles shared with the 906 Le Mans car, 2.0-litre twin-plug engines lifted directly from Porsche’s racing programme, and a kerb weight below 850 kilograms, the 911R remains the lightest and most focused air-cooled 911 ever built.
Today, original cars rarely change hands and command multi-million-dollar prices when they do. For those unwilling to compromise, but unable to access the real thing, well, you’re in the absolute next best thing. Seasoned in the art of historic competition Porsche motorsport, engineering, race preparation and wizardry, EB Motorsport’s 911 R is the Yorkshire based specialist’s personal pursuit of perfection. A homage that offers a unique opportunity to experience the essence of the original car – in many respects, with even greater attention to detail.
The entire car weighs under 830 kilograms, fully oiled, fuelled and fitted with competition seating and roll cage. Furthermore, substituting lightweight Monza-spec wheels, a single seat and reduced fuel load would bring this figure to below 805kg – a figure that would undercut most original Rs. At 200 kg lighter than a ’67 911, there is no silver bullet when it comes to weight loss. It’s a single minded, holistic optimisation of every aspect that delivers that figure.
This car, completed in 2018 after a three-year, ground-up build by EB Motorsport in Yorkshire, is not a pastiche nor a restomod. It is, to use EB’s own words, “an R but not an R” – a machine created not to reinterpret the 911R, but to honour it in the purest, most rigorous fashion. Its development is informed by years of first-hand experience restoring original R prototypes, access to period documentation, and EB’s own racing pedigree with early 911s across European historic series. This is not simply a build. It is a philosophy.
Chassis and Bodywork: Faithful in Form, Uncompromising in Execution.
The project began with a U.S.-market 1967 short-wheelbase 911, chosen specifically for its compatibility with R-type architecture. The original chassis was retained, repaired, and painstakingly seam-welded using EB’s in-house jigs to create a stiffer, safer foundation – a nod to motorsport, not comfort. The entire floorpan and inner structure were then lightly stone-chipped and coated in underseal to provide protection without compromising weight. Even here, EB’s obsession with balance was evident: no excess, no corner-cutting.
From the A-pillars down, the car wears a full suite of EB-manufactured composite bodywork, save for the original steel roof. Every panel, from the scalloped R-type front wings and quarter panels to the subtly flared rear arches, was hand-laid at EB’s facility using fibreglass reinforced with mat and cloth – the same material technology Porsche used in 1967. The doors alone represent a major weight saving over steel and are constructed around aluminium hinges with bronze bushes. Even the chassis numbers are CNC-engraved into the door structure, mirroring the original R’s practice.
The doors, bonnet, engine lid and rear quarter panels are held in place with leather straps and bespoke mounts. Even minor fittings like window frames, mirror bases, and fuel filler surrounds have been optimised for weight and originality. The Lexan side front and rear windows are secured using lightweight mounts. The headlight covers are thin plastic replicas of the original R items, and the front indicators – delicately translucent and near invisible unless the light is right – are faithfully correct. The car was finished in period-correct Ivory and, unlike the original Rs, which often received hurried paintwork to reduce weight, the interior and underside received the same high standard of finish as the exterior. EB refused to cut corners, even where few would notice.
Interior: A Temple to the Ascetic.
Inside, the EB 911R is a stark, Spartan environment – a near-religious rejection of excess. There is no carpet, no headliner, no radio or glovebox. The dashboard is bespoke, designed to accept only the gauges and switches required. The clock and fuel gauge were deleted (the fuel gauge has since been reintroduced), their apertures blanked with custom-machined plugs. The unique dash-mounted horn push, Speedster light and switches have all been recreated with forensic accuracy.
The instruments were built specifically for this project, featuring a 10,000rpm tachometer and 250km/h speedometer, both calibrated and zeroed at completion. The steering wheel is a correct ‘Monza’ flat-spoke wheel with the distinctive offset stitching – a detail often overlooked in lesser recreations. Behind it, EB’s bespoke pedal box – modelled on a Tuthill dual-master cylinder design – sits perfectly aligned with the 908-style accelerator pedal, cast from an original and finished with titanium pins.
Seats are correct reproduction 911 ST units, fitted with competition harnesses and surrounded by a fully integrated roll cage, with optional bolt-in side bars. The only softness comes in the form of saddle-leather window straps and door pulls. Otherwise, the experience is one of immersion – and intensity.
Mechanical Specification: Built to Drive, Engineered to Endure.
At the heart of the car is a two-litre flat-six, developed in-house to deliver period-correct performance. Breathing through high-flow carburettors and a bespoke ignition system, the engine produces approximately 220bhp at over 8,000rpm – matching the output of the original R in contemporary dyno conditions. The exhaust note is raw and evocative, channelled through a lightweight sports system. The transmission is a five-speed 901 dogleg gearbox, with short, rifle-bolt throws thanks to EB’s own shifter mechanism.
Suspension is a key strength. Drawing directly from EB’s experience racing their own 1965 SWB 911 across Europe, the car is equipped with 23mm front torsion bars, a hollow 18mm anti-roll bar, and 28mm rears with no rear anti-roll – a configuration known to give the most fluid and communicative behaviour on track and road. Custom twin-adjustable dampers were developed in collaboration with EXE-TC, the suspension supplier to Sébastien Loeb and Singer.
Braking is another EB hallmark. This car uses re-engineered 911S callipers which didn’t have clearance on the original R, but have been re-machined and reshaped to fit under 15-inch wheels, using titanium bolts and custom mounts. The system is paired with period-style rotors and pads to deliver exceptional pedal feel and modulation. Wheels are EB’s own forged Fuchs replicas, finished to correct widths and offsets, and wrapped in period-correct Dunlop CR65 racing tyres – 5.50 M-15 at the front and 6.00 M-15 on rare 7R rears. The car currently sits on Pirelli P6000’s which are noticeably more compliant on the road.
Available for sale:
Chassis number 11805007 began life as a 1967 911L and was imported from the American Midwest in 2013. A Porsche Letter of Origin confirms the model year and eligibility, and following the completion of the build, the car was successfully registered for road use in the United Kingdom after receiving its DVLA logbook. Since then, it has covered only just 4,200 kms and remains in as-new condition, ready to be exercised or simply admired. The current custodian has had the suspension and geometry set up for the road by specialists, Centre Gravity, and had the UK’s leading race tuner for carburettors, At Speed, tune the engine to be happier at lower rpm for road use.
This EB Motorsport 911R is a singular achievement: a car built not only to honour Porsche’s lightest and most revered 911, but to exceed it in execution and craftsmanship. While many builds claim to replicate the R’s spirit, few – if any – approach its exacting ethos with such seriousness or sincerity. With its in-house engineered components, competition-developed chassis, and obsessive attention to detail, this car offers a driving experience that no 911E clone or RS backdate could hope to replicate.
For the serious collector, driver or marque devotee who seeks the ultimate lightweight Porsche experience, this is not merely an opportunity. It is a privilege. A rare chance to acquire a machine that redefines what a re-creation can be – and indeed, should be.
