Porsche's Rare Custom Homage
Porsche Reveals Bespoke Flachbau RS, a Road-Legal Homage to Moby Dick
Key Points
The Flachbau RS’s rear wing is tuned for substantial downforce, producing up to 1,221 pounds of downforce to maximize high-speed stability on public roads.
The Flachbau lineage remains exceedingly rare, with only 948 examples of the original Flachbau (1982–1989) produced, underscoring the exclusivity of this modern reinterpretation.
The car features distinctive lighting and aero cues, including four LED headlights embedded in the front fenders and a Rennsport-inspired rear wing with S-shaped mounts to boost downforce.
Inside, Porsche stripped the cabin to save weight, removing rear seats, the infotainment system, the entire sound system, and sound-deadening material to shed about 70 pounds from the GT2 RS donor car.
Grant Larson, the designer behind the 991-based 935 project, was brought out of retirement to shape the Flachbau RS, continuing his work on Porsche’s modern 935-inspired program.
Porsche has unveiled the Flachbau RS, a one-of-one road-legal 911 built as a modern tribute to the legendary 935/78 race car nicknamed "Moby Dick." The project, which took three years to complete, is based on a 2018 911 GT2 RS with the Weissach package and was commissioned by a single customer, according to Bellingham Herald.
The reveal also solved a mystery. Earlier in 2025, Porsche had registered the names "Flachbau" and "Flachbau RS" with the European Patent Office, sparking speculation about a full model revival. Idaho Statesman reported the trademarks turned out to be for this single bespoke commission, not a new production car.
Three-Year Build Honoring the 935/78 Moby Dick
The Flachbau RS took a full cross-functional team to build. Porsche's Sonderwunsch custom division, Style Porsche, the Weissach engineering center, Porsche Motorsport, and racing specialist Manthey all worked together. The project was led by designer Grant Larson, who was brought out of retirement specifically for the job, according to The Olympian.
Larson previously designed the 991-based 935 tribute car. For the Flachbau RS, he drew directly on the look and spirit of the original 935/78. That 1978 racer earned the "Moby Dick" nickname because of its long, flat, whale-like body. The new car carries forward that same flat-nose, or "Slant Nose," styling with bespoke front fenders and four LED headlights embedded directly into them.
700 Horsepower Plus 1,221 Pounds of Downforce
Under the skin, the Flachbau RS keeps the GT2 RS's 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six engine. That motor makes about 700 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Porsche did not touch the powertrain, but the car still got meaningfully faster by losing weight, according to Macon.com.
The team stripped the cabin to cut roughly 70 pounds from the already-lean GT2 RS. Gone are the rear seats, infotainment screen, sound system, and all sound-deadening material. The rear wing was also redesigned. It uses S-shaped mounts and is tuned to produce up to 1,221 pounds of downforce, boosting high-speed stability on public roads.
A Lineage So Rare Only 948 Were Ever Made
The Flachbau name itself carries serious history. Porsche built flat-nose 911 variants from 1982 to 1989. Only 948 examples were ever made in that entire run. That exclusivity makes the name a major piece of Porsche heritage, according to Idaho Statesman.
The Flachbau RS sits firmly inside that rare tradition. Porsche positions it as a multi-million-dollar Sonderwunsch commission — a hand-built, showroom-ready collector's piece. It is road legal and meets modern safety standards, but it was built for one customer who wanted a piece of motorsport history they could actually drive.
Trademark Tease Raised Hopes for a Production Return
When Porsche filed the "Flachbau" and "Flachbau RS" trademarks in early 2025, enthusiasts hoped the Slant Nose was coming back as a full production model. The filings with the European Patent Office fueled months of speculation and online buzz, according to The Olympian.
The reveal put those hopes to rest — for now. The trademarks exist solely to protect the name for this one commission. Porsche has not announced any plans for a wider Flachbau production run. Still, the project shows the brand is willing to push boundaries for the right customer, keeping the door open for future bespoke builds of similar ambition.
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