Porsche 911 Flachbau RS Is the Ultimate Moby Dick Tribute

Porsche brought some serious surprises to Monterey Car Week 2026, combining its racing history with new ideas aimed directly at enthusiasts. The biggest attraction was the Porsche 911 Flachbau RS, an extraordinary factory one-off created through the Porsche Sonderwunsch program in collaboration with Manthey.

The Flachbau RS is based on the Porsche 911 GT2 RS from the 991.2 generation equipped with the Weissach Package. Its design takes inspiration from the legendary Porsche 935 race cars of the late 1970s, particularly the famous 935/78 known as “Moby Dick.” Instead of simply recreating an older Porsche, the team blended those historic ideas with modern aerodynamic development and engineering.

Finished in Grand Prix White, the car features specially developed front fenders, a distinctive 3-tier headlight arrangement and a massive rear wing influenced by the Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport. Extensive lightweight modifications also removed approximately 70 pounds. Porsche put considerable effort into making sure the changes worked beyond their visual appeal, including wind tunnel development, aerodynamic testing and more than 50 laps around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The entire project took almost 3 years to develop.

Porsche also delivered important news for drivers who still want to shift gears themselves. The new Porsche 911 Carrera S with the Manual Transmission Package made its debut for the United States and Canada. The return of a manual transmission gives Carrera S buyers in North America another way to experience the 911 with a more traditional connection between driver and machine.

Power comes from a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-6 engine producing 473 horsepower and sending power to the rear wheels. Standard equipment includes rear-axle steering, Porsche Active Suspension Management Sport suspension lowered by 10 millimeters, the Sport Chrono Package and center-lock wheels. Buyers can choose between Coupe and Cabriolet body styles.

Porsche also added some Hollywood personality to Monterey with Sally Carrera from Disney and Pixar’s Cars, along with 3 one-of-one Porsche 911 models inspired by Toy Story 5. The collection included a Buzz Lightyear-inspired 911 GT3 RS, a Jessie-inspired 911 Targa 4 GTS and a Woody-inspired 911 Carrera T. The special cars are connected to a charitable initiative supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children’s Foundation.
From the extreme Flachbau RS to the return of a manual Carrera S, Porsche used Monterey Car Week 2026 to show that its past and future can exist side by side. For enthusiasts, the manual Carrera S may be the most important announcement, while the one-off Flachbau RS proves just how far Porsche is willing to go when history, engineering and personalization come together.