Elferspot raffle – Christoph Mäder’s Porsche 964 Carrera RS book

Anyone seriously interested in the Porsche 964 Carrera RS quickly realizes how many questions remain unanswered. Which specifications really existed, what is myth, what is fact, how does the RS fit into the history of the 911? This is exactly where the new Porsche 964 Carrera RS book by Christoph Mäder comes in. It is not an illustrated book, but the reference work that simply did not exist on the 964 RS until now.

From the very first page through, you can feel how much time and dedication has gone into this project. The book is aimed at owners, collectors and fans alike and is deliberately designed so that you can pick it up again and again to look up details or simply immerse yourself in the world of the RS.

Porsche 964 Carrera RS Buch

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Christioph Mäder went from press spokesman to book author

Christoph Mäder has a background in motorsport and spent many years as a press spokesman on race tracks at weekends. When this became increasingly difficult to reconcile with his family, he looked for a way to live his passion for cars in a different way. Writing books and collecting stories became his new stage.

With a small child, it simply doesn’t work to be on the road five days a week.

Christoph Mäder

Together with Thomas Gruber and Georg Konradsheim, Mäder was already involved in the new edition of the legendary 911 Carrera RS 2.7 book. At the time, the book struck a chord with the scene and made it clear how great the demand is for well-researched in-depth book on the brand’s icons.

Why did Mäder opt to write a Porsche 964 Carrera RS?

“A book of this depth has not yet been published for the Porsche 964 Carrera RS”. For Christoph Mäder, this was the main reason for setting to work. “There were brochures, tests, articles – but no volume that bundled all the information,” recalls the self-confessed fan of classic sports cars. The decision to devote himself to the 964 Carrera RS was therefore a logical one for Christoph.

The layout as an icebreaker for a collection of anecdotes from the RS universe

I want to know how Christoph approaches a book project like this. “Unlike other authors, I put the cart before the horse,” he explains to me. “I don’t start with a blank manuscript, but with an initial layout.” He places press photos and archive material directly into it – “The Porsche company archive is really a great help with these projects”. He takes these drafts to the people who helped develop the 964 Carrera RS back then. “Engineers, project managers, designers and test drivers can be persuaded to tell stories more easily with pictures in front of their eyes, remembering details that would otherwise be lost.”

Little by little, the bird builds its nest. It’s similar to open world computer games, where the world in the distance is gray at first and then pops up when you come that way.

Christoph Mäder

Christoph Mäder then transcribes the recordings of these conversations. He goes through them line by line and filters out what finds its way into the book. The criteria are complex: “Which quote explains a technical trick, which anecdote brings a chapter to life?” The owners of these cars are also an exciting source: “Owners who have been documenting their cars for years have often done an incredible amount of research themselves and can contribute valuable pieces of the puzzle,” says Christoph.

Colors and attention to detail are the focus for Christoph Mäder

Christoph is particularly proud of the topic of colors. Instead of listing color codes dryly, he uses the possibilities of modern digital printing. Several pages were printed with neon pigments and metallic particles, so that shades such as Tangerine or Sahara yellow literally glow out of the paper. You’ve never been so close to the paintwork of a 964 RS in book format.

Mäder’s meticulousness is also evident in the images themselves. Where no matching silver RS was available, a normal 964 was photographed in the studio and then retouched until it matched the original. Proportions, details and typography were consistently adapted so that the result looks natural. It is precisely this consistency that makes the book more than just a collection of beautiful photos.

Uncovering myths ended in detective work down to the last gram

Christoph loves lightweight cars and to get to the bottom of details with the scales. One example is the famous thin glass windows. Rumors circulated for a long time that the rear window, for example, came from the 959, but only a precise list of the window weights and part numbers brought clarity. Today it is certain: the rear window is not a 959 borrowing, but the thinner door windows are. Such answers are not created at a desk alone. Specialists like Early 911S actually allowed Christoph to weigh hubs, wheel covers and hoods in order to be able to prove differences between Carrera 2 and RS.

I was even allowed to weigh and compare the hoods. Instead of the standard 16.2 kilograms of the Carrera, the front hood of the RS weighed 7.9 kilograms. This makes it even lighter than the carbon hood of the 964 Turbo S Leichtbau.

Christoph Mäder

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The people behind the car are just as important

In addition to all the tables and technical details, the book does not forget the people behind the 964 Carrera RS. One of them is Otto Geffert, whom Christoph met at Retro Classics in Stuttgart. Geffert worked for decades as an engineer in the Porsche design studio, as an interface between creative ideas and technical feasibility. Anyone who listened to him quickly realized how much experience and passion he had.

Geffert knew exactly what was possible and what was not. If a designer made a sketch that was not technically feasible, Geffert saw it immediately. “Unfortunately, Otto Geffert passed away unexpectedly while I was working on the book,” explains the visibly moved Mäder. This makes it all the more valuable that some of his memories and stories are now recorded in the 964 Carrera RS book. They give the project a human depth that goes far beyond mere data.

Who the 964 Carrera RS book is made for – and what’s to come

Despite 737 photos, the 442-page Porsche 964 Carrera RS book is by no means a superficial coffee-table book. The impressive level of detail in the research cannot be grasped the first time you read it anyway. Rather, it is a tool for anyone who really wants to understand the RS. Think of it as a comprehensive collection of facts for all owners and those who want to become one.

Anyone with a passion for the 964 RS will find this book hard to resist. It bundles knowledge, stories and images at a level that the model series has long wished for. You can secure your copy in the Elferspot Shop and add a piece of RS history to your own shelf.

And there’s more to come. Christoph is already working with Jan Kuhm on another book about the 964 Turbo S Lightweight. Until then, the new 964 Carrera RS book offers enough material to spend long evenings reading deep into the RS world – and to see your own dream of the perfect nineties 911 a little more clearly.

Here’s your chance to win your own copy of Christoph Mäder’s Porsche 964 Carrera RS book!

You are just one question away from winning one of Christoph Mäder’s exclusive Porsche 964 Carrera RS books! All you have to do is answer the competition question correctly, register using the registration form and become part of the Elferspot family. In addition to the chance to win, as a registered Elferspot user, you will receive unlimited access to our magazine and can be notified by our search agent when your dream Porsche comes onto the market. The closing date for entries is 15 January 2026, 6 p.m. CET.

Don’t want to wait for luck to strike? You can order the book directly here!

Porsche 964 Carrera RS Buch

Details

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