Brown Porsche 911 2.7 RS up for bid in Monaco

Ford RS200. Ferrari 250 GTO. Opel Manta 400. Chevrolet Camaro Z28. Dodge Charger Daytona. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion. These are some of the most wonderful and soul-stirring vehicles we've ever encountered, and they have one thing in common: They're all homologation specials, built and sold to the public solely so that their manufacturers could take even hotter versions racing.

While some began as cars solely for homologation purposes, the marques took on lives of their own—witness the Evo and the Z28. The former is no longer campaigned in the World Rally Championship, while the latter went from a fire-spitting 302-inch monster in the late 1960s to a smog-choked key-party cruiser by the end of the 1970s.

Others, like the Daytona and its near-twin, the Plymouth Road Runner Superbird, languished on dealer lots, sometimes for years. And some, like the RS200, never got a true chance to live up to their potential. Group B rallying was practically shot out from underneath the car before Ford had a chance to work through the car's first-season teething troubles.

Porsche has not been one to shy away from building cars to suit a given set of rules. When the brand decided to contest Le Mans' five-liter class, twenty-five 917s were constructed for eligibility's sake. We use “constructed” liberally, as there are rumors that Ferdinand Pi

By Davey G. Johnson