The Porsche 356 GS Carrera 2 was the last true performing 356 before the coming of the legendary 911. Being the final development of the breed of race-ready GT's from Zuffenausen, it featured a potent 2 liter engine and was capable of blistering accelerations.
Presented in 1962, the Carrera 2 became famous among Porsche enthusiasts for its staggering performance and incredible handling. Its unique driving experience was described by Engelbert Männer, the director of "Mot" in an article appeared on the Volkswagen magazine "Gute Fahrt", who wrote "with the lightest input from the driver, it reacts with the force of a bull", the Carrera 2 was a true force to be reckoned with.
According to the archives, Porsche produced only 204 Cupes in both B and C variants (in 103 and 101 examples respectively), thus making the Carrera 2 one of the most highly sought after 356s of all times and perhaps the most desirable. Equipped with the famed hand-assembled 130 hp 2 liter Typ 587/2 Fuhrmann 4 cam engine, it was capable of reaching 100 kph in just 9 seconds and a top speed of 210 kph. Giving the road-going nature of the Carrera 2 and wanting to increase durability of the engine, Porsche engineers adopted a new plain-bearing crankshaft instead of the complex and expensive roller-bearing Hirth unit, which proved fragile in the previous variants of the 4 cam engine.
True to its racebred status, it was possible to make countless modifications to the suspensions, thanks to the design of the front and rear torsion bars. Thanks to this adjustability, it was possible for passionate drivers to fine tune their cars to their wishes.
Needless to say, the Carrera 2 rapidly became a legend soon enough it was put on the market, earning a reputation for being equal if not superior to bigger and more expensive motorcars.