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Porsche Type 956 Design And Development

Le Mans 24 Hours, 19-20 June 1982: On the way to their 1982 Le Mans victory Jacky Ickx/Derek Bell bettered their previous year’s lap total by adding an extra five laps (both years were run in favourably dry and warm weather), posting a distance of 4,899.086 kilometres at an average speed of 204.129 km/h. Despite these improved figures, the Porsche team had to run a closely calculated race as the fuel restrictions were ever-present in the minds of the team’s management. © Corporate Archives Porsche AG
Le Mans 24 Hours, 19-20 June 1982: On the way to their 1982 Le Mans victory Jacky Ickx/Derek Bell bettered their previous year’s lap total by adding an extra five laps (both years were run in favourably dry and warm weather), posting a distance of 4,899.086 kilometres at an average speed of 204.129 km/h. Despite these improved figures, the Porsche team had to run a closely calculated race as the fuel restrictions were ever-present in the minds of the team’s management. © Corporate Archives Porsche AG

Words by: Glen Smale
Images by: Corporate Archives Porsche AG

The Porsche 956, and its later sibling the 962, became the most successful sports prototype in racing history during its domination of Group C between 1982 and 1992. Once the Porsche factory released the race car to private teams from 1983, it became the weapon of choice. Winning around the globe, this phenomenal racing machine racked up no less than 232 major international victories during its reign.

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