Porsche Race Car In Depth Archives - Page 2 of 2

Model In Depth Porsche 718 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder

Porsche 718 RSK Spyder (1957 – 1959)

The 718 was a development of the successful Porsche 550A with improvements made to the body work and suspension. The car's full name is 718 RSK, where "RS" stands for RennSport (sports-racing) and the "K" reflects the shape of the car's revised torsion-bar suspension. It had a mid-engined layout and used the 142 horsepower (106 kW) 1.5-litre Type 547/3 quad-cam engine introduced in the 550A. There were several variations, including the RSK Mittellenker. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche 917 Porsche Race Cars Porsche 917/20

Porsche 917/20 Le Mans (1971)

An attempt to blend the best aerodynamic characteristics from both the short-tailed 917 K and long-tailed 917 LH led to the the 917/20, otherwise known as the Pink Pig. The car's combination of a long body, stubby face, and wide hips gave it a pig-like look, which inspired Porsche designer Anatole Lapine to give the car a pink paint job with butcher cut lines covering the exterior. It was hugely popular at the 1971 Le Mans race, and was the fastest in qualifying and nearly came in fifth place, before a brake failure caused it to crash before the finish line. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche 911 GT1 Race Porsche 911 GT1

Porsche 911 GT1 (1996)

In spite of its 911 moniker, the car actually had very little in common with the 911 of the time, only sharing the front and rear headlamps with the production sports car. Designed and developed to compete in the GT1 class of sportscar racing, which also required a street-legal version for homologation purposes. It was powered by a twin-turbo flat 6 that was good for 600 bhp. The 1996 911 GT1 clocked at a top speed of exactly 330 km/h (205 mph) on the legendary Mulsanne Straight. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 718 Porsche 718 GTR Coupe

Porsche 718 GTR Coupé (1962 – 1963)

The chassis number 718-046 of a 1961 718 RS 61 Coupé was used for a new car called 718 GTR in 1962.. The Coupé version was developed from this RS 61 donor and was initially fitted with a 4-cylinder engine. This car was also upgraded to an 8-cylinder F1 derived engine which produced 210 horsepower (160 kW). The car was also fitted with disc brakes. A GTR Coupé driven Jo Bonnier and Carlo Maria Abate won the 1963 Targa Florio making it three wins at the event for a 718 car. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 934 Porsche 934/5

Porsche 934/5 (1976 – 1977)

In 1967 Porsche prepared a small number of 934 Porsches with 935 Group 5 parts for the Trans-Am and IMSA GTO series. In the end, the 934/5 dominated the Trans-Am series by taking to top five positions in the championship. Ludwig Heimrath became the 1977 Trans-Am champion in his 934/5 by protesting Peter Gregg's highly modified car. Together they humbled the Corvette C3s and the Group 44 Jaguar XJS. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche 911 (991)991 GT3 Cup

Porsche 991 GT3 Cup 4.0 (991.2) (2016 – 2020)

The rear of the world’s most-produced GT racing car now houses a 4-litre, six-cylinder flat engine for even more drive. Thanks to thoroughbred motorsport technology, the compact engine with direct fuel injection delivers peak performance of 357 kW (485 hp). A range of innovative details also improve efficiency in addition to engine performance, ensuring even better durability of the naturally aspirated engine in racing mode and reduced maintenance costs. Read More

Porsche 356 B Model In Depth Porsche 356

Porsche 356B 1600 Super 90 GT Coupe (1960 – 1961)

Around 20 Super 90 Coupes were ordered with the lightweight GT package for racing. They used aluminum panels, a lightweight interior and plexiglas windows to shed over 200 lbs off the standard production coupe. Inside the car came equipped with a roll bar, leather-strap window lifts and speedster seats. Aluminum exterior panels included the doors, hood, rear deck lid. Read More

Porsche 356 A Model In Depth Porsche 356

Porsche 356 A 1600 GS Carrera GT (1958 – 1959)

Following the Pre-A prototypes and a run of quad-cams with the 1500cc engine, the 1600 Carrera GT was a performance 356 that used a larger version of the Porsche 550 Spyder's potent engine. As early as 1958, some Carreras were fitted with a larger engine known as the Type 692. The new unit featured a larger displacement which was better suited for the 1600cc class. Furthermore, it was improved considerably adopting plain bearings and new ignition system. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche 911 (964)964 RSR

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.8 RSR (1993 – 1994)

With the 1993 Carrera 2 as the starting point, Porsche had to make at least 50 roadgoing cars in order to qualify this new model for the Carrera ADAC GT Cup, which served as the basis for a motor racing variant to come, the Carrera RSR 3.8. The RSR 3.8 was nothing short of an all-out race car that could be delivered to the track in a ‘just add driver’ form. The Porsche Carrera RSR 3.8 racked up a catalogue of impressive international race results right from the outset, winning overall at the Spa 24 Hours, Suzuka 1000km, and the 24 Hours of Interlagos. Read More

Porsche 356 Pre-A Model In Depth Porsche 356

Porsche 356 SL Gmünd Coupe (1951)

In 1950, eleven remaining Gmund chassis were assembled after the factory returned to Germany and converted to SL (Sport Leicht) racing specification. They received 1,086-cc engines, enlarged fuel tanks, louvered quarter-window covers, wheel spats, streamlined aluminum belly fairings, and a pedestal-mounted shifter. Three Type 356/2 cars raced at Le Mans in 1951; two crashed, but 356/2-063 performed flawlessly, winning the 1,100-cc class. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 908 Porsche 908/03 Spyder Turbo

Porsche 908/03 Spyder Turbo (1975 – 1981)

Porsche decided to end its 20-year history of factory sports car racing and sold the 908/03 cars to customers. In 1975, some 908s were fitted with turbocharged engines, similar to those used in the Porsche 934 GT car. Several customer-908s were upgraded with 936-style bodywork. The Porsche 908/80 Turbo of Joest and Jacky Ickx which finished 2nd in the 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans turned out later to have a real Porsche 936 chassis, though. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 911 (G-Series)911 SC Safari

Porsche 911 SC Safari (1978)

In 1978, the works team fields two 911 SC at the East African Safari Rally. The name of game is to survive 5,000 kilometres of the toughest tracks in sweltering heat and torrential rain. The conditions take their toll: of the 72 starters, 13 reach the finish line. Martini Racing Porsche System Engineering signs on two specialists to drive: Sweden’s Björn Waldegård (Start No. 5) and Kenyan Vic Preston Jnr (Start No. 14). Read More

Porsche 924 Model In Depth Porsche 924 Carrera GTR

Porsche 924 Carrera GTR (1981)

The Carrera GTR was the ultimate 924 Street/Race Car in 1981. The GTR had larger flares, larger wheels and tires, improved brakes and a whopping 375 horsepower from the 2.0L turbocharged dry-sump engine. At $75,000, the GTR would have cost over $200,000 in today’s money, but what you got was a 180 mph screamer for the street, but in full race trim. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche 911 (996)996 GT3 RSR

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (996) (2004 – 2005)

Based on the road-going 996 911 GT3 RS, the GT3 RSR features improvements to its predecessor in all key areas. The vehicle is available in an ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest) version for competing in Le Mans and in the American Le Mans Series as well as in a FIA specification. The 911 GT3 RSR features a modified front which improves downforce at the front axle. The 3.6-litre, six-cylinder boxer engine delivers 445 hp at 8,250 revs. Maximum torque is now 405 Nm at 7,200 rpm, with top revs reached at 8,500 (for the FIA specification with two 30.8 mm air restrictors). Race cars never got more exciting than this. Read More

Porsche 2708 Indy Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Indy/CART

Porsche 2708 Indy (1987 – 1988)

Porsche again attempted to enter CART in 1987. This time it would be a full factory effort, chassis and all. The car had an aluminum-plastic monocoque chassis attached to a 2.6 Liter, 800hp V8. Information gained from their 1980 bid would be used to build the car. This was their first mistake. Indy had stepped up their game over that seven year span. The pole speed at Indy had advanced from 192 mph in 1980 to 215 mph in 1987. It was a different world. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 718 Porsche 718 RS 61 LM Coupé

Porsche 718 RS 61 LM Coupé (1961)

The story of the 718 coupé began in 1960 when a customer ordered a one-off design from Karosserie Wendler. The car was built on the Porsche 550 chassis. Front-end design came from the 718 Spyder. The roof and the rear end were unique creations by Wendler. For the Le Mans 24h race in June 1961, Porsche created two 718 RS 61 Coupés. They shared the side view silhouette of the Wendler coupé and the rear end of the 718 Spyder, but the front design was original to the car. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche 911 (991)991 GT3 R

Porsche 911 GT3 R (991.2) (2019 – 2020)

The GT3 R has always been placed between the GT3 Cup and the very expensive RSR. All the 991.2 racing cars have normally aspirated 4-litre engines. Compared to the 991.1 GT3 R, the 991.2 GT3 R engine offers a broader usable rev range and the engine response is more precise due to 6 throttle butterflies. The roof, front hood and fairing, wheel arches, doors, side and tail sections, rear lid and interior trim are made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic. Gets new double wishbone suspension. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche 911 (991)991 RSR

Porsche 911 RSR (991) (2013 – 2016)

As the rules do not permit higher output engines, the engine for the 991 RSR was taken from the 997 GT3 RSR 4.0 and the development work focused on the chassis, body, aerodynamics and the gearbox. A wishbone front suspension replaced the McPherson struts used in 997. A new development was the lightweight gearbox. One of the priorities in the development was the more evenly balanced weight distribution. The centre of gravity was lower, too. Read More

Porsche 968 Model In Depth Porsche 968 Turbo RS

Porsche 968 Turbo RS (1992 – 1993)

In 1992, Porsche introduced the 968 Turbo RS racecar which it developed to compete in the new ADAC GT racing series in Germany. The car was based on the 968 coupe with limited lightening due to the regulations of the series which had a 4kg/bhp power/weight ratio limit. The car featured a K27 turbo boosting the 3.0 litre, 4 cylinder engine and an 8V head, similar to the 944 Turbo S, rather than using the 16V 968 head. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 904 Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS

Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS (1964 – 1965)

In 1965, the 904’s second and final production year, some examples received a version of the 911’s 2.0-liter flat-six. This version was dubbed the 904/6 and was focused on the factory works effort by Porsche. Six of these cars were so equipped and used a chassis number of 906-0xx. Porsche built a total of six similar 904/6 Works team cars with the following chassis number assignments: 906-001, 002, 005, 006, 011, and 012. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 908 Porsche 908 K Flunder Spyder

Porsche 908 K Flunder Spyder (1969 – 1975)

The 908/02 K Spyder and 908 K Flunder Spyder were basically the same cars with slightly different bodyworks. If you look at the non-Flunder Spyder, you see that the body drops after the front wheel arch and rises again before the rear wheel arch. In the Flunder version, this concavity doesn't exist. The difference between the two versions was mainly visual, no difference in racing use. The first competition the Flunder was entered, was the Nürburgring 1000 km on June 1, 1969. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 718 Porsche 718 RS 61 Spyder

Porsche 718 RS 61 Spyder (1961)

The 1961 Porsche RS was one of the last Spyders made by Porsche that used the potent 4-cam engine. It was a successor to the 1960 RS60 which was a highly developed version of the original 550 RS Spyder. These diminutive racecars excelled on the tighter courses like the Targa Florio which was first won by Porsche in 1956. That victory marked the first time a sports car with a midship engine had won a major motor sports event. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche 911 (964)964 Carrera RS

Porsche 911 Carrera RS Competition (1992)

For race teams and track day customers Porsche prepared a small number of the 964 Cup cars according to the FIA NG-T regulations. Officially called the Competition model, these custom-ordered cars were an intermediary step between the Carrera Cup option (M001) and the standard tourer (M002). This M0003 option was available directly from Porsche as a road-going model. These cars had almost all the Carrera Cup modifications including the new suspension. This lowered the car by 40mm in the rear and 50mm in the front. It also included fitting of the larger 930 Turbo disc brakes and adjustable anti-roll bars. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 908 Porsche 908 LH Flunder Spyder

Porsche 908 LH Flunder Spyder (1969 – 1975)

The longer tail 908 Spyders were created only with the Flunder body - the body that's upper surface is almost flat between the axles - and not with the "normal" curvy Spyder body. Very few LH Flunders were created, both with 908/02 and 908/01 chassis numbers. 908 LH Flunder Spyder was first used at the 1969 Le Mans 24h race by Jo Siffert and Brian Redman, but they had to retire because of the gearbox failure. The only excellent result was 3rda at the 1970 Le Mans. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche 911 (997)997 GT3 R Hybrid

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 (2011)

The Porsche 997 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 is an update to the 997 GT3 R Hybrid. Compared to its predecessor, which debuted in 2010, the 2011 second-generation hybrid is 20 percent lighter and more efficient without any concession to lap times. While sharing the same paint scheme, the new vehicle is easily identified by its lack of intakes in front of each rear wheel - changes to engine cooling allowed the slats to be dropped and aerodynamic efficiency improved. It gets a traditional race-bred flat six engine. The GT3 R Hybrid has a completely independent second driveline in the front of the chassis, a clever and complex hybrid electric set up that rockets it from standstill to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche 917 Porsche Race Cars Porsche 917 LH-69

Porsche 917 LH-69 (1969)

For the 1969 racing season an absolutely new Porsche 917 with 4.5-litre 12-cylinder engine was created. Ferdinand Piëch relied on the skilfulness of Hans Mezger, who was responsible for the overall construction of the vehicle and its engine. The aim was to create the fastest racing car ever. Short and long tail versions were developed, called as the 917 K ("Kurz" = short in German) and the 917 LH ("Langheck" = long tail). The first car was assembled in December 1968. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche 917 Porsche Race Cars Porsche 917/10 Turbo

Porsche 917/10 Turbo (1972)

The first turbo-Porsche, Can-Am winner 1972, Interserie winner 1972, 1973. The first ever publically seen turbocharged Porsche was the 917/10 Turbo with chassis number 917/10-011. It was entered for the June 11, 1972 Can-Am Mosport race. Mark Donohue was fastest in the qualification with it, but scored second in the 80 laps race after the 8.1-litre McLaren. The Porsche Turbo era had begun. Eight 917/10 were racing in 1972 in Can-Am and in Interserie. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche 917 Porsche Race Cars Porsche 917/20 Turbo

Porsche 917/20 Turbo (1973 – 1974)

The 917/20 Turbo is a confusing car - its chassis number reads 917/30-001, but it is not the real 917/30. In its first race it was called as the 917/10 Turbo. Sharp eye can detect that it was not just the 917/10 Turbo, but an evolution of it. At the same time it was not the evolution of the 1971 Le Mans 917/20. Still, the car should not be called as the 917/30 to distinct it from the "real" 917/30 Can-Am racers and in 1974 it was decided to call it as the 917/20 Turbo. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 906 Porsche 906 Carrera 6

Porsche 906 Carrera 6 (K Coupé) (1966)

Developed for endurance sports car racing, the 906 was a street-legal racing car that raced in the FIA's Group 4 class against cars like the Ferrari Dino 206 P. They often won their class behind the much larger prototypes such as the Ford GT40 Mk II and Ferrari 330 P3/4. Based off the same principles as the 904, the 906 used a boxed steel chassis with a fiberglass body that added rigidity to the design. The greatest success of the Porsche Carrera 6 "Standard" was undoubtedly the victory at the Targa Florio 1966. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche 917 Porsche Race Cars Porsche 917 K-70

Porsche 917 K-70 (1970)

The 917 Kurzheck Coupé (917K) first appeared in 1970 and contributed more to the Porsche 917 story than any other variant. It was a high-down force version that featured a cut-off tail for increased downforce. This reduced the cars top speed, as much as 30 mph. Le Mans winner 1970, Interserie winner 1970 and Manufacturers' World Championship for Porsche in 1970. Read More

Porsche 356 B Model In Depth Porsche 356

Porsche 356B/1600GS Carrera GTL Abarth (1960 – 1961)

In keeping with FIA regulations, Porsche created a new lightweight 356 with help from Abarth. After Porsche had considered numerous Italian companies to manufacture a lightweight 356 body, they settled on Abarth. Franco Scaglione penned the first initial drawings which attempted to reduce frontal area, overall height. Included was an adjustable scoop on the rear deck lid. Made entirely of aluminum, Abarth's body was smaller than the Reutter 356. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche 911 (F-Series)911 T/R

Porsche 911 T/R (1968)

To homologate the 1968 911 for competition purposes, Porsche began with the Spartan 911 T which were a full 54 kg (118 pounds) lighter than their 'S' siblings. Porsche offered clients the opportunity to buy a 911 T outfitted with competition equipment directly from the factory, and the resulting cars have become known as the 911 T/R. They were built in low quantities to a range of specifications depending on their intended competition purposes. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 908 Porsche 908/03 Spyder

Porsche 908/03 Spyder (1969 – 1971)

Although Porsche concentrated primarily on development of its twelve cylinder 917 from the middle of 1969, the eight cylinder 908 was also developed further. This 908 received a completely new tubular frame based on that of the 909 Bergspyder and its three liter engine was moved forward by mounting the gearbox ahead of the differential to achieve more equal weight distribution. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 907 Porsche 907 LH

Porsche 907 LH (1967 – 1968)

In 1967, Porsche brought a new kind of car to Le Mans. The 907 had a small flat-six and incredibly low bodywork, was aerodynamically optimized. Ford won Le Mans, but the 907 proved its worth. At the end of March, 1968, Porsche had four type 907 chassis ready, and brought them to the 24 Hours of Daytona. Fully developed, the 907 now used a 2195 cc aircooled, magnesium alloy flat-eight with Bosch fuel injection, good for 278 bhp at 8700 rpm. The 907LH (lang heck, or long tail) was slippery, stonking fast and wicked hard to drive. And it won. Read More

Porsche 645 Spyder, Solitude 1956, Richard von Frankenburg

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 645 Spyder

Porsche 645 Spyder (1953)

Planned as a successor to the Porsche 550. A one off prototype was the 1956 super-light design utilising one of the spare 550 frames – 550-098 called ‘Mickey Maus’ which, with Richard von Frankenberg at the wheel, was reduced to a melted wreck that same year in a spectacular crash at the Avus race track. Known as Type 645, it was the beginnings of the new Type 718 Porsche with a shorter wheel base and unique suspension. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 909

Porsche 909 Bergspyder (1968)

The pinnacle for hillclimb racing was the mid-1960s and perhaps the most extreme machine of the era was the Porsche 909 Bergspyder. It took weight saving to the extreme. The 909 Bergspyder did not win a major event. It ended up being an awesome laboratory of ideas (not all worked). The 909 Bergspyder was based on the 910, but Piëch had tasked his team of engineers, including the legendary Peter Falk, to remove weight on every component. Read More

Porsche RS Spyder Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars

Porsche RS Spyder Evo (2007 – 2010)

Following a development year with Penske Motorsports in ALMS, Porsche revealed the final version of their LMP2 contender for the 2007 season. Known as the 'EVO' model, it had a host of upgrades that made it suitable for customer-funded teams to successfully compete. This model dominated the P2 class at events like Le Mans and Sebring. It raced from 2007 till 2010 with strong results across the board. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche Race Cars Porsche 904 Porsche 904 Bergspyder

Porsche 904 Bergspyder (1965 – 1966)

For the underpinnings of the new 904 Bergspyder, the Porsche engineers recycled five chassis originally laid down for a production version of the six-cylinder 904/6 Coupes. The steel platform chassis of the 904 was reinforced with cross-braces to compensate for the rigidity that had originally been provided by the coupe body. The Bergspyders were tried with both the exotic twin-cam eight-cylinder engine and a highly tuned flat six. Read More

Model In Depth Porsche 917 Porsche Race Cars Porsche 917 K-71

Porsche 917 K-71 (1971)

The “shark fins” on the tail gave the Porsche 917 KH 1971 greater directional stability and reduced wind resistance by 11 percent. In 1971 a veritable armada of six Porsche 917s started at Le Mans. The car with start number 22 was special. The white race car with the characteristic Martini stripes had the new “shark fins” on the tail that Porsche had first used in pretraining in April. This 917 was also the first Porsche with a magnesium tubular frame to be used in a race. Read More

Porsche 911 Model In Depth Porsche 911 (991)991 GT2 RS

Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 (2021)

Porsche will only build 30 examples of the Clubsport 25. Mechanically, it's similar to the regular GT2 RS Clubsport. It makes the 691 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six. But it gets many, many changes to the exterior and even the cooling system. As you can clearly see, the body has been lengthened, and it has also been widened. The latter is necessary to house the wide, low-offset 18-inch wheels taken from the Porsche 935, though without the aerodynamic covers. Read More

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