Porsche would be back to add an incredible 16 further wins at the famed race, but that hiatus in the early 70s after the 917 until they came back with the 936 was spent turning the 917 into an absolute monster for the American Can-Am series. When the rules were changed to an engine capacity limit of 3000cc, the 917s became ineligible to race. This chapter of Porsche’s history is well documented, and by 1971 Porsche was twice a winner at Le Sarthe. The stunning 917 was the company’s all-out assault to rectify the situation. And at the forefront of that brave new era was of course, Porsche.ĭespite racing for almost 20 years by the late 1960s, Porsche still hadn’t managed to win Le Mans, although they’d come heartbreakingly close in 1969. In the space of just a few years, power and speed that would have been inconceivable became the norm. Understanding the value of on track performance and how it translated into road car sales, manufacturers invested massive budgets and built some of the most exotic and iconic cars to ever grace a racing circuit. If there was ever a golden era of motorsport, I would suggest that it was the 1970s. A version of this story previously appeared in the Porsche Magazine Excellence
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |