Porsche 956
Encyclopedia
The Porsche 956 was a Group C
sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer
and built by Porsche
in 1982 for the FIA
World Sportscar Championship
. It was later upgraded to the 956B in 1984.
regulations which were introduced in 1982, the car was a replacement for Porsche's successful 936
model which competed in the previous Group 6
category of the World Championship. The project began in June 1981, and the first prototype chassis was completed on March 27, 1982, in time for the beginning of the World Championship season. Jürgen Barth
tested the first chassis at Porsche's private test track.
The 956 features a chassis made of an aluminium
monocoque, a first for the company, helping to allow the car to meet the 800 kg (1,764 lb) weight minimum in Group C. The engine is the same as the one used in the Porsche 936
, the Type-935 2.65 L turbocharged Flat-6
, producing approximately 635 hp. The very first dual clutch gearbox was also designed for the 956, mated to a traditional 5-speed manual.
An improved chassis with better fuel efficiency from a Bosch
Motronic
electric system was developed for 1984, being termed the 956B. In total, twenty-eight 956s would be built by Porsche from 1982 to 1984, with an unofficial 29th chassis built from spare parts by Richard Lloyd Racing. The 956 was also the first Porsche to have ground effect aerodynamics.
In 1983, 956 chassis #107 was used by Porsche as a testbed for their P01 Formula One
engine, later badged as TAG
and used by McLaren. The car was able to test some of the characteristics of a Formula One car in order to develop the engine.
The 956 would be officially replaced by the Porsche 962
in 1985, an evolution in the 956's design.
The 956 made its debut at the Silverstone
6 Hour race, the second round of the World Championship for Makes with Jacky Ickx
and Derek Bell
driving for the factory. After missing the following round at the 1000 km Nürburgring for developmental reasons, the Ickx/Bell unit reappeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
. They led the race for the entire 24 hours, eventually taking the overall win - their third win together. As they had already won in 1981 with a Porsche 936
that had used an early version of the 956 engine, their car had start number 1. The two other factory 956 followed them, so the three factory Porsches finished 1-2-3 in the order of their starting numbers.
Boosted by this success, Porsche sold customer versions of the 956 to privateer teams such as Joest Racing
, Obermaier Racing, John Fitzpatrick Racing, Richard Lloyd Racing
, Kremer Racing
and Brun Motorsport
who raced them independently of the factory.
The overall all-time lap record for the demanding 20 km Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in the Eifel Mountains has been achieved during the qualifying session for the 1983 1000km of Nürburgring
, by Stefan Bellof
, who drove his 956 around in 6 minutes 11.13 seconds, at an average speed of 202 km/h (126 mph). The race lap record is held by the same Bellof, during the 1983 1000 km Nürburgring, the lap being clocked at 6:25.91.
At the 1985 1000 km of Spa
, Bellof died after colliding with Jacky Ickx
's newer 962
. Safety concerns over the 956 led to the eventual end as teams upgraded to the safer 962. The 956's last win would come courtesy of Joest Racing
in the last race of the 1986 WEC season, in what also turned out to be the 956's last race.
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer
Norbert Singer
Norbert Singer is a German automotive engineer. He has played a key role in every one of Porsche’s 16 overall race victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Singer was born in Eger , part of Nazi Germany's Sudetenland in 1939....
and built by Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
in 1982 for the FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
. It was later upgraded to the 956B in 1984.
Development
Built to comply with the championship's new Group CGroup C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
regulations which were introduced in 1982, the car was a replacement for Porsche's successful 936
Porsche 936
The Porsche 936 was a racing car introduced in 1976 by Porsche as a delayed successor to the Porsche 908, a three litre sportscar prototype which was retired by the factory after 1971...
model which competed in the previous Group 6
Group 6
Group 6 may refer to:*Group 6 element, chemical element classification*Group 6 , FIA classification for sports car racing*Group 6 Rugby League, rugby league competition in New South Wales, Australia...
category of the World Championship. The project began in June 1981, and the first prototype chassis was completed on March 27, 1982, in time for the beginning of the World Championship season. Jürgen Barth
Jürgen Barth
Jürgen Barth is a German engineer and a former racecar driver. He is the son of Formula One driver and sports car racer Edgar Barth....
tested the first chassis at Porsche's private test track.
The 956 features a chassis made of an aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
monocoque, a first for the company, helping to allow the car to meet the 800 kg (1,764 lb) weight minimum in Group C. The engine is the same as the one used in the Porsche 936
Porsche 936
The Porsche 936 was a racing car introduced in 1976 by Porsche as a delayed successor to the Porsche 908, a three litre sportscar prototype which was retired by the factory after 1971...
, the Type-935 2.65 L turbocharged Flat-6
Flat-6
A flat-6 or horizontally opposed-6 is a flat engine with six cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of three cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...
, producing approximately 635 hp. The very first dual clutch gearbox was also designed for the 956, mated to a traditional 5-speed manual.
An improved chassis with better fuel efficiency from a Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
Motronic
Motronic
Motronic is the trade name given to a range of digital engine-management systems developed by Robert Bosch GmbH, commonly known as Bosch.-Motronic ML1.x:Motronic ML1.x was one of the first digital engine-management systems developed by Bosch...
electric system was developed for 1984, being termed the 956B. In total, twenty-eight 956s would be built by Porsche from 1982 to 1984, with an unofficial 29th chassis built from spare parts by Richard Lloyd Racing. The 956 was also the first Porsche to have ground effect aerodynamics.
In 1983, 956 chassis #107 was used by Porsche as a testbed for their P01 Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
engine, later badged as TAG
Techniques d'Avant Garde
TAG Group SA is a private holding company based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. At the head is Mansour Ojjeh son of the founder of the TAG Group Akram Ojjeh, who was a wealthy Saudi entrepreneur...
and used by McLaren. The car was able to test some of the characteristics of a Formula One car in order to develop the engine.
The 956 would be officially replaced by the Porsche 962
Porsche 962
The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had...
in 1985, an evolution in the 956's design.
Racing history
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
6 Hour race, the second round of the World Championship for Makes with Jacky Ickx
Jacky Ickx
Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx is a Belgian former racing driver who achieved 25 podium finishes in Formula One and six wins in the 24 hours of Le Mans.- Racing career :...
and Derek Bell
Derek Bell (auto racer)
Derek Reginald Bell MBE is a former racing driver from England who was extremely successful in sportscar racing, winning five times at Le Mans. He also raced in Formula One for the Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno teams...
driving for the factory. After missing the following round at the 1000 km Nürburgring for developmental reasons, the Ickx/Bell unit reappeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
. They led the race for the entire 24 hours, eventually taking the overall win - their third win together. As they had already won in 1981 with a Porsche 936
Porsche 936
The Porsche 936 was a racing car introduced in 1976 by Porsche as a delayed successor to the Porsche 908, a three litre sportscar prototype which was retired by the factory after 1971...
that had used an early version of the 956 engine, their car had start number 1. The two other factory 956 followed them, so the three factory Porsches finished 1-2-3 in the order of their starting numbers.
Boosted by this success, Porsche sold customer versions of the 956 to privateer teams such as Joest Racing
Joest Racing
Joest Racing is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest...
, Obermaier Racing, John Fitzpatrick Racing, Richard Lloyd Racing
Richard Lloyd Racing
Richard Lloyd Racing , originally named GTi Engineering, was a British auto racing team created in 1977 by driver Richard Lloyd. Originally named for the Volkswagen Golf GTIs that Lloyd raced in the British Saloon Car Championship , they went on to become a successful Porsche privateer in the...
, Kremer Racing
Kremer Racing
Kremer Racing is a motorsports team based in Cologne, Germany, founded by racing driver Erwin Kremer and his brother Manfred. They have competed internationally with Porsches for nearly all of their existence, and were even one of the factory-backed squads for many years...
and Brun Motorsport
Brun Motorsport
Brun Motorsport GmbH was a Swiss auto racing team founded by driver Walter Brun in 1983. They competed as a Porsche privateer team in sports car racing for their entire existence, running in a multitude of international championships. They notably won the World Sportscar Championship in 1986 and...
who raced them independently of the factory.
The overall all-time lap record for the demanding 20 km Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in the Eifel Mountains has been achieved during the qualifying session for the 1983 1000km of Nürburgring
1983 1000km of Nürburgring
The 1983 1000 km of Nürburgring was an endurance race held at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It was the last ever international race to be held at the Nordschleife, and the following year, the new GP-Strecke track was completed and all international racing was held on that section of the track...
, by Stefan Bellof
Stefan Bellof
Stefan Bellof was a racing driver who is famous for setting the fastest lap ever on the Nordschleife configuration, at the Nürburgring, setting the time in a Porsche 956 in 1983...
, who drove his 956 around in 6 minutes 11.13 seconds, at an average speed of 202 km/h (126 mph). The race lap record is held by the same Bellof, during the 1983 1000 km Nürburgring, the lap being clocked at 6:25.91.
At the 1985 1000 km of Spa
1985 1000 km of Spa
The 1985 1000 km Spa was the seventh round of the 1985 World Endurance Championship. It took place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium on September 1, 1985. In the first half of the race the two leading drivers collided, which resulted in the death of defending Drivers Champion...
, Bellof died after colliding with Jacky Ickx
Jacky Ickx
Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx is a Belgian former racing driver who achieved 25 podium finishes in Formula One and six wins in the 24 hours of Le Mans.- Racing career :...
's newer 962
Porsche 962
The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had...
. Safety concerns over the 956 led to the eventual end as teams upgraded to the safer 962. The 956's last win would come courtesy of Joest Racing
Joest Racing
Joest Racing is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest...
in the last race of the 1986 WEC season, in what also turned out to be the 956's last race.
External links
- Porsche USA - 1982 Porsche 956 C Coupé
- Porsche USA - 1983 Porsche 956 C Coupé
- 962.com - History of the Porsche 956 and 962.
- World Sports Racing Prototypes - Porsche 956 chassis numbers and history