Porsche in motorsport
Encyclopedia
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....
has been successful in many branches of motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
of which most have been in long distance races.
Despite their early involvement in motorsports being limited to supplying relatively small engines to racing underdogs up until the late 1960s, by the mid-1950s Porsche had already tasted moderate success in the realm of sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
, most notably in the Carrera Panamericana
Carrera Panamericana
The Carrera Panamericana was a border-to-border sports car racing event on open roads in Mexico similar to the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio in Italy. Running for five consecutive years from 1950 to 1954, it was widely held by contemporaries to be the most dangerous race of any type in the world...
and Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
, classic races which were later used in the naming of street cars. The Porsche 917
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6...
of 1969 turned them into a power house, winning in 1970 the first of over a dozen 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...
, more than any other company. With the 911 Carrera RS and the Porsche 935
Porsche 935
The Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976, as the factory racing version of the Porsche 911 turbo prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules. It was an evolution of the Porsche Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype which had scored 2nd overall in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans....
Turbo, Porsche dominated the 1970s, and even has beaten sports prototypes, a category in which Porsche entered the successful 936, 956 and 962 models.
Porsche is currently the world's largest race car manufacturer. In 2006, Porsche built 195 race cars for various international motor sports events, and in 2007 Porsche is expected to construct no less than 275 dedicated race cars (7 RS Spyder
Porsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder is a racing car designed by Porsche to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 racing. The car takes its name from the legendary 550 Spyder of the 1950s...
LMP2 prototypes, 37 GT2 spec 911 GT3-RSRs, and 231 911 GT3 Cup vehicles).
Porsche regards racing as an essential part of ongoing engineering development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
—it was traditionally very rare for factory-entered Porsche racing cars to appear at consecutive races in the same specification. Some aspect of the car almost invariably, was being developed, whether for the future race programs or as proof of concept for future road cars.
Early years
As Porsche only had small capacity road and racing cars in the 1950s and 1960s, they scored many wins in their classes, and occasionally also overall victories against bigger cars, most notably winning the Targa FlorioTarga Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
in 1956, 1959, 1960, 1964, and every year from 1966 to 1970 in prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s that lacked horsepower relative to the competition, but which made up for that, with reliability, low drag, low weight and good handling.
In their September 2003 publication, Excellence
Excellence (magazine)
Excellence: The Magazine About Porsche is a magazine published by Ross Periodicals for owners and fans of Porsche cars....
magazine identified Lake Underwood
Lake Underwood
Lake Underwood was an American entrepreneur who competed as a champion in the racing of prototype automobiles and motorcycles...
as Porsche's quiet giant in the United States and he is among the four drivers, including Art Bunker, Bob Holbert, and Charlie Wallace
Charlie Wallace
Charlie Wallace is a former English footballer who played for Aston Villa, Crystal Palace F.C. and Oldham Athletic A.F.C.....
who are identified by the Porsche Club of America
Porsche Club of America
The Porsche Club of America is an organization of Porsche enthusiasts in the United States and Canada. It is organized into 139 regions, which are grouped into 13 zones...
as having made Porsche a giant-killer in the USA during the 1950s and early 1960s. Notable early successes in the USA also included an overall win in the 1964 Road America 500
Road America 500
The Road America 500 is a sports car race held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The event began in 1950, and in 1951 was added to the SCCA National Sports Car Championship. Following a spectator death at the 1952 Watkins Glen Grand Prix, racing on open roads was discouraged, and the...
for an under-2-litre RS-60 driven by Bill Wuesthoff and Augie Pabst.
Porsche started racing with lightweight, tuned derivatives of the 356
Porsche 356
The Porsche 356 was the company's first production automobile. It was a lightweight and nimble handling rear-engine rear-wheel-drive 2 door sports car available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports...
road car, but rapidly moved on to campaigning dedicated racing cars, with the 550
Porsche 550
The Porsche 550 was a sports car produced by Porsche from 1953-1956.Inspired by the Porsche 356 which was created by Ferry Porsche, and some spyder prototypes built and raced by Walter Glöckler starting in 1951, the factory decided to build a car designed for use in auto racing. The model Porsche...
, 718
Porsche 718
The Porsche 718 is an open-cockpit racing car build by Porsche between 1957 and 1962.The 718 was a development of the already successful 550A with improvements being made to the body work and suspension. The new front frame resembled the letter K if viewed from the front and this led to the car...
, RS, and RSK models being the backbone of the company's racing programme through to the mid 1960s. The 90x series of cars in the 60s saw Porsche start to expand from class winners that stood a chance of overall wins in tougher races where endurance and handling mattered, to likely overall victors. Engines did not surpass two litres until the rule makers limited the capacity of the prototype class to 3 litres after 1967, as the four-litre Ferrari P
Ferrari P
The Ferrari P series were prototype sports cars in the 1960s and early 1970s.Although Enzo Ferrari resisted the move even with Cooper dominating F1, Ferrari began producing mid-engined racing cars in 1960 with the Ferrari Dino-V6-engine Formula Two 156, which would be turned into the Formula...
series and the seven-litre Ford GT40
Ford GT40
The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969...
became too fast. Porsche first expanded its 8-cyl flat engine to 2.2 litres in the 907, then developed the 908
Porsche 908
The Porsche 908 was a racing car from Porsche, introduced in 1968 to continue the Porsche 906/Porsche 910/Porsche 907 series of models designed under Ferdinand Piech....
with full three litres in 1968. Based on this 8-cyl flat engine and a loophole in the rules, the 4.5-litre flat 12 917
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6...
was introduced in 1969, eventually expanded to five litres, and later even to 5.4 and turbocharged. Within few years, Porsche with the 917 had grown from underdog to the supplier of the fastest (380 km/h at Le Mans) and most powerful (1580 hp in CanAm) race car in the world.
Five decades of Porsche 911 success
Even though introduced in 1963, and winning the Rally Monte Carlo, the Porsche 911 classicPorsche 911 classic
The original Porsche 911 was a sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. The famous, distinctive, and durable design was introduced in autumn 1963 and built until 1989...
(built until 1989) established his reputation in production-based road racing mainly in the 1970a.
- Porsche 911 Carrera RSR, winner of the Targa Florio, Daytona and Sebring in the mid-1970s
- Porsche 934Porsche 934The Porsche 934 was a racing version of the Porsche 911 Turbo, prepared to FIA Group 4 rules, similar to the Porsche 935 which was prepared to FIA Group 5 rules.-History:...
- Porsche 935Porsche 935The Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976, as the factory racing version of the Porsche 911 turbo prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules. It was an evolution of the Porsche Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype which had scored 2nd overall in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans....
, winner in Le Mans 1979
Due to rules, the 911 was not used very much in the 1980s, but returned in the 1990s as the Porsche 993
Porsche 993
The Porsche 993 is the company's internal name for the version of the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between late 1993 and early 1998, replacing the 964...
, like the GT2 turbo model. The water-cooled Porsche 996
Porsche 996
The Porsche 996 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between 1998 and 2005. It has since been replaced by the Type 997...
series became a success in racing after the GT3 variant was introduced in 1999.
24 Hours of Le Mans successes
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6...
is considered one of the most iconic sports racing cars of all time and gave Porsche their first 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...
win, while open-top versions of it dominated Can-Am racing. After dominating Group 4, 5, and 6 racing in the 1970s with the 911-based 934
Porsche 934
The Porsche 934 was a racing version of the Porsche 911 Turbo, prepared to FIA Group 4 rules, similar to the Porsche 935 which was prepared to FIA Group 5 rules.-History:...
and 935
Porsche 935
The Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976, as the factory racing version of the Porsche 911 turbo prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules. It was an evolution of the Porsche Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype which had scored 2nd overall in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans....
and the prototype 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...
, Porsche moved on to dominate Group C
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....
and IMSA
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
GTP
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
in the 1980s with the Porsche 956
Porsche 956
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...
/962C
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...
, one of the most prolific and successful sports prototype racers ever produced.
Porsche scored a couple of unexpected Le Mans wins in 1996 and 1997. A return to prototype racing in the USA was planned for 1995 with a Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
Tom Walkinshaw Racing , was an auto racing team and engineering firm founded in 1976 by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.-History:TWR started by modifying BMW 3.0 CSLs, but soon was contracted to head Mazda's works program in the British Touring Car Championship. The TWR developed RX-7, with Win...
chassis formerly used as the Jaguar XJR-14
Jaguar XJR-14
The Jaguar XJR-14 was a sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season.-Introduction:The 1991 season marked the introduction of the FIA’s new, and controversial, 3.5 Litre Formula which replaced the highly successful Group C category that had been used in...
and the Mazda MXR-01
Mazda MXR-01
The Mazda MXR-01 was a Group C sportscar used by Mazda's factory team Mazdaspeed in the 1992 World Sportscar Championship season. It would be the final Mazda entry in sportscars since the inception of their Le Mans project in 1983.-Development:...
fitted with a Porsche engine. IMSA rule changes struck this car out of the running and the private Joest Racing
Joest Racing
Joest Racing is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest...
team raced the cars in Europe for two years, winning back-to-back Le Mans with the same chassis, termed the Porsche WSC-95
Porsche WSC-95
The Porsche WSC-95 was a Le Mans Prototype built for Porsche by Tom Walkinshaw Racing and run by Joest Racing, yet can trace its origin to a Jaguar sports car designed in 1991...
. This is a feat Porsche had also achieved in the 956 era, contrasting with the 1960s and 1970s where most cars ran only one or two races for the works before being sold on.
Since winning overall in 1998 with the Porsche 911 GT1
Porsche 911 GT1
The Porsche 911 GT1 was a car designed for competition in the GT1 class of sportscar racing, which also required a street legal version for homologation purposes...
-98, Porsche has not attempted to score overall wins at Le Mans and similar sports car races, focusing on smaller classes and developing the water-cooled 996 GT3. Nevertheless, the GT3 and the LMP2 RS Spyder
Porsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder is a racing car designed by Porsche to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 racing. The car takes its name from the legendary 550 Spyder of the 1950s...
have won major races overall since.
Teams and sponsorship
In the 1960s, Porsche grew into a major competitor in sports car racing, sometimes entering half a dozen cars which were soon sold to customers. Apart from the factory team, calling itself Porsche AG or Porsche System Engineering since 1961, Austrian-based Porsche SalzburgPorsche Salzburg
Porsche Salzburg was an entrant in the 1969 World Sportscar Championship season and 1970 World Sportscar Championship season, representing Porsche in motorsport....
was set up in 1969 as a second works team to share the work load, providing the much sought first overall win at Le Mans, in 1970. Martini Racing
Martini Racing
Martini Racing is the name under which various motor racing teams raced when sponsored by the Martini & Rossi distillery that produces Martini vermouth. Martini's sponsorship program began in 1968...
and John Wyer
John Wyer
John Wyer was an English automobile racing engineer and team manager. He is mainly associated with cars running in the lightblue and orange livery of his longtime sponsorship partner Gulf Oil.As team manager and team owner, Wyer won the 24 Hours of Le Mans several times...
's Gulf Racing were other teams receiving factory support, allowing Zuffenhausen to focus on development, while the teams provided the sponsorship funds and manpower to be present and successful at many international races. In CanAm, Porsche cooperated with Penske, while in Deutsche Rennsportmeisterschaft, customers like 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...
, Georg Loos and Joest Racing
Joest Racing
Joest Racing is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest...
enjoyed various degrees of factory support. After appearing as Martini Porsche in the mid-1970s, the factory entered as Rothmans Porsche in the mid-1980s.
Many Porsche race cars are run successfully by customer teams, financed and run without any factory support; often they have beaten the factory itself.
Recently, 996-generation 911
Porsche 996
The Porsche 996 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between 1998 and 2005. It has since been replaced by the Type 997...
GT3s have dominated their class at Le Mans and similar endurance and GT races. The late 1990s saw the rise of racing success for Porsche with The Racer's Group
The Racer's Group
The Racer's Group, or TRG, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Camping World Truck Series and Rolex Sports Car Series racing team located in Petaluma, California owned by Kevin Buckler and his wife Debra. In addition to stock car racing, TRG has competed professionally in road racing since 1995...
, a team owned by Kevin Buckler
Kevin Buckler
Kevin Buckler is an American racecar driver and entrepreuener. He founded Adobe Road Winery and currently owns The Racer's Group, a professional sports car racing team, and a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team,...
in Northern California. In 2002, Buckler won the 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
GT Class and 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...
GT Class. In 2003, a 911 run by The Racers Group (TRG) became the first GT Class vehicle since 1977 to take the overall 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
victory. At the 24h Nürburgring, factory-backed Manthey Racing GT3 won since 2006. The team of Olaf Manthey, based at the Nürburgring, had entered the semi-works GT3-R in 1999.
Rally
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
proved to be a serious competitor in rallies
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
. The Porsche works team was occasionally present in rallying from the 1960s to late 1970s. Porsche notably took three double wins in a row in the Monte Carlo Rally
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
; in 1968 with Vic Elford
Vic Elford
Victor Henry Elford is a former sportscar racing, rallying and Formula One driver from England. He participated in 13 World Championship F1 Grands Prix, debuting on 7 July 1968...
and Pauli Toivonen
Pauli Toivonen
Pauli Toivonen was a Finnish rally car driver. He drove for Citroën, Lancia and Porsche and had many successes to his credit...
, and in 1969 and 1970 with Björn Waldegård
Björn Waldegård
Björn Waldegård from Rimbo is a former Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979...
and Gérard Larrousse
Gérard Larrousse
Gérard Larrousse is a former sports car racing, rallying and Formula One driver from France.He participated in two Grands Prix, debuting on 12 May 1974, scoring no championship points. He drove Brabham BT42s for Scuderia Finotto....
. In 1970, Porsche also edged Alpine-Renault to win the International Championship for Manufacturers
International Championship for Manufacturers
The FIA International Championship for Manufacturers was a rally series culminating in a champion manufacturer. The championship was run from 1970 to 1972 and it was replaced by the FIA World Rally Championship in 1973...
(IMC), the predecessor to the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
(WRC). Porsche's first podium finish in the WRC was Leo Kinnunen
Leo Kinnunen
Leo Juhani "Leksa" Kinnunen is a Finnish former car racer, the first Formula One driver from his country. He is also remembered for his success in sportscar racing and rallying....
's third place at the 1973 1000 Lakes Rally
1973 1000 Lakes Rally
The 1973 1000 Lakes Rally was the 23rd running of the 1000 Lakes Rally , and the eighth round of the inaugural World Rally Championship season. Run in early August in central Finland, this rally marked a distinct change from the previous event in the series, the 33 Rajd Polski...
.
Although the Porsche factory team withdrew from the WRC with no wins to their name, the best private 911s were often close to other brands' works cars. Jean-Pierre Nicolas
Jean-Pierre Nicolas
Jean-Pierre Nicolas is a retired French professional rally driver who competed mainly in the 1970s.Nicolas took five WRC event wins in the World Rally Championship...
managed to win the 1978 Monte Carlo Rally with a private 911 SC, and Porsche's second, and so far last, WRC win came at the 1980 Tour de Corse
Tour de Corse
The Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rally first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It was part of the World Rally Championship from the inaugural 1973 season to 2008. The name "Tour de Corse" refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island; nowadays it only features...
in the hands of Jean-Luc Thérier
Jean-Luc Thérier
Jean-Luc Thérier is a French former rally driver. He was the highest scoring driver in the inaugural World Rally Championship in 1973 and the only one to win three events...
. In the European Rally Championship
European Rally Championship
The European Rally Championship is the European continental championship series in rallying. It is organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile .-History:...
, the 911 was driven to five titles, and as late as 1984, Henri Toivonen
Henri Toivonen
Henri Pauli Toivonen was a Finnish rally driver born in Jyväskylä, the home of Rally Finland. His father, Pauli Toivonen, was the 1968 European Rally Champion for Porsche and his brother, Harri Toivonen, became a professional circuit racer.Toivonen's first World Rally Championship victory came...
took his Prodrive
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
-built and Rothmans
Rothmans International plc
Rothmans International plc was a British tobacco manufacturer. Its brands included Rothmans and Dunhill. Its international headquarters were in Hill Street, London and its international operations were run from Denham Place, Denham Village in Buckinghamshire...
-sponsored 911 SC RS to second place behind Carlo Capone
Carlo Capone
Carlo Capone was an Italian rally racing driver. He claimed the European Rally Championship in 1984 with a Lancia 037 in front of the late Henri Toivonen in a Porsche 911.-References:...
and the Lancia Rally 037. In 1984 and 1986, the Porsche factory team won the Paris Dakar Rally, also using the 911 derived Porsche 959
Porsche 959
The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of 200 street legal units be built....
Group B
Group B
Group B was a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rallying regulated by the FIA. The Group B regulations fostered some of the quickest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were...
supercar.
Single-seaters
Despite Ferdinand Porsche having designed Grand Prix cars in the 1920s and 1930s, the Porsche AG never felt at home in single seater series.
Porsche 718
The Porsche 718 is an open-cockpit racing car build by Porsche between 1957 and 1962.The 718 was a development of the already successful 550A with improvements being made to the body work and suspension. The new front frame resembled the letter K if viewed from the front and this led to the car...
RSK, a two-seater sports car, in the late 1950s was also entered in Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
races, as rules permitted this, and lap times were promising. The 718 first was modified by moving the seat into the center of the car, then also proper open wheelers were built. These 1500 cc cars enjoyed some success. The former F2 were moved up to 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...
in 1961, where Porsche's outdated design was not competitive. For , a newly developed flat-eight powered and sleek Porsche 804
Porsche 804
The Porsche 804 was a Formula One racing car produced in , following the 718 and 787.The flat-8 air-cooled engine powered car developed 180 hp at 9,200 rpm gave Porsche its only F1 wins as a chassis maker, at the 1962 French Grand Prix, and at the Solituderennen at Castle Solitude in Stuttgart,...
produced Porsche's only win as a constructor in a championship race, claimed by Dan Gurney
Dan Gurney
Daniel Sexton Gurney is an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner.The son of a Metropolitan Opera star, he was born in Port Jefferson, New York, but moved to California as a teenager...
at the 1962 French Grand Prix
1962 French Grand Prix
The 1962 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Rouen-Les-Essarts on July 8, 1962.- Classification :* Scuderia Ferrari withdrew from the event, and their allocated numbers of 2, 4 and 6 were not used...
. One week later, he repeated the success in front of Porsche's home crowd on Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
's Solitude in a non-championship race. At the end of the season, Porsche withdrew from F1 due to the high costs, just having acquired the Reutter factory. Volkswagen and German branches of suppliers had no interest in a F1 commitment as this series was too far away from road cars. Privateers continued to enter the out-dated Porsche 718 in F1 until 1964.
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...
units for the McLaren Team. For aerodynamic reasons, the Porsche-typical flat engine was out of the question for being too wide. The TAG engine was designed to very tight requirements issued by McLaren's John Barnard
John Barnard
John Barnard is a race car designer and is currently working alongside Terence Woodgate designing high specification carbon fibre furniture....
-he specified the physical layout of the engine to match the design of his proposed car. The engine was funded by TAG who retained the naming rights to it, although the engines bore "made by Porsche" identification. TAG-Porsche-powered cars took two constructor championships in and , three driver crowns between and . The engines powered McLaren to 25 victories between 1984 and .
Porsche returned to F1 again in as an engine supplier, however, this time with disastrous results: The Footwork Arrows
Footwork Arrows
Footwork Arrows was the name of a Formula One motor racing team, competing during the mid-1990s. Japanese businessman Wataru Ohashi, who was the president of Footwork Express Co., Ltd., a Japanese logistics company, began investing heavily in the Arrows team in 1990, the deal including requiring...
cars powered with the overweight double-V6 which weighed 400 pounds (180 kg), (the engine was in fact 2 combined TAG engines used by McLaren from 1983 to 1987 minus the turbochargers) failed to score a single point, and failed even to qualify for over half the races that year. After the Porsche engines was sacked by Footwork in favor of Cosworth DFRs, Porsche has not participated in Formula One since.
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
entry in the late 1970s with a turbocharged 911-based engine in a bespoke car for Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...
and the Interscope team; failure to agree turbo boost levels with USAC
United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
meant that this was shelved, although the engine later became the basis of that used in the 956 and 962. Porsche returned to CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
in 1988 with a turbo V8 in their own 2708 chassis but this did not enjoy any success and a March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
chassis scored their only wins. The Derrick Walker owned and managed team was then sponsored by Quaker State and the drivers were Italian Teo Fabi
Teo Fabi
Teodorico Fabi , better known as Teo Fabi, is an Italian former racing driver.-Career:Fabi participated in 71 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on January 23, 1982. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 23 championship points...
and American John Andretti
John Andretti
John Andretti is an American race car driver. He has won in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series and NASCAR. He was the last NASCAR driver to win a Cup race for the famous Petty Enterprises team.-Andretti family:...
.
During the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Porsche chairman Matthias Mueller made a statement hinting to a possible Porsche return to Formula 1. Specifically, Mueller stated that either Porsche or Audi would compete in Le Mans while the other would turn to Formula 1. Previously, Audi's motorsport boss Wolfgang Ulrich had already stated that Audi and Formula 1 "do not fit."
Porsche Carrera Cup one-make series
Porsche has sponsored Porsche Carrera CupPorsche Carrera Cup
Porsche Carrera Cup is a number of one-make sports car racing series competed with Porsche 911 Carreras, including the following:-Regional:...
one-make racing series by providing cars and support since 1990, starting with the Porsche 964
Porsche 964
The Porsche 964 is the company's internal name for the version of the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between 1989 and 1994. It featured significant styling revisions over previous versions of the 911, most prominently the more integrated bumpers , although it was still obviously a 911...
RS, later using 993 RS, 996 GT3 and 997 GT3 Cup. Series are held in Germany, France, Britain
Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain is a one make racing series that takes place in the United Kingdom for the Porsche 911. It is currently one of the support series for the British Touring Car Championship...
, Asia, plus the international Supercup
Porsche Supercup
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is the international motor racing series supporting the FIA Formula One World Championship organized by Porsche AG....
.
Stock and lightly modified Porsches are raced in many competitions around the world; some of these are primarily amateur classes for enthusiasts, but the Porsche Michelin Supercup is a wholly professional category, raced as a support category for European 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...
rounds.
Today
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
s program after winning the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans
1998 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 66th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 6 and 7 1998.-Race:1998 saw a significant increase in manufacturer involvement. Porsche and Mercedes-Benz remained, with upgraded cars in both GT1 and LMP. Toyota sent three of their new, extremely fast...
with the Porsche 911 GT1
Porsche 911 GT1
The Porsche 911 GT1 was a car designed for competition in the GT1 class of sportscar racing, which also required a street legal version for homologation purposes...
for financial reasons, facing factory competition from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and others. An LMP1 prototype with a V10 engine, intended to be entered in 2000, was abandoned unraced due to an agreement with Audi, a related company led by Porsche co-owner Ferdinand Piech
Ferdinand Piëch
Ferdinand Karl Piëch is an Austrian business magnate, engineer and executive who is currently the chairman of the supervisory board of Volkswagen Group....
. The V10 was used in the Porsche Carrera GT
Porsche Carrera GT
The Porsche Carrera GT is a mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Porsche in Leipzig, Germany.- History :The development of the Carrera GT can be traced back to the 911 GT1 and LMP1-98 racing cars. Due in part to the FIA and ACO rule changes in 1998, both designs had ended. Porsche at...
instead, while Audi dominated Le Mans after BMW, Mercedes and Toyota moved to F1.
Porsche made a comeback in the LMP2 category in 2005 with the new RS Spyder
Porsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder is a racing car designed by Porsche to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 racing. The car takes its name from the legendary 550 Spyder of the 1950s...
prototype, although this was run by closely associated customer teams rather than by the works. This was not welcomed very much, as rule makers intend the LMP1 category for factory entries, while the LMP2 should be reserved for privateers. Based on LMP2 regulations, the RS Spyder made its debut for Roger Penske
Roger Penske
Roger S. Penske is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive related businesses. A winning racer in the late 1950s, Penske was named 1961's Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
's team at Laguna Seca during the final race of the 2005
2005 American Le Mans Series season
The 2005 American Le Mans Series season was the 7th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
season, and immediately garnered a class win in the LMP2 class and finishing 5th overall. The nimble albeit less powerful (due to the regulations) RS Spyder clearly possessed the pace to challenge Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
and Lola LMP1 cars in the ALMS. Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
won the LMP2 championship on its first full season in 2006
2006 American Le Mans Series season
The 2006 American Le Mans Series season was the 8th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
and against Acura
Acura
Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006...
in 2007
2007 American Le Mans Series season
The 2007 American Le Mans Series season was the 9th season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2. It began March 17, 2007, and ended October 20, 2007 after 12 races...
and 2008
2008 American Le Mans Series season
The 2008 American Le Mans Series season was the tenth season for the IMSA American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Tourer race cars divided into four classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
. 2007 was the most successful year for the RS Spyder, winning 8 overall races and 11 class wins while the Audi R10 from the larger LMP1 class won only 4 overall victories. The car debuted on European circuits in 2008 and dominated the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
; Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport is a Dutch motorsport company active in both circuit racing and rallying. Established in 2008, under the ownership of Peter Van Merksteijn, Sr. and with Gerard Grouve as team principal, this motorsport company won both the LMP2 class title in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le...
, Team Essex and Horag Racing taking the first three places in the LMP2 championship. Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport
Van Merksteijn Motorsport is a Dutch motorsport company active in both circuit racing and rallying. Established in 2008, under the ownership of Peter Van Merksteijn, Sr. and with Gerard Grouve as team principal, this motorsport company won both the LMP2 class title in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le...
took a class victory at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans
2008 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place on 14–15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The test day was on June 1. The race was attended by 258,000 spectators...
and Team Essex won the LMP2 class at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans
2009 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 77th Grand Prix of Endurance, an endurance auto race run over 24 hours. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest over June 13–14, 2009 and was started by Fiat and Ferrari chairman Luca...
.
The Daytona Prototype
Daytona Prototype
A Daytona Prototype is a type of sports prototype racing car developed specifically for the Grand American Road Racing Association's Rolex Sports Car Series as their top class of car, replacing contemporary open cockpit sports cars, specifically Sports Racing Prototypes...
Action Express Racing Riley-Porsche won the 2010 24 Hours of Daytona
2010 24 Hours of Daytona
The 2010 Rolex 24 at Daytona was the 48th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona and was the first round of the 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series season. It took place between January 30–31, 2010.-Rule changes:...
. This was unusual since the Riley-Porsche was powered by a Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a five seat mid-size luxury crossover manufactured by the German manufacturer Porsche since 2002, with North American sales beginning in 2003. Its platform was developed by Porsche and is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7. It is the first V8-engined vehicle...
SUV based 5.0-litre V8. Porsche refused to develop the V8 for Grand-Am competition and was, instead, built by the Texas-based Lozano Brothers. Since it was not officially sanctioned by Porsche, the company will not technically claim the win.
Major victories and championships
- 14 Makes and Team World Championship (1964, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1994)
- 8 Long Distance World Championship
- 3 IMSA Supercar-Series (1991, 1992, 1993)
- 6 German Racing ChampionshipDeutsche Rennsport MeisterschaftDeutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft or simply DRM as it was known, was a touring car and Sportscar racing series...
(1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985) - 20 European Hill Climbing Championship
- 22 Daytona 24 Hours24 Hours of DaytonaThe 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
(1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2009, 2010) - 15 IMSA Supercar-Race (USA)
- 16 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 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...
- 18 12 Hours of Sebring12 Hours of SebringThe 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
(1960, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 20082008 12 Hours of SebringThe 2008 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida was the 56th running of this event and the opening round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at Sebring International Raceway, Florida on March 15, 2008...
) - 11 Targa FlorioTarga FlorioThe Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
(1956, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973) - 4 Rallye Monte CarloMonte Carlo RallyThe Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
(1968, 1969, 1970, 1978) - 2 Paris-Dakar RallyDakar RallyThe Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
(1984, 1986) - 1 Formula OneFormula OneFormula 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...
victory (19621962 French Grand PrixThe 1962 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Rouen-Les-Essarts on July 8, 1962.- Classification :* Scuderia Ferrari withdrew from the event, and their allocated numbers of 2, 4 and 6 were not used...
)
TAG-Porsche engine in McLaren cars
- 3 Formula One Driver World Championship
- 2 Formula One Constructor World Championship
- 25 Formula One victories (1984, 12 wins; 1985, 6 wins; 1986, 4 wins; 1987, 3 wins)