When it comes to motor racing, Formula 1 dominates the media, but back in the late 1960s and early 70s, to many manufacturers, the likes of Le Mans and Can-Am without Formula 1’s endless rules and regulations have been more appealing.
Can-Am (Canada American Racing) especially, was the birthplace and proving ground for what, at the time, was cutting-edge technology. Can-Am cars were among the first racing cars to sport wings, effective turbocharging, ground-effect aerodynamics, and to use aerospace materials like titanium.
1971 McLaren M8F Chevrolet.In the early 1960s, Ferrari 250 models dominated Le Mans and later Ford with their fabulous GT40. On the other side of the Atlantic, Can-Am was ruled by McLaren Chevrolet-powered cars. But then Porsche came along.
The German company was not known for competitive racing, but unlike Ferrari, for example, with their flamboyant eccentricity in Formula 1, Porsche were held in quiet regard for their technical know-how and renowned efficiency. So much so, that many a wary eye must have looked in their direction when they announced their decision to enter the playing field.
With the plan to create a car that would win Le Mans in the unlimited category, the Porsche 917 was born. Designed by Porsche head engineer, Hans Mezger, the car was built on a light tubular space-frame. Initially, power came from a mid-mounted new 4.5-litre flat V12 engine, which basically was a combination of two of their established 911 flat-six engines, but with twin overhead camshafts and twin sparking plugs. As with their traditional flat-six, the V12 was air cooled with a large centrally-mounted fan. By 1970 the Le Mans version had had an optional engine size increased to five litres, punching out a massive 630bhp.
1971 Porsche 917.Many different combinations of tails and spoilers were tried to keep stability, as speeds of over 320km/h were being reached, The ‘Pink Pig’ version being probably the most famous. With weight reduction being all-important, even the tubes of the space frame were utilised to carry engine oil to a front cooler, and the gear knob was made of birch wood.
Despite stiff competition from Ferrari, Ford and Alfa Romeo, in 1970, Porsches were to eclipse the competition at Le Mans and also during the following year. They were able to achieve fastest qualifying lap, fastest in-race lap, longest distance covered, and the highest top speed reaching 388km/h.
Following their success with the 917 in Europe and Le Mans, Porsche decided to focus on the North American markets and the Can-Am Challenge. For that series, larger and more powerful engines were needed and although they experimented with a 16-cylinder, they settled on a turbocharged 850bhp flat V12 with their Penske Racing entry. Despite losing their top driver Mark Donahue that season to injury, their 917/10K version won the 1972 championship, breaking the five-year McLaren winning streak.
1973 Porsche 917-30.
1973 Porsche 917-30 from the rear.
The engine of the 1973 Porsche 917-30.
Unable to compete with the 917, McLaren left the series to enter Formula 1. A wise move, as Porsche were yet to make their ultimate statement by creating the most powerful sports car racer ever built – the 917/30.
“With weight reduction being all-important, even the tubes of the space frame were utilised to carry engine oil to a front cooler”
Remembering this was 1973, and that the car weighed a third less than a Toyota Vitz, it was a monster! Powered by a 5.4-litre flat V12 with twin KKK turbochargers, which, even with the boost turned back, pushed out a mighty 1,150bhp. This gave the 917/30 Spyder a standard race trim performance of 0-100km/h in 2.1 seconds, a 0-160km/h time of 3.9 seconds, and would reach 320km/h in 13.4 seconds with a top speed of nearly 402km/h.
And if you turned up the turbo boost, the 917/30 became ridiculous. With another 400bhp an output figure of 1525bhp was achieved. Now that’s Porsche excess.