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1960 Porsche 718/2 news, pictures, and information | ||
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In 1960, the 718/2 won the unofficial Formula Two Manufacturers World Championship 'Coupe des Constructeurs.' The following year, it was used successful in Formula One competition.
By Daniel Vaughan | May 2011
1959/60 Porsche 718 RS 60 Spyder
Automobile sport was part of the picture for the fledgling Porsche sports car firm from the first. The 356 quickly became popular around the world, in the hands of private drivers wîth sporting ambitions. New racesports cars were developed in Zuffenhausen at the beginning of the fifties: the1.5 liter 550 Spyder proved a shark in the goldfish bowl against larger-displacement competitors in major races. This Spyder used the first engine developed by Porsche for Porsche: the Type 547 wîth 1.5 liter displacement and four, shaft-driven, overhead camshafts.Porsche had made the change from a floor pan to tubular space frame for racesport construction, established the five-speed gearbox, continued to increase performance and fitted larger drum brakes. These improvements, along wîth countless other modifications, kept the Spyder at the head of the ' small sports car class ' (up to 1500 cc) throughout the fifties.
But 1960 brought new regulations for racesports cars, leading to the Spyder RS 60 wîth displacement increased to 1600 cc, larger windshield, a 'functional' top and a regulation trunk in the tail, behind a four-cam engine which now produced 160 HP. This RS 60 brought Porsche its finest results up to that time, particularly in long-distance events. While an overall victory in the 44th Targa Florio in 1960 by Bonnier/Herrmann, wîth a lead of more than 6 minutes over a 3 liter Ferrari, was within the range of previous achievements - sports cars from Zuffenhausen had already captured overall Targa Florio victories in l956 and 1959 - a new Porsche chapter opened wîth the first appearance of the RS 60 at the 12 hours of Sebring in the ÚSA. Olivier Gendebien and Hans Herrmann won outright while Holbert/Scheckter/Fowler drove a second factory RS 60 into second, ahead of Nethercutt/Lovely in a 3 liter Ferrari Dino. Swiss driver Heini Walter, at the wheel of an RS 60, secured Porsche's third and fourth European Hillclimb Championships in 1960 and 1961, following those from 1958 by Count Berghe von Trips and 1959 by Edgar Barth.Source - Porsche
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 1960
Porsche
models |
| Porsche 356 Carrera GT |
| Porsche 356 GS/GT |
| Porsche 356B |
| Porsche 356B Super 90 |
| Porsche 718/RS60 |
| Similar Automakers | |
| Aston Martin | Bentley |
| Bugatti | Devon |
| Ferrari | GTA |
| Koenigsegg | Lamborghini |
| Lotus | Maserati |
| Maybach | McLaren |
| Rolls-Royce | Spyker |
| Tesla | |
| Porsche: 1950-1960 |
| Similar Automakers |
| Porsche History |
| Other models by Porsche |
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Related Drivers
Joakim 'Jo' Bonnier
Carel Godin de Beaufort
Daniel Sexton Gurney
Hans Herrmann Philip Toll Hill, Jr Gerhard Karl Mitter Bernardus Marinus Pon
Nino Vaccarella
Heini WalterRelated Teams
Ecurie Filipinetti Ecurie Maarsbergen Porsche KG Porsche System Engineering Scuderia Serenissima 1960 Formula One Season
| Race | Circuit | Date | Winning Driver | Constructor |
 Argentine Grand Prix | Oscar Gálvez | Feb 1960 |  Bruce Leslie McLaren | Cooper |
 Monaco Grand Prix | Monaco | May 1960 |  Sir Stirling Moss | Lotus |
| Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | May 1960 | Watson | |
| Dutch Grand Prix | Zandvoort | Jun 1960 |  Sir John Arthur 'Jack' Brabham | Cooper |
 Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps | Jun 1960 | Sir John Arthur 'Jack' Brabham | Cooper |
 French Grand Prix | Reims-Gueux | Jul 1960 | Sir John Arthur 'Jack' Brabham | Cooper |
| British Grand Prix | Silverstone | Jul 1960 | Sir John Arthur 'Jack' Brabham | Cooper |
 Portuguese Grand Prix | Circuito da Boavista | Aug 1960 | Sir John Arthur 'Jack' Brabham | Cooper |
| Italian Grand Prix | Monza | Sep 1960 | Philip Toll Hill, Jr | Ferrari |
| United States Grand Prix | Riverside International | Nov 1960 | Sir Stirling Moss | Lotus |
| 356 550/718 Sports Racing Cars 597 904 | 906 907 908 911 | 912 914 917 924 | 928 934/935 944 956 and 962 | 968 Boxster Carrera GT Cayenne | Cayman GT3 Panamera Type 959 |
