1972 Porsche 917/10 Racing Spyder

Designed by Porsche in collaboration with team owner Roger Penske and driver/engineer Mark Donohue, the twin-turbo 1000 horsepower, flat-12 cylinder 917/10 was created to dominate the rich SCCA Can-Am Championship. The North American series of 200-mile sprint races with the largest purses in road racing had been dominated by Team McLaren for five seasons. Porsche aimed to change that with the 917/10.

Big engines, low weight, and few rules made the Can-Am series hugely popular. Mark Donohue said, 'This is the only car I have ever driven that will spin the tires at 200 mph.' With 1150 HP and 800 ft. lbs of torque at full boost, this car went from 0-100 mph in 2.9 seconds and 0-200 mph in 12 seconds flat.

When Donohue was injured in a testing accident at Mosport, Canada George Follmer was hired as his replacement. He won at Road Atlanta, his first race in the Penske 917/10, ultimately racing to five (of nine races) victories. He twice lapped the entire field. With Donohue fit by the end of the 1972 season Team Penske ran a two-car 917/10 Can-Am team with Follmer clinching the championship. Follmer drove this 917/10 again in the 1973 Can-Am for new owner Bobby Rinzler finishing second in the championship to Donohue's even more powerful Team Penske 917/30 (with 1,500 horsepower).

At the close of the 1971 season, the Porsche 917/K was obsolete as it was no longer eligible to race in the world championship. So the company turned its attention to the United States and the Can-Am championship.

The Porsche 917 Spyders were developed from the successful 917 coupes. The 917 Spyders won championships on both sides of the Atlantic - Can-Am and FIA Interseries from 1972 to 1975.

With 800 ft.-lbs. of torque, the cars could race from 0-100 mph in 3 seconds and 0-200 mph in just 12 seconds.

The 917/10 was technically similar to the 917 coupe but featured a number of lighter components constructed from the latest exotic materials. They were given a larger fuel tank to help them complete the 200-mile races without having to refuel.

The turbochargers were uncharted territory, though throttle lag was a big obstacle to overcome. These 900 horsepower twin-turbocharged monsters were the only cars to ever truly compete with the dominant McLaren Racing Can-Am cars of the era.

This Porsche was built for Penske Racing, representing the Porsche factory for the 1972 Can-Am series. After Mark Donohue was injured in a testing crash, George Follmer raced chassis 003 eight times in 1972, winning five. As the primary race car, it was largely responsible for Porsche and Penske winning the 1972 Can-Am championship. Follmer used 003 again in 1973 for the Rinzler RC Cola team, entering two European Interserie races and seven Can-Am races. Chassis 003 finished second twice and third once during the 1973 Can-Am season. Sold in 1974 to Vasek Polak, the car was later owned by John McCaw and Rusty West. In 2012 the car was sold at auction to the current owner and it was restored in 2016 by Canepa Motorsport.

Powering the car is a 5.4-liter Twin Turbo 12-cylinder engine capable of making over 1150 horsepower. Zero-to-sixty takes just 2.9 seconds.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2014