1989 Porsche 962

The Porsche 917 Sports Prototype gave the German manufacturer its first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine and in its most potent form was capable of accelerating from zero-to-sixty mph in 2.3 seconds. The long tail Langheck version could achieve a top speed of 240 mph. Porsche produced a total of 25 examples of the 917 and 12 of the 917 K.

The Porsche 917 was eventually succeeded by the Porsche 936 Group 6 sports prototype racing car in 1975. The Porsche 936 driven by Jacky Ickx won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1976, 1977, and 1981.

After the new 2,650cc engine designed for Indycar was tested in the 1981 winning chassis 003, Porsche introduced its new Group C sports-prototype racing car dubbed the 956. It was designed by Norbert Singer and used a chassis comprised of an aluminum monocoque (a first for the company) and powered by a Type 935 2.65-liter turbocharged Flat-6 producing approximately 635 horsepower (the same engine as the one powering the Porsche 936/81). Among the accolades achieved were a 1-2-3 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1981 after leading the entire race. Stefan Bellof set a lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife that would stand for 35 years.

The Porsche 962

The Porsche 962 arrived near the close of 1984 and was raced into the mid-1990s, later replaced by the Porsche WSC-95. A total of 91 examples of the 962 were built with 16 examples used by the factory team, while the remaining 75 were sold to privateers. A few 956s were rebuilt to 962 specifications. Porsche created most of the chassis, but Fabcar in the United States built a few due to the high demand.

The Porsche 962 was designed to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations and later, in Group C racing (in 962C configuration). The 956 had been banned from the U.S. IMSA GTP series due to its design which placed the driver's feet ahead of the front axle center line. The 956 resolved this 'safety issue' when Porsche extended the 956's wheelbase and moved the front wheels ahead of the pedal box. The new aluminum chassis received an integrated steel roll cage and a body created from Kevlar, glass-reinforced plastic and aluminum panels. The suspension used double wishbones at the front with coil springs over dampers and an anti-roll bar while the rear used lower wishbones and top rockers, an anti-roll bar, and coil springs over dampers. The engine, placed mid-ship, was a Porsche 934-derived Type 935 2.8-liter flat-6. The Group C 956 had used a twin-turbo setup but this was not allowed under IMSA's GTP class at the time, so instead, the 956 received a single Kühnle, Kopp und Kausch AG K36 turbocharger.

The engine powering the IMSA GT 962s used an Andial-built 3.2-liter fuel injected flat-6. This engine was eligible under IMSA's Group 3 engine rules initially but was banned in 1987 by IMSA. Following threats of Porsche's withdrawal from the sport, IMSA allowed water-cooled twin-turbocharged engines.

The design of the 962 was visually similar to the 956

Motorsport Accomplishments

Between 1982 and 1987, the Porsche 956 and 962 won Le Mans six times, finishing 1-2-3 every year except 1987 (1st and 2nd). The Porsche 962 won 48 out of 68 IMSA GTP races in North America between 1984 and 1987, including a 1-2-3 finish at both Daytona and Sebring for three consecutive years. Together with the 956, they captured the World Endurance Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championship (1982–1985), the World Sports Prototype Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championships (1986–1987), the IMSA GTP Manufacturer's Championship (1985–1988), and the IMSA GTP Driver's Championship (1985–1987). Between 1985 and 1987, factory driver Derek Bell drove the 962 to 21 victories.

Porsche completed five 962s for the 1984 IMSA season, with Al Holbert and Bell scoring four victories. During the 1985 World Endurance Championship, the 962C was very successful and driven by drivers that included Jackie Ickx, Bell, and Hans-Joachim Stuck. At LeMans, however, the 962C was outpaced by the 956, which scored its fourth consecutive victory. The 962 won in 1986 and again in 1987, this time powered by a more powerful and durable 3.0-liter engine, earning Porsche its seventh consecutive victory at the race.

The 962s continued to win races into 1993, scoring lone victories in the Interserie and IMSA GT series. Team Taisan would score the final victory for the original 962C, winning an All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship event at Fuji Speedway in August of 1994. The Jochen Dauer modified versions of the 962 (known as the Dauer 962 Le Mans) would achieve an overall victory at Le Mans in 1994. The Dauer-modified 962 would be used for both road and race use.

Along with factory success, customer cars achieved numerous victories by such top-echelon teams as Joest, Kremer, and Walter Brun's Repsol Petroleum-sponsored Brun Motorsport team.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 962-108 (962-108C / 108C-2)

Porsche 962-108 was a factory-built car was one of four cars originally allotted to Jim Busby Racing. The car debuted at the 1985 24 Hours of Daytona and was crashed at night by Pete Halsmer while trying to avoid a back marker. The tub was damaged beyond repair, and Busby got approval from Porsche for Lola Can Am engineer Jim Chapman to build an aluminum honeycomb replacement tub with a billet aluminum rear bulkhead. This new combination of materials would prove successful as it was stiffer and lighter than the original 962-108. This new chassis would be numbered 962-108B. This new car crashed at Sears Point in 1987 requiring a second new Chapman-built tub, 962-108C, this car. The car sat on the pole and finished 2nd at the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona with Bob Wollek/Brian Redman/Mauro Baldi driving. Development continued throughout the 1988 season, including new bodywork, suspension upgrades and engine development which kept the team competitive with the factory Nissans and Jaguars.

In 1989 this car would win the 24 Hours of Daytona, driven by Bob Wollek/John Andretti/Derek Bell. This would be Derek Bell's final 24 Hour victory and the 50th win for the 962 in international competition. Campaigned by Porsche privateer Jim Busby and sponsored by B. F. Goodrich and the Miller Brewing Company, this car was described by Derek Bell as his favorite Porsche prototype race car. It was driven by some of the greatest talents of the day, including John Andretti, Brian Redman, Bob Wollek, Jochen Mass, Mauro Baldi, Darin Brassfield, Rick Knoop and Derek Bell. It is equipped with an air-cooled 3.0-liter single turbo engine built by Ed Pink. The original body and chassis were damaged during competition. The current chassis was built using honeycomb aluminum and a milled billet aluminum rear bulkhead. The coachwork constantly evolved and developed during its race career to maximize aerodynamic efficiency. The current body features one-of-a-kind styling unlike any other Porsche 962. It features custom front bodywork and large flat side-fences to take advantage of downforce generated by the rear diffuser.

Coupe
Chassis number: TS-962-89-002

One of the three carbon fiber tubbed 962s built by Schuppan

First unleashed as the revolutionary 956 in 1982, Porsche's first ground-effects car would turn into the 962 in 1984. The 956/962 would win every major endurance race in the world including the 24 Hours of LeMans six times. By the late 1980s, the car was getting less competitive against newer technology cars like the Nissan and Toyota GTP and Group C entries.

Taking it upon himself to update the older aluminum monocoque design, in 1989 Australian racer Vern Schuppan produced his own composite chassis for Porsche 962 running gear and bodywork. Carbon fiber was the material of the future, and Schuppan believed it was the advantage that the aging 962 needed.

Ralph Bellamy carried out the engineering work, and the British company, Advanced Composites Technology, LTD who supplied materials to McLaren F1, manufactured the chassis itself. The complete racecars were assembled at Schuppan's factory in High Wycombe, west of London.

Coupe
Chassis number: 962MH008

This Porsche 962 was originally completed as a Bayside Racing show car for IMSA drivers Dominic Dobson and Bruce Leven. It was never raced in-period, as it was originally a rolling chassis without an engine. In the 1990s, Andial Racing installed a rebuilt 1987 Porsche 930 Turbo 3.3L Flat-6 engine into the chassis. It has a Porsche 5-speed racing gearbox, Brembo brakes, BBS wheels, and Pirelli racing tires, and it weighs 1,697 pounds. Race gauges on the dashboard featuring a 10,000 RPM tachometer. It is finished in 1989 #86 Texaco Havoline livery.

The car competed at various vintage racing events across California in 1996. Bill Robertson finished 4th in the car at the 1996 IMSA GTP Reunion at Sebring International Raceway. At the 1996 Porsche Club of North America event at Sonoma Raceway, the tub was cracked in a crash. Craig Watkins-later of Flying Lizard Motorsports fame-rebuilt the car over a two-year period. Fabcar Engineering supplied a new double-thickness tub and control arms for the rebuild.

by Dan Vaughan

Porsche met Group C regulations introduced by FISA in 1982 with a fresh concept. This new car would be the focal point of factory racing efforts. These new Group C regulations led to the re-birth of the two-seat, special race sports car which no longer had to be declared a prototype for some future production car, but rather was seen as a high-performance vehicle in its own right.

The 956 from which evolved the later 962, developed to comply with American IMSA race regulations but raced around the globe - was the first Porsche race car with a monocoque chassis and an aerodynamically designed underside to generate ground effects to literally suck the car down into firmer contact with the track. The use of advanced fuel injection and ignition systems not only enabled the 2.6-liter engine to develop 630bhp but combined this with low fuel consumption - a crucial advantage given the racing regulations of the time.

The sporting career of the 956 was no less impressive; right off the drawing board and only a few weeks after the first cars were built, the 956 scored an impressive 1-2-3 victory in the 1982 Le Mans 24 Hours endurance classic. That same year brought the World Championship for Makes trophy to Porsche and the World Endurance Drivers' Championship for Porsche factory driver Jacky Ickx, of Belgium.

In 1983, Porsche offered the car to customers to race themselves alongside the factory-supported team. So began an unrivaled run of success in World Endurance Championship racing, and at Le Mans, that continued well into the 1990s.

by Porsche UK

by Porsche

Porsche created the 956 during the early 1980s for FIA Group C competition. The design and components of the vehicle would further evolve over the years and become known as the 962. The 956 project was led by a very determined and experienced project manager named Norbert Singer, who had his sights set on winning the 24 Hours of LeMans race. With Derek Bell and Jacky Ixckx, the factory team drivers, the cars easily dominated the season and won the championship for the team.

The 956 was an evolution of the 935 and 936 cars which had proven to be very competitive racers. Porsche chose to stick with the tried-and-true, reliable flat-six engine which had powered the Porsche 936 to a LeMans victory. It was fitted with an electronic engine management system to help reduce fuel consumption. The FIA had imposed a limit of 100 liters per fuel tank size and allowed only 25 refuelings. The idea was to add an extra level of difficulty for teams and to inspire creativity and innovation. By doing so, they were hopeful that new technology would be born that could trickle down to production vehicles.

Porsche chose to stick with the smaller engine and adapt a turbocharger, another attempt at combating the fuel restriction rules.

The body was very modern, aerodynamic, and elegant. Extensive use of exotic materials and ground effects were employed that included a venturi positioned between the front wheels, rear wing, and rear venturi. The chassis was comprised of a very rigid monocoque comprised of aluminum and a composite body.

The Porsche 956 made its inaugural debut in 1982 at the Silverstone 6 Hour race, the second round of the World Championship for Makes. The car was piloted by the factory drivers, Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell. They missed the second round at the Nurburgring 1000km but returned for the running of the 25 Hours of LeMans. The cars led the entire race and captured the checkered flag. The three factory Porsche's finished in the top three positions.

After proving the potential of the 956, Porsche began selling them to privateers such as Kremer Racing, John Fitzpatrick, Richard Lloyd, Brumm Motorsports, and more. Porsche continued to make improvements to the vehicles such as reducing the overall weight by incorporating even lighter aluminum chassis. The aerodynamics were improved which made the car quicker and more fuel-efficient. Additional safety features were added such as a tire pressure warning system. At the 1983 LeMans, the cars bearing the Porsche badge took nine out of the top ten positions.

The Porsche 962 was based on the 956 and intended for IMSA GTP class competition. To prepare the car for competition, the vehicle required changes to bring it into alignment with ever-changing rules and regulations. For 1984, rules stated that the pedal box had to be mounted behind the front axle. To comply, the wheelbase of the 956 was extended to accommodate additional space. A steel roll cage was also integrated into the car at the time.

The factory began work on a larger engine. In the meantime, Porsche had to find a replacement for the twin K27 turbochargers since twin-turbo's did not comply with GTP class racing regulations at the time. In its place, a single Kühnle, Kopp und Kausch AG K36 turbocharger was fitted.

Porsche named this updated version of the 956, the 962. Five examples were debuted at the 24 Hours of Daytona. One was driven by factory drivers, Mario and Michael Andretti, while the other four were privateer entrants. The factory car led most of the race and appeared that it would go on to claim overall victory, but it was side-lined due to engine and gearbox problems after 127 laps.

For the following season, Porsche created the 962C, which featured a 3.2-liter engine and twin-turbochargers. It was entered in the World Endurance Championship where it was beaten by a 956. For 1987, another new engine was introduced. Though it was in 3-liter form, it was more powerful and durable than the unit it was replacing. The engine carried Porsche to its seventh consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of LeMans.

The Porsche 956 and 962 were very dominant vehicles that lasted for nearly ten years. From 1985 through 1987 they won the IMSA GTP. They were World Sportscar Champions from 1982 through 1986 and are considered the most successful prototype race car in the history of motorsports.

During the early 1990s, Jochen Dauger was able to get the 962 reclassified as a GT1 road-legal car. They were raced at the 1994 24 Hours of LeMans and captured its final overall victory.

by Dan Vaughan