24 Porsche-facts about the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Posted on 12-06-2015 at 12:33 by ricardo – 10 Comments”
That we may Porsche not forget as we’re on Le Mans successes.
If you listen carefully you can hear somewhere in Zuffenhausen is very hard, hands on thighs chat. That are the race engineers at Porsche, not the more loved when concerngenoot Audi about heritage at Le Mans began. That Porsche is somewhat, erm, more elaborate, where the 15-year-old lockdown of Audi at Le Mans still pales. Porsche had no sense, however, to that with a nice video light, but will send us just the hard facts about their history with the toughest race in the world.
1. Lightweight
Also in 1951, turned it all to weight reduction. Porsche put down in that year, a 356 SL (super light). The car weighs only 640 kg: the basis for the lichtgewichttraditie of the brand.
2. Pseudonym
In 1956 came a certain Axel Linther at the start, with Richard von Frankenberg as a team-mate. Together ran they a Porsche 550 A coupe. Behind the pseudonym Axel Linther hid nobody less than Wolfgang Alexander Albert Eduard Maximilian Graf Berghe von Trips. He used the pseudonym to his parents not to worry. Later he celebrated big’s racing success under his real name.
3. Illegal uwfinish
In 1957, Claude Storez with his 550 A Spyder after 23 hours without fuel. He did not hesitate, climbed out of the car and pushed him across the finish line. He was seventh. Until he still was disqualified.
4. Legal duwfinish
Again push: in 1963 was Edgar Barth is exactly 200 metres for the pit case of tyre trouble with his Porsche 718 W-RS Spyder. At that time, was pushing allowed. And so pushed Barth they car to pitcrew – only in the pits was help allowed. At the end of the story: Barth and colleague Herbert Linge won the race in the class up to two litres.
5. Four times
In 1964 came for the first time in a Porsche with the famous number 9 at the start: the 904 Carrera GTS, which is his Le Mans career started with a quadruple victory in the tweeliter-class.
6. Plastics in the chassis
A revolution in the field of lightweight design. Porsche test and used a metal/plastic composition, on the steel chassis of the 904 Carrera GTS is glued. The car wins directly the GT class up to 2 litres.
7. Steer to the right
As in many circuits, Le Mans clockwise driven. In 1967 put Porsche for the first time a right-hand drive race car, the 907. By the sitting position of the driver in the bends to the right, more weight on the inner wheels. For the driver, meant the seating position to the right, a better overview in those turns.
8. Klotelampje
Brute bad luck: Hans Herrmann and Gérard Larousse and their 908 Longtail lost the edition of 1969 with a difference of 120 metres. This was because Herrmann had not used the full braking power. The light that warns of worn brake pads burned. It turned out afterwards that the light was going to burn through a touché with a wall. The race from 1969, is still considered to be one of the most exciting in history.
9. Female interference
Hans Herrmann promised his wife this: “If I Le Mans win, I stop racing.” Herrmann graduated in 1970, at the age of 42, a historic victory. He kept his promise and announced his retirement.
10. Steve <3 Le Mans
In the movie ‘Le Mans’ from 1970 Steve McQueen’s Porsche 911 S, also in private life, he drove such a car. In 2011 this car was auctioned. He spent more than € 950,000.
11. Racing and filming
For the filming of ‘Le Mans’ put Steve McQueen in a Porsche 908/02. This was driven by Herbert Linge and Jonathan Williams, and was equipped with an extensive camera equipment. Despite that gewichtshandicap and several stops for certain scenes to shoot, and finished the car on an unofficial eighth place.
12. Porsche bonanza in ’71
In 1971, at the 24-hour race of Le Mans for 49 teams at the start, 33 of them driving a Porsche. This record stands until today.
14. Go to the side, everyone
Engineer Norbert Singer shook in 1971, unbelieving his head when Derek Bell told him that he was the engine of the 917 in the training had rushed to 8.100 rpm. Singer calculated that the speed at that time is around 393 km/h had been.
14. Pink pig
Also in 1971: a pink racing car. The 917/20, also known as ‘the Pink Pig’. Porsche designer Anatole Lapine and Dick Söderberg brought graphic the best pieces of pork on the car. The idea was born when Lapine the car unloaded and saw.
15. Mary Stuart megaspoiler
Technical freedom: in 1973, Porsche with the 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 in the prototype class, which is focused on developing technical solutions for the future. According to Porsche saw the future: 12-inch wide rear tires, the brakes of the 917 and called a Mary Stuart collar – a rear spoiler over the entire width of the rear wheel arches.
16. The turbotijdperk
In 1974 appeared the first Porsche with turbocharged engine at the start: the 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1 – the first of its kind at Le Mans. Porsche made use of the experiences in America had gained with the 917/10 and 917/30.
17. Jacky Ickx = hero
In 1977, it is Jacky Ickx. He will go directly to the team of Barth and Haywood. They were far behind hit by a broken fuel pump. Ickx drove the 936 but less than 7.5 hours through the night. When the last factory-Renault broke down, was the Porsche 250 miles before the rest of the field. When a piston broke. The problem was in 42 minutes and fixed by a cylinder off. Jurgen Barth came across the finish line first.
18. Moby Dick
In 1978, debuting a 911 with water-cooling. The Moby Dick dipped car for short races 845 hp and for Le Mans 750 hp. Yet, he was good for a top speed of 365 km/h. This could be the most powerful 911 ever compete with the prototypes. Due to its high power consumption and other problems, he spent nearly three hours in the pits. Eventually, he came in on the eighth place.
19. Record
In 1981, only prototypes of the 944 to be tested. The Porsche pipe was expecting, however, also the overall victory. The 936 was dusted off and fitted with a 2,65-liter twinturbo engine from an Indy car. Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell won with 14 laps ahead, the first victory in a continuing series of seven – still a record.
20. Postertrol
Nobody’s perfect. That was to read on the winnaarsposter of 1983. Nine Porsche 956 finished in the top ten. A BMW Sauber took the 9th place.
21. Fastest round EVER
3:14.80: the fastest lap ever at Le Mans in the hands of Hans Joachim Stuck. In 1985 he removed with his Porsche 962, an average of 250 km/h.
22. Retirement
Since 1951, there are every year Porsches at the start of ” Les 24 Heures’. That means 63 years in a row, a total of 763 Porsches – also an unparalleled record.
23. ‘What a turn’
There is only one manufacturer with an own corner at Le Mans: Porsche. Since 1972 the Porsche bend the dangerous Maison Blanche section, avoided.
24. Hybridevoorsprong
In 2015, the 919 Hybrid, the first Porsche with two systems of energy recovery. The first makes use of braking energy, the other of the excess boost pressure. This is the prototype of the first Porsche that also during the acceleration energy.