With that much power, turbo lag, and a manual gearbox, you have to wonder what went through the heads of the men who drove these vicious cars.
Built to dominate Can-Am racing in the early 1970s, the Porsche 917-30s wielded as much as 1,600 horsepower to mortify the men driving them and to leave an indelible mark on motorsport’s history. Few cars have the same aura surrounding them; the monstrous power, combined with the sub-standard safety measures of the day made them a real gladiator’s car that oozed danger. After all, the driver’s feet were positioned in front of the front wheels!
The unique bark of the flat-twelve only adds to the aura surrounding the 917-30; hearing the 5.4-liter engine idle is enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand erect. With fireballs regularly licking at the exhaust tips, the ever-present and ominous whistle of the turbochargers, and that frightening bark, we can better understand how these monsters struck such a chord with racing enthusiasts as well as the courageous souls who drove them.