Just five years after the war ended, Porsche started importing small batches of cars into New York City to plant its feet for the first time on American soil. News traveled quickly on a westward wind and the Californians, free from harsh weather, soon after demanded their own style of Porsche. Now, ostensibly this video was created as a way for …
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Recent Posts from: 917
This Gulf RSR Replica Is What California Dreams Are Made Of
John Gunderson has a knack for bringing the right people into the picture. When he wanted to blend the urgency and colorful exterior of the legendary 917 with a usable road car, he came up with this. A '73 911 Blending the classic Gulf livery, a 2,200-pound frame, and a 350-horsepower motor from Rothsport, is bound to convert even the most cynical …
Continue to the full articleMark Webber Lends His Two Cents on What It’s Like To Drive The First Porsche 917
As part of the grand celebration of the 917's 50th birthday, several major names were given the chance to parade some of the most iconic variants of the car at Goodwood's 77th Members' Meeting last month. One of those names was the affable and straight-talking Aussie who's done quite well at the top of the racing ladder for the last two decades: …
Continue to the full articlePorsche Unveils A Freshly Restored 917-001
Fifty years ago Porsche unveiled the first production batch of the 917 race car that would transform the tiny German sportscar maker into a Le Mans winner. The first 917 chassis has spent much of its recent life in 917K bodywork with the Salzberg red and white livery. It's been sitting in the Porsche museum that way for a while, but Porsche decided …
Continue to the full articleMonstrous 917-30 Spits Flames
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 …
Continue to the full articleA Pair of Jaw-Dropping 917Ks Snarl at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
If you're considering cutting back on caffeine, the blaring exhaust notes of these two Le Mans titans might provide that pep needed to begin the day. Truly, the sound these two big 12-cylinder engines shoved in tiny 917s get the hairs on the back of your neck standing up and your heart beating a bit faster. There aren't many motors as musical as …
Continue to the full articlePorsche Celebrates 50 Winning Years Of 917 History With A Special Museum Exhibition
Starting in mid May, and running through September, the Porsche Museum will host an exhibit to honor the 50th anniversary of the 917. The exhibit will be named "Colours of Speed — 50 Years of the 917". As part of that exhibit, Porsche will be rolling out a never-before-seen 917 concept study (above) to commemorate the history of the Le Mans …
Continue to the full articleIndy 500 Champ Dario Franchitti Tests Gulf Porsche 917 Against Contemporary Rivals, Ferrari 512S and Lola T70
If given the opportunity to test three of the most raw and brutal racing machines of the 1960s, it's likely most of us would jump at the opportunity. This Gulf-Wyer Racing 917 was once muscled around by the likes of Jo Siffert and Derek Bell, and while I think quite highly of my own driving, I have no doubt that I'd be absolutely pants in …
Continue to the full articleDream Big: A 1:8 Scale R/C Lego Porsche 917K
It's amazing how much detail LEGO can cram into a small space. Their Mini Cooper kit, and indeed most of their large-scale models, are 16 studs wide. The Speed Champions series are 6-studs wide. Some dreams require just a bit more room. At a full 32 studs across and 68 studs long Sariel's R/C 917K dwarfs most of LEGO's in-house creations. Add to …
Continue to the full articleDerek Bell Tells us What It’s Like to Drive Le Mans at 249 MPH. At Night.
"You're in fifth gear; flat-out in fifth, for one whole minute. It's quite a long time. And you had time to reflect, and you just look around and you'd look around the car, and you'd almost want to pat it and say 'Come on, we can win this.' It was the most uncanny feeling because you were at one with the machine, which you never felt it—to me—at …
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