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Racing has always been the crucible for putting Porsche’s automotive
technologies to the ultimate test. Every Porsche on the street possesses
knowledge gained from all forms of racing...from Formula I to desert
rallies. Each Porsche sports car is an evolution from those sports and
racing cars which came before it. Every model is one chapter in a rich
heritage.
After years of focusing on exotic prototypes, Porsche put the 911 back
at the center of its racing program in 1973. Few people expected much
from the familiar "street" Porsches when two 911s joined the field of
powerful prototypes for the 24 Hours of Daytona. But at dawn, these 911s
were battling for the lead! Brumos Porsche drivers Peter Gregg and
Hurley Haywood won this epic race. It was the first of many important
victories for the 911 Carrera RSR, which brought back the Carrera name
and all its glory, and introduced a host of innovations, such as its
bulging rear fenders, "duck tail" spoiler and more than 300 horsepower.
Porsche believes there's no better place to test ideas than the race
track. The 911 RSR Turbo is a good case in point, as it was essentially
a test mule for a wild idea: turbocharging the 911, in anticipation of
FIA rule changes in 1975. (Previously, the only "blown" Porsche was the
monstrous five-liter, 1000-horsepower 917/10 of Can Am fame.) To bring
its 500 horsepower under control, huge tires, fenders and a massive wing
were added. The RSR Turbo placed second at both the 24 Hours of Le Mans
and the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen - not bad for a mule. But its greatest
triumph was providing Porsche with the data necessary to field the
highly successful 935 and the production 911 Turbo.
Racing demands a keen understanding of the laws of physics. Yet victory
sometimes hinges on a skillful interpretation of the laws of man. When
the FIA rewrote its rulebook for 1978, Porsche's clever reading of the
regulations inspired the most radical 911-based design ever. Nicknamed
"Moby Dick," the 935/78 Coupe combined exceptional aerodynamic values
with the most powerful version yet of the classic six-cylinder "boxer"
engine, the first to feature four valves per cylinder and water-cooled
heads - all ideas it shares with the new 911. The car displayed here,
one of only two 935/78's built, won the six-hour race at Silverstone.
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