11570 view(s) ![]() Beaten by McLaren at Le Mans and the BPR, Porsche realised that its
"old" 911 design was no match for the new breed GT's.
So Porschewent back to the drawing board and created the 911 GT1, a
car marking a next step in GT racing.
Where McLaren and Ferrari used tuned road cars, the 911 GT1 was in fact
a car purely designed to race.
The ACO rules required GT1's to be based on street legal cars.
For Porsche this meant using the steel bodyshell of the 993.
While McLaren used a Carbon monocoque, Porsche created a stiff chassis
by designing a multi tubular roll cage which extended beyond the cockpit
front and rear bulkheads.
This carried the suspension, fuel tank and...a mid mounted 3.2 flat
six.
With a new motor management and sequential injection system the Bi Turbo
now produced 640 bhp.
Carbon brakes, ABS and aerodynamic "long tail" body work completed
the 911 GT1 design.
At the Pre qualifications Porsche arrived with 2 Carbon clad GT1 brutes
and...... the required street version.
Leaving nothing to chance Joest Racing was recruited to run the ex WSC
Porsche prototype, a back up should the new GT 1's fail to finish.
This turned out to be an over precautionary measure as during the 24
hrs both 911's ran without a major problems, outpaced the other GT's
to cross the line 1st and 2nd....but with the lead 911 finishing one
lap behind the winning Joest WSC Porsche.
After Le Mans the 911 GT1 raced in the remaining rounds of the BPR,
with 5 poles and 5 wins the Porsche was invincible, convincing several
teams to order a "Customer" 911 GT1 for 97.
These demonstration runs (the car was not eligible for points due to
its late Homologation) turned out to be a two sided sword. Fearing Porsche
would render all other competition obsolete the FIA issued smaller inlet
restrictors for Turbo engined cars under the 97 rules.
Seriously handicapped by a 60 bhp power loss and a banned ABS the 911
GT1's were no match for the new CLK and the improved McLaren GTR. After
3 rounds the FIA, realising that something had to be done, increased
Turbo restrictor size which relieved some of the Porsche's customers
pains, until the "works" team showed with their LM 97 upgrade
at Spa.
After 97 most of the customer teams turned their back on the FIA GT
and raced their 911's in National GT Series claiming the BRDC GT and
US Grand Am titles in 98.
Porsche 911 GT1 (LM 1996):
Length: 4690 mm, Width: 1950 mm, Height: n/a, Wheelbase: 2500 mm
Tyres: Michelin, Wheels BBS 18'
|
Liveries
