An important car in Porsche’s motorsport history, this 917K headed to the California based auction wearing the description of ‘one of the most correct and significant 917s in existence and easily one of the finest racing cars to come to public auction’ – a trait that was definitely reflected by its winning auction …
What engine was in the Porsche 917?
The 917 gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971….Porsche 917.
| Porsche 917 Porsche 917 K | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 4.5 L Type 912 Flat-12 4.9 L Type 912 Flat-12 5.0 L Type 912 Flat-12 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,300 mm (90.6 in) |
Was the Porsche 917 engine air cooled?
Porsche 917 KH Coupé As the successor to the successful 907 and 908 types, the 917 got an air-cooled twelve-cylinder engine whose power in 1970 was an imposing 580 hp (426 kW) at 8,300 rpms. On June 14, 1970, Porsche bagged the first of 16 overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Who drove the Porsche 917?
Le Mans, 1970: Steve McQueen, the King of Cool, weaves his sky-blue Gulf Porsche 917 with start number 20 through the accident-strewn landscape of the twenty-four-hour race.
How much is a Porsche 917 replica?
Icon Engineering’s 917 replica starts at a very reasonable 200,000 British pounds (approximately $241,200) for cars equipped with air-cooled 3.6-liter flat-6 engines originally designed for the 964-generation Porsche 911.
How Fast Is Porsche 917?
Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 Can-Am variant was capable of a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 2.3 seconds, 0–124 mph (200 km/h) in 5.3 seconds, and a test track top speed of up to 240 mph (390 km/h).
Was the Porsche 917 Turbocharged?
In 1974 the turbocharger technology recently developed for the 917/10 and 917/30 racing cars finds its way into the Porsche 911. The 911 Turbo is seriously fast, achieving speeds in excess of 250 km/h and reaching 100 km/h from a standing start in just 5.5 seconds.
Is Porsche 917 street legal?
It wore the license plate number CW – K 917, unfortunately, this Porsche 917 is no longer road-legal as it was converted into a race car once more. It still wears its hippie livery proud while still representing its infamous racing history.
Why does Bill Gates love Porsche?
It all started in 1979 when Gates bought himself a Porsche 911 Turbo just a few years after founding Microsoft and when he had started making big money off it. Even though it was a used car, it sparked Gates’s love affair with Porsche. It was Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, who had to bail him out of jail.
What makes the Porsche 917 so special?
The 917 changed that. Taking advantage of a rule that allowed 5.0-liter cars to race so long as the manufacturer could screw together 25 complete examples, Porsche designed the 917 for 1969 with the goal of winning Le Mans overall.
What happened to the Porsche 917 at the 1969 Le Mans?
At the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 917s were quickest in practice. Soon after the start the poor handling of the 917 and the inexperience of one of the drivers resulted in drama: British gentleman-driver John Woolfe crashed his Porsche 917 at Maison Blanche on lap 1, dying as a result.
What kind of engine does a Porsche 912 have?
Power came from a new 4.5-litre air-cooled engine designed by Mezger, which was a combination of 2 of Porsche’s 2.25L flat-6 engines used in previous racing cars. The ‘Type 912’ engine featured a 180° flat-12 cylinder layout, twin overhead camshafts driven from centrally mounted gears and twin spark plugs fed from two distributors.
Who was the first privateer to race a Porsche 917?
Woolfe was the first privateer to race a 917. The works #14 917 led early, but succumbed to an oil leak, while the #12 dropped out of the lead and the race in the 21st hour with a broken gearbox]
