The Porsche 917 thread

[MadMatt]

Thank you! But I think these are calculations/estimations (mulsannecorner). Better than nothing!

[xpensive]

Thank you! But I think these are calculations/estimations (mulsannecorner). Better than nothing!

Of course, but I think that would be the only source available. Do not the low downforce, 2.32 kN at 320 km/h, a fraction of today's.

[MadMatt]

Yes, but I am also surprised by the L/D ratio, below 1 is very poor, despite the car looking fairly good (although we don't know which version these numbers were referring to). I mean ok the back is not covered, and finishes right after the rear tyres abruptly, but the overall shape looks good. On the downside as well, I am pretty sure the underside is not really sealed, the car had quite a high ride height, and there was no proper airfoil profile to produce efficient downforce so that clearly doesn't help. Still a magnificent car!

Look at the profile of the 917L, this is art:

[J.A.W.]

Yeah, well, thankfully - they did hack that ungainly lang-arsche off it..

I recall reading Frank Gardner's test driving account of what a beast it was.. they'd rigged up a gas pressure
system to fill the space frame structure & a gauge to show ( which fell to zero when depressurised) when it'd failed,
- hopefully in advance of putting potentially fatal forces through it at high speed..

[xpensive]

I have read witnesses seeing the frame pressurized with Propane and mechanics testing the joints with lighters to detect cracks.



Those were the days.

[bdr529]

a short clip on the restoration of the 917 from the movie "Le Mans"

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIdbXsvPZrU[/youtube]

[xpensive]

As this was not supposed to be a prototype, the FIA demanded 25 cars built, a broshure was produced;







Not the detatchable langheck on the original 917.

[MadMatt]

Wow great find!

Imagine buying the road version. What would you do with it, you cannot drive that on the road! Imagine also back then how crazy it would have been to drive with such a "futuristic" car! Even today.

[xpensive]

More images from the 1969 brochure, now in french;





And german again;

[FW17]

[xpensive]

In 1969, the "brochure" concept had disastrous consequences. Privateer and gentlemen racer John Woolfe bough himself a 917 and took it to Le Mans, but he didn't even make it to the end of the first lap.





To make matters worse, Woolfe was driving sans safety-belt due to the classic "running" Le Mans start.

[MadMatt]

Yes, tragic accident.





Porsche made the huge mistake to let a new guy drive their beast.

[xpensive]

In 1970 even xperienced sportscar driver David Piper crashed his 917, during the shooting of "Le Mans" with Steve McQueen;



Piper survived, but lost part of his leg.

[MadMatt]

Saw this book the other day:



Porsche 917: Archive and Works Catalogue

A mine of drawings, sketches and pictures with Porsche museum help! That has to be a great one. Price tag 98euros.

[xpensive]

The prototype version of the Porsche 917/10 at the Weissach test track in winter 1971/72with Mark Donohue sitting on the car and Roger Penske, engineer HelmutFlegl and Porsche competition director Rico Steinemann (from the left to the right).