Turbocharging turned the already successful Porsche 911 into a dominant force in motorsport, topped by victory in the greatest race of all
WORDS NEIL WINN PHOTOGRAPHY MARK RICCIONI/PORSCHE
Racing improves the breed… Technology transfer… Win on Sunday, sell on Monday… While all of these phrases have gradually evolved into well-worn marketing clichés since they were first coined in the mid-20th century, their significance still holds a unique resonance when applied to Porsche.
No other automotive manufacturer has so consistently exemplified the advantages of maintaining a robust connection between its motorsport endeavours and the technological advancements in its road cars. And nowhere is that enduring relationship more evident than in the evolution of the turbocharged 911.
To help tell that story, the Porsche Museum has rounded up three of its most significant turbocharged 911 racers, dropped them off at Goodwood, and generously lent us the keys. Itʼs the stuff of dreams, but before trying to get my head around the fact that there is a combined 1880bhp waiting in the paddock, letʼs dive into the origins of the very first turbocharged 911 racer: the Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo.
Ironically, its very existence can be traced back to a rule change designed to slow down endurance racers, rather than increase their performance. By the end of the 1971 season, the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) was faced with the not-inconsiderable problem of prototypes such as the Porsche 917 hitting 240mph down the Mulsanne Straight. In an attempt to reduce these speeds, a 3-litre engine capacity limit was introduced, effectively banning the 917 from competition.
But anyone who thought the modelʼs career was finished was in for a surprise. Undeterred, Porsche shifted its focus to North America, reimagining the 917 for Can-Am by embracing the dark art of turbocharging. Its progress was astonishing, and by 1973 the 917/30 was producing 1135bhp from its turbocharged 5.4-litre flat-12, almost twice as much power as the original, naturally aspirated 4.5-litre 917 was making in 1969. And while the wick could have been turned up even further, this simply wasnʼt required because the 917/10 dominated the first two rounds of the championship and the 917/30 the remaining six. Fearing back-to-back defeats for teams powered by big-block American V8s, this time it was the Can-Am organisers who outlawed the 917.
All was not lost, however. Turbocharging had proved its worth to the suits in Zuffenhausen, who immediately set abou
