RE: Porsche: 40 Years Of Wins At Le Mans Classic

[Hunttheshunt]

mcelliott said:

havoc said:

Question for people - whose victories are more impressive, in the context of the era and the competition:-
- Ford GT40
- Porsche 917
- Porsche 956/962
- Audi R8/10/15

Personally I'd say the 956/962, which utterly decimated the competition...

Edited by havoc on Monday 14th June 13:30

Well Havoc, I will have to disagree with you there. It must surely be the 917 for these reasons:

1. Racing against the imense 512;
2. The charisma of the era;
3. By all accounts, an absolute btch to drive;
4. Gulf colours!

+1

[Squabbler]

Hunttheshunt said:

mcelliott said:

havoc said:

Question for people - whose victories are more impressive, in the context of the era and the competition:-
- Ford GT40
- Porsche 917
- Porsche 956/962
- Audi R8/10/15

Personally I'd say the 956/962, which utterly decimated the competition...

Edited by havoc on Monday 14th June 13:30

Well Havoc, I will have to disagree with you there. It must surely be the 917 for these reasons:

1. Racing against the imense 512;
2. The charisma of the era;
3. By all accounts, an absolute btch to drive;
4. Gulf colours!

+1

And the best petrolhead movie in the history

[majordad]

My opinion is that Le mans must become something like the Nurburgring 24hrs which I attended for the first time this year - 250 cars and kinda road based. Do away with the LM P s !

[freedman]

majordad said:

My opinion is that Le mans must become something like the Nurburgring 24hrs which I attended for the first time this year - 250 cars and kinda road based. Do away with the LM P s !

It doesnt need to

They are both fantastic events in there own right. LM has the heritage but the ring24 is becoming a bigger event year on year. Just look at Audis efforts to win it for the last 2 years and teh factory BMWs and porsches support to the 911 teams

You dont get anything like the manta at Le mans though

[dinkel]

Squabbler said:

And the best petrolhead movie in the history

Grand Prix for me: 1st 3 litre F1 season!

[DBSV8]

freedman said:

Squabbler said:

917's weren't THAT allright in their time. AFAIK in 1969 917 prototype killed one of the test-pilots, and other drivers were preffering old 908's to 917's, because the latter was a pig to drive. They sorted most of the problems in 1970 though.

Jon Woolfe was killed on the 1st lap of Le mans 1969, I dont recall any other fatalities

It was also the fastest thing Le Mans had ever seen even in 1969, only failing to win because of failures late on in the race. No it wasnt the finsihed artice in 69 but was still teh class of teh field at LM. Once the K body was sorted it became the class of the field everywher, bar teh Ring and Targa where the factory supported teams ran 908/3s as the 917 wasnt suited to those circuits

and David Piper lost a leg while driving his 917 during the filming of Le Mans

[morgs_]

DBSV8 said:

freedman said:

Squabbler said:

917's weren't THAT allright in their time. AFAIK in 1969 917 prototype killed one of the test-pilots, and other drivers were preffering old 908's to 917's, because the latter was a pig to drive. They sorted most of the problems in 1970 though.

Jon Woolfe was killed on the 1st lap of Le mans 1969, I dont recall any other fatalities

It was also the fastest thing Le Mans had ever seen even in 1969, only failing to win because of failures late on in the race. No it wasnt the finsihed artice in 69 but was still teh class of teh field at LM. Once the K body was sorted it became the class of the field everywher, bar teh Ring and Targa where the factory supported teams ran 908/3s as the 917 wasnt suited to those circuits

and David Piper lost a leg while driving his 917 during the filming of Le Mans

Met Piper at Classic Le Mans 2006 in the "paddock." Guilty to say I din't know who he was at the time (I was 18!) Amazing guy to speak to and just more than happy to chat about everything. Just further secures my 917 vote!

[heebeegeetee]

havoc said:

dinkel said:

'...another demonstration of the performance capabilities of modern tyres and aerodynamics'

EFA.


Question for people - whose victories are more impressive, in the context of the era and the competition:-
- Ford GT40
- Porsche 917
- Porsche 956/962
- Audi R8/10/15

Personally I'd say the 956/962, which utterly decimated the competition...

Edited by havoc on Monday 14th June 13:30

I'm gonna say the 917 period because the whole game of racing was ratcheted up a couple of notches by that car, taking the sport into an unknown dimension of aerodynamics. Plus, people died whilst struggling to understand said aerodynamics.

A scary, scary motor car according to all who worked with it from new. And lets not forget that it was developed into a Can-Am monster boasting a thousand brake.

[DBSV8]

heebeegeetee said:

havoc said:

dinkel said:

'...another demonstration of the performance capabilities of modern tyres and aerodynamics'

EFA.


Question for people - whose victories are more impressive, in the context of the era and the competition:-
- Ford GT40
- Porsche 917
- Porsche 956/962
- Audi R8/10/15

Personally I'd say the 956/962, which utterly decimated the competition...

Edited by havoc on Monday 14th June 13:30

I'm gonna say the 917 period because the whole game of racing was ratcheted up a couple of notches by that car, taking the sport into an unknown dimension of aerodynamics. Plus, people died whilst struggling to understand said aerodynamics.

A scary, scary motor car according to all who worked with it from new. And lets not forget that it was developed into a Can-Am monster boasting a thousand brake.

tamed by the legendary Mark Donohue