Chris Harris video: Porsche 962
The trademark intense Harris stare gets that bit more intense, courtesy of one of Porsche's most legendary racers
This is the car that won Le Mans in 1987. I wrote about driving it up the hill at Goodwood earlier this year.
A taste of its performance was always going to be frustrating, so I asked the question you shouldn't really ask: "Can we drive it properly please?"
The reply came a month ago. Yes, we could drive the car at Weissach, Porsche's own test track. This was both good and bad. Perfect for story synergy because this is where the 962 was developed. Bad for personal and professional safety because there is literally no run-off around most of the lap.
Adding to an already perfect itinerary, the Porsche Museum which prepares these old cars, said it had invited Norbert Singer along. If you're a student of Le Mans, that's like being told you're going to watch the local cricket team and discovering I.V.A Richards will be opening for the opposition.
His CV spans 30 years of Porsche Motorsport success, beginning with the 917 in 1970. Should the 2014 return of Porsche to top-level prototype racing bring victory, it will be the first without Herr Singer involved.
I won't say much more. Days like these don't come very often, and we've all experienced the disappointment of meeting heroes who don't fulfill the expectation. The 962/Singer combination exceeded everything I could have hoped for.
Looking at the 962, it's such an iconic shape that reeks of speed. I suspect if you asked someone who has never seen a Group C racer to draw one, they'd draw the outline of a 956 / 962; much in the same way if you asked a non-guitar player to draw an electric guitar, they'd draw an outline of a Stratocaster.
God, that flat-6 sounds butch as well.
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