RE: Porsche 917K: Time For Tea?
Friday 17th January 2014
Yes, it’s another onboard clip in a Time For a Hot Beverage? slot, but today’s really is astounding. Not that the others weren’t, but this is slightly more special.
Porsche 917K: Time For Tea?
A Porsche 917K around Laguna Seca in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing - enjoy!
Those of you that spend too long in the PH Classifieds may be familiar with the name Canepa Design. Located out in California, they stock some of the most outrageously desirable road and track cars you’ll ever see. From an Anniversary Countach and Porsche 959 to a Mustang Trans-Am and IMSA-spec Corvette, it is the veritable treasure trove of used cars. Of course, no price is listed on any car. Set aside 10 minutes to drool over the stocklist here.
Once that’s been done, spend another ten watching this video (it is Friday after all). It comes from Canepa’s YouTube channel. The driver is Bruce Canepa, CEO of the dealership and a racing driver in his earlier years. The car is a Porsche 917K and the track is Laguna Seca. A combination like this will not make a bad video, you feel.
It doesn’t. That flat-12 wails, the view of the California sunshine is fantastic because of all the glass and Bruce is absolutely on it. The steering requires real manhandling through the slower corners and the pedals need some exceptionally fancy footwork for a good shift. Some fairly short ratios see him blasting up and down very frequently.
Like we said, special video.
Watch it here.
Lead still: LAT Photo
Discussion
rohrl said:
It's a great car but I can't help feeling that Laguna Seca just isn't letting it get into its stride. Le Mans, Spa or the Nurburgring would give it more space to stretch its legs.
Old Spa or Le Mans for sure, Ring less so, more of a 908/910 track. I've only even seen a 917 driven in anger once, I've seen them raced loads, but not at 'era' pace. The exception was a support race to the 1981 British GP when Derek Bell raced a Silver one. He started from the back of the grid, overtook the entire field and won the race. I recall it like it was yesterday and he was on full attack and driving it like he would have in 1970. Greatest car on the planet in my book. If there was just 1 car for me, this would be it but in long tail form please
Housey said:
....the 1981 British GP when Derek Bell raced a Silver one. He started from the back of the grid, overtook the entire field and won the race. I recall it like it was yesterday and he was on full attack and driving it like he would have in 1970
Or Pedro Rodriguez in period at the BOAC 1000 kms at Brands Hatch, in the wet from the back of the grid, fired up after a penalty !
MrMole said:
Housey said:
....the 1981 British GP when Derek Bell raced a Silver one. He started from the back of the grid, overtook the entire field and won the race. I recall it like it was yesterday and he was on full attack and driving it like he would have in 1970
Or Pedro Rodriguez in period at the BOAC 1000 kms at Brands Hatch, in the wet from the back of the grid, fired up after a penalty !
Agree though love the whole 'mechanical' feel to it...
Shuttle Cock said:
I feel bloody knackered after watching that, quite how they would race these for anywhere between 6 to 24 hours ( I know it was only in stints) is beyond me. Watching in car footage from a modern LMP car with lots of aero and diver assistance almost makes it look like cheating.
What a noise! And it sounds like the engine is only just coming 'on song' on the longer straights...
It looks surprisingly well balanced and neutral, but I'm sure it will be a very different story in the wet! Cue the vid of Kenny Brack wrestling a GT40 in the wet at Goodwood.
They don't make em like that any more!
It looks surprisingly well balanced and neutral, but I'm sure it will be a very different story in the wet! Cue the vid of Kenny Brack wrestling a GT40 in the wet at Goodwood.
They don't make em like that any more!
The ultimate definition of a racing machine driven by some of the greatest endurance drivers; Vic Elford, Richard Attwood, Rolf Stommelen, Kurt Ahrens, Jo Stiffert, Brian Redman, David Piper, Pedro Rodriguez, Larrouse, Kellners, Hulme, Kinnunen, van Lennup, Bell and many others. One of the most evocative racing photographs ever has to be of Rodriguez and Siffert trading paint entering Eau Rouge in the rain at the 1970 Spa 1000 kms
http://www.porsche917.com.ar/ZSpa70_06EauRouge.JPG
When the car made its racing debut in 1969 it was a real pig, very difficult to handle, and many drivers shied away from it. Part of the problem was the tyres, 235 mph down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans in 1969 was beyond the available Dunlop tyres. The initial aero design was so slippery and streamlined it created positive lift at high speed, the problem was eventually resolved by the british JW Automotive Engineering team.
The car in the video is a Daytona spec car with the additional panel cut into the roof so the drivers could see where they were going when high on the banking.
Privateers could buy the car in 1969 for a Porsche listed price of DM140K (£16K) ... value today ?
http://www.porsche917.com.ar/ZSpa70_06EauRouge.JPG
When the car made its racing debut in 1969 it was a real pig, very difficult to handle, and many drivers shied away from it. Part of the problem was the tyres, 235 mph down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans in 1969 was beyond the available Dunlop tyres. The initial aero design was so slippery and streamlined it created positive lift at high speed, the problem was eventually resolved by the british JW Automotive Engineering team.
The car in the video is a Daytona spec car with the additional panel cut into the roof so the drivers could see where they were going when high on the banking.
Privateers could buy the car in 1969 for a Porsche listed price of DM140K (£16K) ... value today ?
rohrl said:
It's a great car but I can't help feeling that Laguna Seca just isn't letting it get into its stride. Le Mans, Spa or the Nurburgring would give it more space to stretch its legs.
It's the lack of real driver skill that is giving you that feeling the driver isn't very good he's taking it easy on every corner as he's scared of the car biting him. Laguna Seca is a great US race track used to love driving it in Forza Motorsport. 
Enjoyed the video despite the mediocre driving skill.TJS10 said:
The ultimate definition of a racing machine driven by some of the greatest endurance drivers; Vic Elford, Richard Attwood, Rolf Stommelen, Kurt Ahrens, Jo Stiffert, Brian Redman, David Piper, Pedro Rodriguez, Larrouse, Kellners, Hulme, Kinnunen, van Lennup, Bell and many others. One of the most evocative racing photographs ever has to be of Rodriguez and Siffert trading paint entering Eau Rouge in the rain at the 1970 Spa 1000 kms
http://www.porsche917.com.ar/ZSpa70_06EauRouge.JPG
When the car made its racing debut in 1969 it was a real pig, very difficult to handle, and many drivers shied away from it. Part of the problem was the tyres, 235 mph down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans in 1969 was beyond the available Dunlop tyres. The initial aero design was so slippery and streamlined it created positive lift at high speed, the problem was eventually resolved by the british JW Automotive Engineering team.
The car in the video is a Daytona spec car with the additional panel cut into the roof so the drivers could see where they were going when high on the banking.
Privateers could buy the car in 1969 for a Porsche listed price of DM140K (£16K) ... value today ?
Using an inflation calculator and adding inflation for 2013 I get about £229,000 in 2014 money.http://www.porsche917.com.ar/ZSpa70_06EauRouge.JPG
When the car made its racing debut in 1969 it was a real pig, very difficult to handle, and many drivers shied away from it. Part of the problem was the tyres, 235 mph down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans in 1969 was beyond the available Dunlop tyres. The initial aero design was so slippery and streamlined it created positive lift at high speed, the problem was eventually resolved by the british JW Automotive Engineering team.
The car in the video is a Daytona spec car with the additional panel cut into the roof so the drivers could see where they were going when high on the banking.
Privateers could buy the car in 1969 for a Porsche listed price of DM140K (£16K) ... value today ?
iloveboost said:
It's the lack of real driver skill that is giving you that feeling the driver isn't very good he's taking it easy on every corner as he's scared of the car biting him. Laguna Seca is a great US race track used to love driving it in Forza Motorsport. Enjoyed the video despite the mediocre driving skill.
Enjoyed the video despite the mediocre driving skill.
where's that "don't worry Sir, I'm from the internet" meme...
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