The Best Racing Car in History Joins The Best Actor Ever in a Classic Movie We All Love
Porsche 917 starring “Le Mans”
The car to which I refer is the very protagonist of the movie starring the immense Steve McQueen, the Porsche 917 with the classic Gulf livery, blue with the orange stripe in the middle, the #20 that took part in the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans. As a matter of facts, the actor could not participate in the race, as the lenders of the film would have denied the insurance coverage, but it is certain that Steve would not have disfigured.
A racing movie entirely dedicated to the toughest race in the world, without too many unnecessary plots, absolutely to have in your collection, for watching it again and again and that incredibly, in the year of introduction (1971) was not very successful, although among many other films that dealt with the driver-cars-race topic, this was undoubtedly the most accurate and realistic. Initially, the director was John Sturges, but the script was focusing on a sentimental story, with the race only in the background and thus led to a sort of conflict between the director and the same Steve McQueen who instead wanted the race clearly predominant: it was then that the American actor found a new director to be entrusted with the work, Lee H. Katzin. The movie, after so many years, is able to make you breathe the magical atmosphere of those unrepeatable years, that I dare to call as a pristine environment, like the people, the drivers, the box, which seems to smell of petrol and oil, stopwatches in hand, signs, no computer or other gadgets, less technology, more work, more competitiveness, more passion and above all many important Team always to try to battle for victory. The movie was shot on track a few days after the race, and many drivers were hired by the film company Solar Productions, in order to recreate scenes with realism, thanks to the use of thirty cars that took part in the competition itself. We can’t but love the shots taken during the real race, having used some cameras mounted on a Porsche 908, which was the one with which the same McQueen, teaming up with Peter Revson, had raced in the 12 Hours of Sebring, only a few months before.
Personally, I do not know if this movie is the reason that makes me look at the Porsche 917 as the ultimate racing car, but in those years I lived motorsport with great enthusiasm, both regarding F1 or endurance racing, and the 917 has really left an indelible mark. In 1970 it wins at Le Mans and repeated that the following year, thanks to the Austrian Porsche Team based in Salzburg, with the car driven by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood. The 12-cylinder engine with a displacement of 4,494, 5-speed manual gearbox, weighed only 800 kg. A little over four meters long, nearly two wide and with a height of only 940 cm. It made its debut in 1969 at the 1000 Km of Spa. For the 917, derived from the 908, it were used materials such as magnesium and titanium and as regulation demanded they needed to build at least 25 units. In just ten months, Ferdinand Piech was able to proudly show all 917 arranged side by side in front of the factory. At the 1969 Geneva Motor Show, it was finally presented to the public: the engine was longitudinally mid-mounted developing 520 hp at 8,000 rpm, and it was achieved by combining two power units of 911 2.2cc each. The aggressive and perfect line, also had two small stabilizing wings to increase downforce on the rear. On track is very nervous and difficult to tame, some drivers prefer the less powerful 908, but the 917 was expressly created to dominate Le Mans. In 1970 the engineers of the English Team John Wyer Automotive Engineering modified the rear, creating a short and partially open tail, calling this version the 917K (Kurzheck), giving life to a more stable car with even better cooling. The engine was increased to 4,907 cc developing 580 hp.
After triumphing at the classic 24 hours in 1970 and 1971, it was also created a long tail version with large rear wing (5 units built). During the ’71 season, it came a further evolution of the engine that was going to become a 5 liter delivering 650 hp. Other versions of the 917 were known and feared even where for years the McLaren dominated undisturbed: the Can-Am Championship. Here’s how the project 917 PA was born, 16-cylinder, 750 hp, and then also a 12-cylinder twin-turbocharged (850 hp). In qualifying trim, increasing boost pressure this very models were able to reach 1,200 hp. Logical to think that their opponents were preparing to eat some dust. Several other versions derived from the project 917, and among the most famous we can’t but mention the 917/20 “Pink Pig”, the 917/30 Sunoco, but the list should be much more consistent. A truly indelible mark for an incredibly fascinating car.