The number 2 Porsche 924 Carrera GT Le Mans raced at
the iconic French 24
Hours endurance motor sport event in 1980 as part of an innovative
three-car, international team. Car #2 (the British entry) comprised Tony
Dron and Andy Rouse and they finished the 24 Hours in 12
th place.
The car is now undergoing a full restoration before returning to race tracks across Britain - Porsche Classic centres in Britain are restoring the car in time for the 40
th anniversary of the launch of the 924 in 1976, the
first model in the so-called ‘transaxle’ series of Porsche cars, with
their front engines and gearboxes located in combination with the
rear-driven axle.
The 924 Carrera GT Le Mans.
Since its earliest days, Porsche has taken lessons from the race
track and applied them in the development of its road cars – and vice
versa. The 924 Carrera GT Le Mans was no exception. Taking as its basis
the 210 hp 924 Carrera GT road car, famous Porsche racing engineer,
Norbert Singer, was given the task of creating a fully-fledged racing
car. Singer and the engineering staff at the Porsche Motorsport team at
Weissach, near Stuttgart, Germany, drafted a relatively modest list of
modifications. Under the product code Type 937, a production Carrera GT
bodyshell was stiffened considerably with the addition of an aluminium
roll-cage, and the exterior bodywork was clothed in new lightweight
plastic panels. These extended to the nose, which was made more
aerodynamic while keeping the appearance of the 924, and also helped to
shroud the wider 11-inch front wheels and 12-inch wide rear wheels with
racing Dunlop slick tyres.
The front cross-member was welded in place to increase cornering
stiffness, and although the MacPherson strut front suspension was
retained, titanium springs and Bilstein gas dampers were fitted. At the
rear, however, the torsion bars were supplemented with titanium coil
springs. The driveshafts were also made of titanium (in fact, they were
taken from the ferocious 911-derived 935 race car) and the rear
differential was fully locked for maximum traction.
Under the bonnet, the engine was relatively straightforward. The
VW-based 1,984 cc, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder underwent some
modifications to help with airflow and cooling; the KKK turbocharger was
moved to the left side of the engine, and the intercooler increased in
size and moved to the front. Bosch/Kugelfischer mechanical fuel
injection replaced the production specification K-Jetronic, and dry-sump
lubrication ensured consistent oil supply under racing loads.
As a consequence, power output rose by 50% from the 210 hp / 6,000
rpm of the road car to 320 hp / 7,000 rpm, with a 40% boost in torque.
Combined with a weight reduction to 930 kg from 1,180 kg, the car’s
performance leapt forwards. For a Le Mans racer, top speed is a prime
focus and maximum velocity rose to 180 mph; large ventilated and
cross-drilled brake discs (borrowed from the 917) were employed to slow
the cars after the Mulsanne Straight.
In the context of the recent success at Le Mans with prototypes vying
for outright wins (and already by 1980 Porsche had an enviable record
of triumphs in the 24 Hours), there was some mixed feelings regarding
the relative performance of these brave 924 Carrera GTP race cars.
However, a suggestion by Porsche Cars GB to run the cars in the national
identities of Britain, Germany and the US, with national drivers and
exterior liveries, saw the programme gain a welcome boost internally at
Porsche AG and also generate wide media interest.
In the event, external factors prior to the 1980 Le Mans start, saw
Derek Bell switch to the American #3 car with US driver Al Holbert, and
the #2 British car was shared by the proven pair of Tony Dron and Andy
Rouse, and the #4 German car was driven by Jürgen Barth and Manfred
Schurti.
A wet start to the Le Mans 24 Hours race itself saw the modest
expectations of qualifying transformed considerably, with Bell running
16
th overall after one hour followed by Barth in 22
nd and Rouse in 28
th. By nightfall, the three 924 Carrera GTP race cars were running 10
th, 14
th, and 15
th and by breakfast time on Sunday morning they had moved up to sixth, seventh and eighth.
At the chequered flag, the #4 German car finished in sixth place, a
remarkable achievement for the 924 Carrera GTP in what was not only the
car’s debut at Le Mans but also the first time the 924 model had been
entered by the Porsche factory in motor sport. The #2 British car
crossed the line in 13
th position, one place behind the #3 American entry.
In line with the Porsche ethos of race to road technology transfer,
the 1980 Le Mans programme inspired the production of 59 examples of a
new 924 GTS model that was homologated for competition use, plus a
further 19 examples of the higher-powered GTR offered in full Le Mans
race specification for customer motorsport (and priced at 180,000
Deutschmarks).
In a fitting post-script, in the 1981 Le Mans 24 Hours, the Porsche
factory entered a 924 GTP which with a large 410 hp 2,479 cc four
cylinder engine was technically a prototype of the forthcoming 2.5-litre
944 road car. Driven by Jürgen Barth and Walter Röhrl, it won the GTP
class category and placed seventh overall. Of three privately-entered
924 Carrera GTR cars, the top finisher was the car of Andy Rouse and
Manfred Schurti, in 11
th place.
