Mark Hotchkis through the Petersen Automotive Museum's YouTube channel has just given a virtual tour of an insane Porsche collection in the Vault. The collection features not only classic Porsches but iconic race vehicles and Porsche prototypes as well. While the infamous 911 is the most famous of the Porsches, this collection focuses on special 956s and 962s. The Petersen Automotive Museum curated this collection, titled "Prototype Giants," in collaboration with Luftgekühlt and was open for viewing in November.
Powerful And Prominent Porsches On Display
Hotchkis wastes no time detailing the specifics of the collection, discussing a 1981 Porsche 956 before the first minute of the video is even up. The car entered the 1982 FIA World Sportscar Championship (WSC)’s Group C and was incredibly successful all the way until 1989. In terms of makeup, the car's built on a monocoque hub with aerodynamic channels that helped the car stick to the track and a swooping rear wing.
Power comes from a twin-turbo 2.65-Liter inline-six engine mated to a five-speed synchromesh manual transmission. What makes this car particularly special is that the driver's feet go beyond the front axle line.
This car marks the beginning of the 956/962 era for Porsche. The Porsche 956s performed incredibly well in the 1982 FIA WSC, not only winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans but each of the three 956s that entered the Le Mans earning a spot on the podium.
The next car that Hotchkis shows off is an early Porsche 962 in the red Coca-Cola livery. The car features similar smooth aerodynamic channels, with the addition of side intercoolers. The engine specifics are not disclosed in the video, however, Hotchkis states that the engine in the car is a smaller displacement, single turbo engine. These cars were incredibly reliable and successful, raced by many privateers as well as Porsche itself.
Modification Of The 956 Led To The 962
The 956s were so successful that American racing teams wanted them, yet to satisfy the requirements of the American restrictions, the wheelbase had to be longer to ensure that the driver's feet are in line with or behind the front axle line. This in turn led to the creation of the 962. Porsche not only competed with 962s but made them into customer cars, allowing privateers to race these cars independent of Porsche. Consequently, different racing companies created custom modifications to specialize their cars for the series they raced in.
The rest of the video showcases a variety of privateering 962s each with their own unique liveries and modifications. All in all, these vehicles left a massive legacy in the racing world.