วันเสาร์ที่ 7 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2555

>>Porsche 904

Porsche 904

Porsche 904
Porsche 904
The Porsche 904 is an automobile which was produced by Porsche in Germany in 1964 and 1965. It was officially called Porsche Carrera GTS due to the same naming rights problem that required renaming the Porsche 901 to Porsche 911.

History


Porsche 904-6
After having retired from F1 at the end of the 1962 season, Porsche focused again on sportscar racing. The 904 debuted late in 1963, for the 1964 racing season, as a successor to the 718, which had been introduced in 1957. Porsche designed the GTS variant to compete in the FIA-GTclass at various international racing events. The street-legal version debuted in 1964 in order to comply with Group 3 Appendix J homologation regulations requiring a certain number of road-going variants be sold by the factory.Porsche produced 106 904s at four or five a day with a list price of US$7245 (FOB Stuttgart).Orders far exceeded the one hundred car requirement to satisfy homologation rules and more cars could readily have been sold. The 904 marked the beginning of a series of sportscars that culminated in the mighty 917.

Engine

The 904's mid-engine layout was inherited from the 718, also known as the RSK (from the German term for racing, Rennsport), the factory's leading race car. It was powered by the 1,966 cc (120 cu in) Type 587/3, four-cam flat four-cylinder engine producing 198 hp (148 kW), "probably the most complex four-cylinder" ever. It drove a five-speed transmission with a standard 4.428:1 final drive, with available 4.605, 4.260, 3.636, and 3.362 ratios.
Begun as the Type 547, its development began in 1953, when the previous VW-based 1,100 cc (67 cu in) flat-four, used in the contemporary 356 and rated at 38 hp (28 kW), hit the limit of its potential. Porsche realized it needed something all-new. The brainchild of Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann, later Technical Director, it was hoped to achieve an "unheard of" 70 hp (52 kW) per 1 l (61 cu in), relying on hemispherical combustion chambers (what would be called hemi in the U.S.) and 46 mm (1.8 in)-throat 46IDA3 three-choke Weber carburetors to generate 112 hp (84 kW) from the 1,500 cc (92 cu in) four-cam engine. The 1.5 liter weighed 310 lb (140 kg) dry, eventually producing 180 hp (134 kW). A complex design that proved "very taxing" to build and assemble, but very durable, it was used in 34 different models, including 550 Spyders, 356 Carreras, and F2/1s.

Chassis

The 904 was the first Porsche to use a ladder chassis and fibreglass body, appearing more like specialist racing cars than the modified sports cars typical at the time, and was painted white. The fibreglass body was bonded to its steel chassis for extra rigidity, and achieved adrag coefficient of 0.34.While many German race cars had used unpainted aluminium bodies since the famous 1934 Silver Arrows, most 904s were painted silver, the modern German national racing color. Unusually for Porsche, the two-seater bodies were provided by contractors, which would later become standard practice among race car builders. The 904's fibreglass body was made by spraying chopped fibreglass into a mold, the amount sprayed often varied in thickness over the shape of the car and as a result the weight of the various cars was somewhat inconsistent; some were heavier than others. Race-prepared four-cylinder 904s weighed in at approximately 1,443 pounds (655 kg) and the low weight gave the 904 the ability to accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in less than six seconds (using the standard rear gear, which would be typical at Sebring) and to reach a top speed of 160 mph (260 km/h) (with the 3.362 ratio).

Suspension

The Porsche 904 rode on coil springs (the first Porsche not to use trailing arm front and swingaxle rear suspension), with unequal-length A-arms in front. The wheelbase was 90.5 in (2,300 mm) (by contrast, the Corvair's was 108 in (2,700 mm)), track front and rear 51.7 in (1,310 mm), height 42 in (1,100 mm), and ground clearance of 4.7 in (120 mm) on 15 in (380 mm) wheels. Frontal area was only 14 sq ft (1.3 m2).

Lake Underwood piloting the class-winning 904 at Sebring in 1964.

904/6

To satisfy demand, twenty 1965 models were produced, some featuring a variant of the 911's flat six. Due to the less weight issues of the first generation plastic body, the 904's successor, the 1966 906 or "Carrera 6", was developed with a tubular space frame covered with an unstressed, lighter fiberglass body.

904/8

A few factory race cars were fitted with a flat eight-cylinder power plant derived from the 1962 804 F1 car, the 225 hp (168 kW) 1,962 cc (119.7 cu in) Type 771, which used 42 mm (1.7 in)-throat downdraft Webers. The Type 771s, however, suffered a "disturbing habit" of making their flywheels explode.

Technical specifications

  • Engine
    • Drivetrain layout: Mid-engine RWD
    • Engine Type: Flat-Four
    • Bore x stroke: 3.62 in (91.95 mm) x 2.91 in (73.91 mm)
    • Displacement, ci/cc: 120/1966
    • Compression ratio: 9.8:1
    • Max SAE net horsepower: 198 hp (148 kW)
    • Specific output, hp/liter: 100.7
    • Weight to power, lb/hp: 5.4
    • Transmission: 5-speed manual

Performance

  • Drag Coefficient: 0.34
  • 0-60 mph (97 km/h) : <6 seconds
  • Top speed: 160 mph (260 km/h)

Modern day replicas

Modern day replicas of the 904 are currently being produced by a number of companies, including Martin and Walker in the UK and Chuck Beck  in the US.

Racing

Making an inauspicious debut at Sebring in 1964, where it suffered clutch trouble, "a four-cylinder 904 took an astounding first overall" at the Targa Florio. It went on to a third at the Nürburgring and a perfect finish at LeMans. Both times, all five starters finished, placed in the top twelve overall, among many much more powerful cars. 904s showed remarkable durability; they "almost always" finished, and atReims in 1964, a customer car fresh from Stuttgart, driven to the track, went on to win without the need for any spares at all. For 1964, 904s racked up a 1-2 at the Targa Florio and class wins at SpaSebring (co-driven by Briggs Cunningham and Lake Underwood), the Nürburgring, Le Mans, Watkins GlenZandvoortCanada, and the Paris 1000 Kilometer, in the process taking SCCA's C-Production and E-Sports Racing titles. In addition, it won rally events including the Tulip, Munich-Vienna-Budapest, Geneva, and "highly acclaimed" Alpine Rally. For 1965, results were "equally impressive", seeing wins at the Spanish, Rossfeld, Hellbronner, and Gaisburg rallys, as well as a class win in a gruelling Monte Carlo Rally which saw just 22 finishers in the points, out of 237 starters. In addition, 904s won their class at the Monza 1000 Kilometer, Targa, Spa, Daytona Continental, Le Mans, and Zandvoort, among others, repeating their E-Sports title win and adding an SCCA E-Production championship.

>>Porsche 907

Porsche 907



Porsche 907
The Porsche 907 was a sportscar racing prototype built by Porsche in 1967 and 1968.


1967

The 907 was introduced at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans. As suggested by Ferdinand Piëch, the position of the driver was moved from the traditional left (as in German road cars) to the right as this gives advantages on the predominant clockwise race tracks.
With a new longtail body, the 907s reached 302 km/h (190 mph) on the straight even though they used the reliable 220 hp Porsche 910 2000cc 6-cyl rather than the more powerful 8-cyl. Also, vented brake disks were used as standard from now. The best Porsche 907 finished 5th, beaten only by Ford and Ferrari with their much bigger engines.
As the record-breaking performances of the 7.0L V8-powered Ford had triggered rumors about a future rule change, Porsche started to prepare themselves in summer of 1967. The 907 was equipped with the 270 hp 2200cc 8-cyl which was then modified for the rules of the new 3 litre prototype category that was announced in late 1967 to come in effect already in 1968. An engine with the full 3000cc would have to be developed first, though, to be introduced in the future Porsche 908.

1968

From 1968, the big V8 and V12 prototypes of Ford and Ferrari were banned, and Porsche hoped to secure the World Sportscar Championshipand maybe an overall win at Le Mans as the competition at Ford, Matra and Alfa Romeo was not prepared with suitable 3000cc prototypes yet, either. Ferrari even sat out the whole of 1968 as a protest against the rule change. Apart from the former 2000cc-class rivals Alfa Romeo T33/2 and Renault-powered Alpine, 5000cc sportscars were also permitted to enter if at least 50 of them had been built. This loophole was intended to fill the grid with cars dating mainly from 1965, like Ford GT40 and Lola T70.
Porsche was serious. Unlike during the rather modest earlier years, four cars were entered in the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona, supported by 20 mechanics and engineers. The pilots were fitted with cooling vests developed by NASA as the oil-cooler and the hot oil pipes caused heat in the closed cockpit.
After the #53 car of Gerhard Mitter had a big crash caused by tyre failure in the banking, his teammate Rolf Stommelen supported the #54 driven by Vic Elford/Jochen Neerpasch. When the #52 car of the longtime leaders Jo Siffert/Hans Herrmann dropped to second due to a technical problem, these two also drove on the #54 car in case theirs broke down. Due to this, five pilots won the race, and two of them scored also second. The #51 Jo Schlesser/Joe Buzzetta car completed the 1-2-3 side-by-side parade finish that the Ferrari prototypes had shown a year earlier at the banked finish line. The three Alfa Romeo T33/2's were even beaten by a Ford Mustang.
The 1968 12 Hours of Sebring saw a 1-2 finish for the Porsche 907, with the Jo Siffert/Hans Herrmann car winning and the Vic Elford/Jochen Neerpasch car finishing 2nd. The Gerhard Mitter/Rolf Stommelen and Ludovico Scarfiotti/Joe Buzzetta cars were victims of engine failures. Daytona & Sebring marked the first back-to-back major outright wins for the company, and French journalist (and occasional racer) Bernard Cahier wrote, "it's hard to imagine that anyone could beat Porsche to the championship this year." Their championship hopes in Sportscars and F1 would be significantly changed soon, though.
The next race was the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch, on April 7 1968. That fateful day, Jim Clark was supposed to drive one of the new Ford F3L P68 prototypes with the Cosworth DFV engine, entered by Alan Mann Racing. Clark instead was driving a Formula 2 at Hockenheimring to show the new sponsorship logos for Team Lotus, and was killed. Jo Siffert/Hans Herrmann were fastest in qualifying ahead of Bruce McLaren/Mike Spence in the new Ford, but none finished. It was the updated John Wyer-entered Ford GT40 of Jacky Ickx/Brian Redman which won ahead of the remaining two Porsche 907's after being only 5th on the grid.
In races on faster tracks like the 1000km Monza, these modified old Ford GT40's entered by JWA Gulf Racing Team proved to be an unexpectedly strong force. The loophole for these 5-liter sportscars was opened if at least 50 were built, to let the many existing Lola T70's take part, too. For 1969, the minimum number was lowered to 25, which opened opportunities unexpected by many.
At the twisty Targa Florio, the only privately entered GT40 finished last, but the Alfa Romeo T33/2 were strong. In lap 1, Vic Elford had lost 18 minutes due to a tyre failure. Supported by veteran Umberto Maglioli, he showed a fantastic race in the 907, reminiscent of Juan Manuel Fangio's legendary 1957 German Grand Prix, beating the old lap record by one minute and winning by 3 minutes. Hans Herrmann & Jochen Neerpasch came in 4th among four Alfas. In the Porsche advertising poster celebrating the win, only an exhausted yet smiling Elford was shown, not the cars as usual.
The 1000km Nürburgring was won with the new Porsche 908 with its 3000cc engine, but it still was unreliable. The underpowered 2200cc 907 with less than half the Ford's displacement continued as Porsche's best entry in the 1000km Spa, Watkins Glen 6 Hours and 500km Zeltweg, losing to the Ford GT40's.
This set up the stage for a showdown at la Sarthe, as due to political unrest in France, the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans had been postponed from its traditional mid-June date to the end of September. Porsche could not take advantage of the additional time to improve the 908 nor read the French rule book properly. For the first time, Porsche were the fastest in qualifying and the early stages of the race, but troubles with the 908's alternator caused delays and even disqualifications as the new Porsche staff had misinterpreted the repair rules.
For the third time in a row, a V8-powered Ford won the 24h classic. A Porsche 907LH came in second in front of the sole surviving 908. In addition, Ford had taken the World Sportscar Championship, too.
At that time, Porsche had already decided to make a risky investment in order to go one step further beyond the 3-liter 908 prototype: they committed themselves to develop a new 5-liter sportscar and built the required number of 25 in advance. This car was the legendary Porsche 917.

1969 - 1971

During the following seasons, several 907's were entered by privateers, scoring occasional top-10 finishes, with a podium at Monza in 1969 and a 7th at the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans being the more remarkable results.

    >>Porsche 804

    Porsche 804


    1962 Porsche 804

    Joakim Bonnier with Porsche F1-804
    The Porsche 804 was a Formula One racing car produced in 1962, following the 718 and 787.
    The flat-8 air-cooled engine powered car developed 180 hp at 9,200 rpm gave Porsche its only F1 wins as a chassis maker, at the 1962 French Grand Prix, and at the (non-WC) Solituderennen at Castle Solitude in Stuttgart, both by Dan Gurney. The cylinder dimensions were 66.0 x 54.6 mm giving a displacement of 1,494.38 cc.

    >>Porsche 787

    Porsche 787


    The Porsche 787 was a Formula Two racing car built in 1960, based on the 1500 RS-K race sports car.
    Built to the 1960 Formula Two formula, the Type 787 was driven by such notables as Wolfgang von Trips and Dan Gurney to victory and obtaining the unofficial "Coupe des Constructeurs" — Formula Two's World Constructors Championship. The car had a flat-4 engine developing 190 hp at 8,000 rpm.
    In 1961, the 787 was used in Formula One for a scant few races while the 718 took part in most races.

    วันศุกร์ที่ 6 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2555

    >>Porsche 718

    Porsche 718

    Porsche 718
    A silver-coloured single-seater version of the 718 parked in a garagePorsche 718 Formula 2 car
    CategoryF1, Sportscar
    ConstructorPorsche
    Technical specifications
    ChassisSpaceframe chassis
    Suspension (front)torsion bars, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
    Suspension (rear)Watt-linkage, coil springs over telescopic shock absorbers
    EngineType 547 1.5 litres 4-cylinder Boxer engine with 4 camshafts normally aspirated Mid-engined
    Transmission5-speed manual
    Weight570 kilograms (1,300 lb)
    FuelPetrol
    Competition history
    Notable entrantsPorsche System Engineering, Ecurie Maarsbergen
    Notable driversGraham HillStirling Moss, Wolfgang von Trips, Jo BonnierHans HerrmannDan GurneyCarel Godin de Beaufort
    Debut1957 Le Mans - Sportcars
    1960 Italian Grand Prix - F1
    RacesWinsPolesFastest laps
    33 (F1)0 (F1)
    3 (Targa Florio)
    1 (12 Hrs of Sebring)
    00
    Teams' Championships0
    Constructors' Championships0
    Drivers' Championships5 (European Hill Climb)
    The Porsche 718 is an open-cockpit racing car build by Porsche between 1957 and 1962.
    The 718 was a development of the already successful Porsche 550A with improvements being made to the body work and suspension. The new front frame resembled the letter K if viewed from the front and this led to the car being referred to as the RSK. It had a mid-engined layout and used the Type 547/3 1.5-litre quad-cam engine (142 horsepower (106 kW)) which was first introduced in the 550A. The car made its racing debut at the1957 24 Hours of Le Mans driven by Umberto Maglioli and Edgar Barth. The car failed to finish the race due to an accident.
    In 1958 the car successfully finished third overall at Le Mans and came first in class. Jean Behra also brought one of the cars home second at the Targa Florio. In 1959 the car claimed overall victory at the Targa Florio driven by Edgar Barth and Wolfgang Seidel. A 718 also won the European Hill Climb Championship in both 1958 and 1959.
    In 1961 Masten Gregory and Bob Holbert piloted a 718/4 RS Spyder to a class win at Le Mans.

    Variations

    Initially a two-seater 1.5 litre sports car, the 718 was adapted to compete in a number of different formulas and also evolved due to regulation changes.

    RS 60

    For the 1960 season the FIA made changes to the regulation regarding the windscreen and cockpit size. These rules changes together with a larger (1.6 litre) Type 547/3 engine, developing 160 horsepower (120 kW) and a new double wishbone rear suspension brought about the RS 60 model. The RS 60 brought Porsche victory at the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring with a car driven by Hans Herrmann and Olivier Gendebien. 1960 also saw Porsche win the Targa Florio with Hans Herrmann being joined on the winner podium by Jo Bonnier and Graham Hill. The RS 60 also ensured that Porsche successfully defended their European Hill Climb Championship for the third year in a row.

    RS 61

    For 1961 the model name was changed to RS 61 although it was almost identical to the RS 60. A RS 61 won the European Hill Climb Championship.

    W-RS

    A two-litre version, the W-RS was developed in 1961. Initially fitted with a 4-cylinder engine, the car was later fitted with an enlarged flat-8 air-cooled engine from the Porsche 804 Formula One car which was developed to produce240 horsepower (180 kW). A W-RS finished 8th at Le Mans in 1963. The W-RS continued Porsche's success in the European Hill Climb Championship with Edgar Barth claiming the title in 1963. Porsche would go on to win a European Hill Climb Championship every year until 1982, a total of 42 titles.
    The W-RS continued racing until 1964 when it was replaced by the 904.

    718 GTR Coupé

    A bright orange 718 as driven by Carel Godin de Beaufort in F1 races
    Carel Godin de Beaufort's 718 F1 race car
    A Coupé version was developed from the RS 61. Initially fitted with a 4-cylinder engine, this car was also upgraded to the a 8-cylinder F1 derived engine which produced 210 horsepower (160 kW). The car was also fitted with disc brakes. A GTR Coupé driven Jo Bonnier and Carlo Mario Abate won the 1963 Targa Florio making it three wins at the event for a 718 car.

    Formula Two

    A new Formula Two for 1.5 litre engine cars was introduced in 1957. Due the central location of the steering box, the 718 was easily converted to single seater specification and Porsche made their F2 debut with victories at Reims and Avus in 1958. In 1959 other RSK's were converted for single seater racing and at the XV B.A.R.C. '200' at Aintree in 1960 Porsche scored a 1-2-3 victory with Stirling Moss, Jo Bonnier and Graham Hill all in 718's. The feat was repeated again later in the year at the race at Zeltweg, Austria.

    Formula One

    Formula One switched to a 1.5 litre formula in 1961 and Porsche entered three 718's for Dan Gurney, Hans Herrmann and Jo Bonnier. Gurney scored three 2nd places (FranceItaly and United States) taking him to 4th place in the Drivers' Championship. For 1962, Porsche entered a new car, the Porsche 804 in Formula One.
    Carel Godin de Beaufort, a privateer, entered a 718 in F1 between 1961 and 1964. He was killed driving his 718 during practice for the 1964 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.

    Gallery

    Porsche 718 W-RS Spyder, a Porsche 718 RSK F1, Porsche 904, and Porsche 356 B Abarth Carrera GTL.  
    Porsche 718 RS60 Spyder.  
    Porsche 718 RSK Spyder.  
    Porsche 718 W-RS Spyder.  
    Porsche 718 W-RS Spyder.

    >>Porsche 550

    Porsche 550


    Porsche 550
    Porsche 550 Spyder
    ManufacturerPorsche
    Production1953-1956
    AssemblyStuttgartGermany
    ClassSports car
    Body style2-door coupe
    2-door spyder
    LayoutMR layout

    Porsche 550 RS
    The Porsche 550 was a sports car produced by Porsche from 1953-1956.
    Inspired by the Porsche 356 which was created by Ferry Porsche, and some spyder prototypes built and raced by Walter Glöckler starting in 1951, the factory decided to build a car designed for use in auto racing.The model Porsche 550 Spyder was introduced at the 1953 Paris Auto Show. The 550 was very low to the ground, in order to be efficient for racing. In fact, former German Formula One racer Hans Herrmann drove it under closed railroad crossing gates during the 1954 Mille Miglia.
    The 550 / 1500RS or Spyder became known as the "Giant Killer". The later 1956 evolution version of the model, the 550A, which had a lighter and more rigid spaceframe chassis, gave Porsche its first overall win in a major sports car racing event, the 1956 Targa Florio.
    Its successor from 1957 onwards, the Porsche 718, commonly known as the RSK was even more successful, scoring points in Formula One as late as 1963. The Spyder variations continued through the early 1960s, the RS 60 and RS 61. A descendant of the Porsche 550 is generally considered to be the Porsche Boxster S 550 Spyder; the Spyder name was effectively resurrected with the RS Spyder Le Mans Prototype.
    The Porsche 550 "Little Bastard" numbered 130 (serial number 550-0055) is best known for being the car in which James Dean fatally crashed on September 30, 1955.

    Replicas


    Technic 550 Spyder, fibreglass panels on custom chassis. Powered by VW, Porsche or Alfa Romeo flat-4 engine.
    The 550 is among the most frequently reproduced classic automobiles, like the AC Cobra and Lotus Seven. Several companies have sprung up in the last 25 years, some of which build near-exact replicas from the ground up, including spaceframes built to exacting specs from Porsche blueprints. Some of the companies that make replicas are Boulder Speedster, Chuck Beck Motorsports, Chamonix do Brasil, Auto Classics, Thunder Ranch, Holmes Motor Company, Le Mans 550 Spyder, Vintage Spyders, and Alloycars, which specializes in exact aluminum recreations from blueprints.

    >>Porsche 360

    Porsche 360


    Porsche 360 Cisitalia is an automobile from Porsche introduced in 1949. The name Cisitalia (short for Consorzio Industriale Sportive Italia) is the name of the company that ordered the model.

    History

    The car was commissioned by Piero Dusio in 1946. Dusio paid a large sum of money up front, part of which was used to free Ferdinand Porsche from the French prison in which he was being held effectively for ransom. Dusio gave Porsche only 16 months to complete the car which proved too short a time to sort out the advanced design.

    Porsche 360 Cisitalia in the old Porsche museum

    Porsche 360 Cisitalia in the new Porsche museum

    Design

    The Dr. Porsche designed unraced 1939 1,482.56 cc (53.0 x 56.0 mm) 2-stage Roots supercharged V12 Auto-Union had been projected to deliver 327 bhp (244 kW) at 9,000 rpm. This provided the basis of the Cisitalia 360 car which was built around a mid mounted supercharged 1,492.58 cc (56.0 x 50.5 mm) flat 12 engine giving a conservative 300 hp (224 kW) at 8,500 rpm and a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). A fully enclosed streamlined body for fast circuits was planned giving over 200 mph (320 km/h). Later bench tests showed about 385 bhp (287 kW) at 10,500 rpm. The chassis was of chromoly tubing and featured on/off four wheel drive with a sequential gear-shift and a rear mounted transaxle also sending power through a driveshaft to a front differential. Suspension was trailing arm in front De Dion tube in the rear. Porsche's experience with the pre-war Auto Union Grand Prix cars showed through in the layout and design of the Cisitalia to the extant that it has been referred to as the "E Type".

    Legacy

    By the time the only prototype was finished Dusio was out of cash. The car languished in development until 1951, at one point being shipped off to Argentina to try to persuade president Juan Perón to invest in the company. By 1952 Formula One rules had changed and while Dusio attempted to source a 2 liter motor for the car a lack of funds relegated one of the most advanced Grand Prix cars of its day to a few Formula Libre events and quick retirement. The car is currently on display in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.