Porsche's Technological Innovations Part 10: The 917

At the end of the 1960s, even though it had already secured 28 class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Porsche had never achieved an overall win. The company, which remained very much a “daughter and granddaughter” of the Porsche family, found in Ferry’s cousin a man determined to change that. His name was Ferdinand Piëch (to find out more, click here: Unforgettable Car Geniuses: Ferdinand Piëch) who, loyal to the tradition of air-cooled boxer engines, saw a new opportunity in the 24 Hours’ updated regulations that allowed up to 5000cc for naturally aspirated engines. He instructed Hans Mezger to create a V12, naturally in boxer configuration, for a model that would be named the 917.

From mid-1968, Porsche began producing 25 units of the 917, as required by the new Sport Prototype Championship regulations. The goal: overall victory at Le Mans.

This car represented an extraordinary leap forward in the design of race cars. At its debut in 1969, due to the massive power of its 4.5-liter, 580-horsepower engine weighing just 800 kilos, and its daring aerodynamic solutions, the car proved very difficult to drive. Its top speed on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans reached 362 km/h in the long-tail version—Langheck—but it was extremely challenging through mixed sections, unlike the earlier 907 and 908 models.

Pole position at Le Mans in 1969 was not enough to secure victory. Understandably so: developed in just ten months, the car still needed thorough fine-tuning, which on-track experience helped accelerate. Veteran drivers Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood finally clinched the win in 1970, benefitting from a 917 in continuous evolution, whose engine had been enlarged to 4900cc and later to 5000cc. In this configuration, within two years, top speed on the Mulsanne increased from 362 to 394 km/h, with a lap record during the race just over three minutes, and a distance of 5333.313 kilometers covered in 24 hours—a record that remained unbeaten until 2010!

In 1970, Porsche achieved its first overall victory at Le Mans with the 917 K driven by Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood.

The car, although still demanding, had significantly improved in drivability and instantly became a legend. The impact of the 917 on competitors was traumatic, and its unbeatable nature gained universal recognition with the film Le Mans, where Steve McQueen, behind the wheel of the stunning light blue and orange Gulf-liveried car, was its triumphant driver.

After back-to-back wins in 1970 and 1971, a regulation change gave Porsche engineers a new challenge. This time the target was the American market: Audi—part of the group—was in need of a boost in the U.S. to attract customers to showrooms for a brand lacking recognition. Starting from the 917, now in open-top configuration, studies began in Stuttgart aimed at dominating American series, most notably CanAm.

The iconic Gulf livery of the Porsche 917s fielded by John Wyer Automotive Engineering, which starred with Steve McQueen in the 1970 film “Le Mans”.

The European Interserie formula, which offered great creative freedom in mechanics, proved useful for early testing. A special adjustable tubular chassis was developed, fitted with a 16-cylinder, 6.5-liter engine delivering 755 hp. Thanks to its adjustable wheelbase, the design showed improved stability and ease of handling with a significantly lengthened setup. During the same period, Porsche began experimenting with turbocharging, starting with the 917’s 12-cylinder boxer engine. They soon realized that the 12-cylinder, 50 kg lighter than the 16, could easily reach 1000 hp when turbocharged—and eventually up to 1200 hp.

Not just Le Mans—Porsche’s 917 also dominated the American CanAm series under the management of Roger Penske, pictured center.

Thus, the 917, with its 5.4-liter twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine and open bodywork, went on to dominate far and wide across the USA and Canada. Beyond its achievements and its sleek, aerodynamically advanced shape, the 917 also won the hearts of fans thanks to its bold and sometimes whimsical liveries—like the “Psychedelic” 917 LH of 1970 and the legendary Porsche 917/20 Sau Coupé “Pink Pig” of 1971, whose pink bodywork was decorated with butcher-style meat cuts.

The stunning 1971 Porsche 917/20 Sau Coupé, nicknamed the “Pink Pig” due to its butcher-shop inspired livery.