Porsche 956

Lore & Background

Built to comply with the championship's new Group C regulations introduced in 1982, the car replaced Porsche's successful 936 model. The project began in June 1981, and the first prototype chassis was completed on March 27, 1982. Jürgen Barth tested the first chassis at Porsche's private test track. The 956 features a chassis made of an aluminium monocoque, a first for the company. The engine is the Type-935 2.65 L turbocharged Flat-6, producing approximately 635 hp. An improved chassis with better fuel efficiency from a Bosch Motronic electric system was developed for 1984, termed the 956B. Twenty-eight 956s were built from 1982 to 1984, with an unofficial 29th chassis built from spare parts by Richard Lloyd Racing. The 956 was not the first Porsche to have ground effect aerodynamics; the Porsche 936/81 used ground-effect tunnels before the 956. The 956 produced over three times as much downforce as the older Porsche 917. In 1983, chassis #107 was used as a testbed for the P01 Formula One engine, later badged as TAG and used by McLaren. Porsche tested its PDK dual-clutch transmission in the 956 in the early 1980s. The 956 appeared with two different rear wing designs: a larger high downforce wing for most events, and a smaller 'low drag' wing for Le Mans to reach speeds around 225 mph. Some privateer teams experimented with a front wing, but wind tunnel testing found it disrupted airflow and increased drag. The factory Rothmans Porsche team did not use front wings, attributed to their one-piece body undertray. The 956 was officially replaced by the Porsche 962 in 1985.

In Their Own Story

The rain hammered the asphalt of Mulsanne Straight as the #1 Rothmans Porsche 956 approached the pit lane. Inside the cockpit, the driver's hands were steady despite the slick conditions. The flat-six engine roared with a distinctive turbo whistle, cutting through the storm. As the car slid gently into the box, the crew moved with practiced silence, refueling and changing tires in seconds. With a wave from the chief mechanic, the green light flashed. The Porsche surged back onto the wet track, its carbon body gleaming under the floodlights, ready to conquer another hour of the most grueling race on earth.

Reader's Guide

The 956 made its debut at the Silverstone 6 Hour race, the second round of the World Championship for Makes, with Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell driving for the factory. After missing the following round at the 1000 km Nürburgring, the Ickx/Bell unit reappeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, leading the entire race and taking the overall win. The three factory 956s finished 1-2-3 in order of their starting numbers. Porsche sold customer versions to privateer teams such as Joest Racing, Obermaier Racing, John Fitzpatrick Racing, Richard Lloyd Racing, Kremer Racing, and Brun Motorsport. The overall all-time lap record for the Nürburgring Nordschleife was achieved during qualifying for the 1983 1000km of Nürburgring by Stefan Bellof, who drove his 956 in 6 minutes 11.13 seconds. The race lap record is held by the same Bellof during the 1983 1000 km Nürburgring, at 6:25.91. At the 1985 1000 km of Spa, Bellof died after his Brun Motorsport's 956 collided with the factory team's 962 driven by Jacky Ickx. Safety concerns over the 956 led to its eventual end as teams upgraded to the safer 962. The 956's last win came courtesy of Joest Racing in the last race of the 1986 WEC season, which was also the 956's last race.

Did You Know?

• The 956 was the first Porsche to use an aluminium monocoque chassis.
• Stefan Bellof's 6:11.13 lap at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 1983 stood as a record for 35 years, until surpassed by Timo Bernhard in a Porsche 919 Evo on 29 June 2018.
• The 956's engine was originally developed as an Indycar engine, hence its 2.65 L capacity.
• The TAG-Porsche engine, tested in the 956, won 25 Grands Prix and helped McLaren to two Constructors and three World Driver's Championships between 1984 and 1987.