1982 Porsche 956 Debut Race
The Porsche 956: a Group C legend that debuted with a 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in 1982.
The Porsche 956 was a Group C sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer and built by Porsche in 1982 for the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was later upgraded to the 956B in 1984.
- Car Model
- Porsche 956
- Manufacturer
- Porsche AG
- Series
- Group C / World Sportscar Championship
- Winning Team
- Jacky Ickx, Jochen Mass, Derek Bell (Team Rothmans)
- Engine Type
- 3.2L Flat-6 Turbocharged
- Historical Significance
- First victory for the 956 and start of Porsche's Group C dominance
Lore & Background
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 for developmental reasons, the Ickx/Bell unit reappeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They led the race for the entire 24 hours, eventually taking the overall win - their third win together. As they had already won in 1981 with a Porsche 936 that had used an early version of the 956 engine, their car had started number 1. The two other factory 956 followed them, so the three factory Porsches finished 1-2-3 in the order of their starting numbers.
In Their Own Story
The morning mist still clung to the Mulsanne Straight as the roar of turbochargers began to echo across the track. Derek Bell, sitting in the cockpit of the Rothmans-liveried 956, felt the familiar vibration of the flat-six engine warming up for its first official battle at Le Mans. As the green flag dropped, the car launched forward with a ferocity that left the older prototypes in its wake, a testament to years of secret development and relentless engineering perfection.
Reader's Guide
The 956 features a chassis made of an aluminium monocoque, a first for the company, helping to allow the car to meet the 800 kg weight minimum in Group C. The engine is the same as the one used in the Porsche 936/81, 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, being termed the 956B. The 956 was also the first Porsche to have ground effect aerodynamics.
Did You Know?
- In 1983, driven by Stefan Bellof, this car established a record that would stand for 35 years, lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:11.13 during qualifying for the 1000 km Sports Car race.
- The 956 was the first Porsche to have ground effect aerodynamics, producing over three times as much downforce as the older Porsche 917.
- Porsche tested its PDK dual-clutch transmission in the 956 in the early 1980s.
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