Porsche WSC-95

Lore & Background

The project began in 1994 when TWR USA boss Tony Dowe was told by Tom Walkinshaw to find a race program within six weeks or wind up the business. With only an XJR-14 chassis at his disposal, Dowe approached Alwin Springer of Porsche Racing USA with a technical partnership arrangement, which was agreed to. The car was not a factory-backed effort but was approved by Porsche and used their Type-935 turbocharged Flat-6 engine, originally used in the Porsche 956 in the 1980s. The 3.0 Litre engine gave the WSC-95 better fuel economy than Porsche's 911 GT1, which was useful over long race distances. Mario Andretti and Hans-Joachim Stuck were signed to drive, and the car had a shakedown prior to the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona. However, IMSA WSC regulations were changed before the 1995 season, leading Porsche to cancel the project and mothball the car. In February 1996, Reinhold Joest convinced Porsche to give the unused prototype to his team for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Joest funded the construction of a second car from scratch and made slight modifications to the existing car to meet LMP1 regulations. Porsche agreed to help only if Joest paid for the services.

Reader's Guide

The WSC-95's significance lies in its unexpected success as a revived project that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice despite not being a factory-backed effort. After its initial cancellation due to IMSA rule changes, the car was resurrected by Joest Racing and proved competitive against factory Porsche 911 GT1s, winning in 1996 and 1997. Its lighter tyre wear allowed it to change tyres only every third pit stop for fuel, a strategic advantage. Following these victories, Porsche took over the project, upgrading both chassis into the Porsche LMP1-98 with revised bodywork and a larger 3.2 Litre engine. However, the LMP1-98s struggled against new competitors from Nissan, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, failing to finish at Le Mans in 1998. The cars were retired after 1998, with Porsche planning a new prototype for 2000 that was later cancelled. The WSC-95's legacy includes giving Tom Kristensen his first of a record nine Le Mans wins in 1997.

Did You Know?

• The WSC-95 was derived from the Jaguar XJR-14 Group C car.
• Only two WSC-95 chassis were ever built.
• The car used a 3.0 Litre version of Porsche's Type-935 engine, originally from the 956.
• Tom Kristensen's first Le Mans win came in the WSC-95 in 1997.