Guide: Porsche 956 / 82
Background
After years of persistence, Porsche finally ascended the summit of sports car racing in 1969.
There was no doubt that the FIA’s implementation of a three-litre Prototype engine limit from 1968 had helped Porsche; it meant a raft of large displacement models from the likes of Ford, Ferrari, and Chaparral became obsolete overnight.
Although Porsche were beaten to the 1968 World Sportscar Championship title by John Wyer’s Gulf-backed GT40s (which ran in the Sport category where five-litre engines were still permitted), the German firm struck back a year later to win seven out of ten races and take that year’s crown by a country mile.
During the course of 1969, Porsche added a second model to their fleet of 908s. The new 917 was created in response to the FIA’s slashing of production requirements in the Sport class from 50 cars down to 25.
Porsche decided to build 25 out-and-out five-litre Prototypes and, once properly sorted, the 917 went on to dominate between 1970 and 1971. In addition to back-to-back World Sportscar Championship titles, the 917 also secured Porsche’s first victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Similar domination followed with 917-based cars in Can-Am, but at the end of 1973, Porsche management decided to focus on 911-based machinery.
Porsche returned with their next top flight challenger in 1976. The 936 ran a comparatively limited campaign; it won the World Championship for Makes in its only full season (1976) and took a hat-trick of Le Mans wins in 1976, 1977 and 1981.
Unfortunately, sports car racing was quite poorly supported by manufacturers during the late 1970s. To stimulate participation, a new simplified regulatory framework came into effect from 1982.
Group C took over as the premier category for Prototypes. There was no minimum production requirement to participate but, in an attempt to level the playing field, cars did have to work within the confines of a fuel efficiency formula.
Fuel tank capacity was limited to 100-litres and, for 1000km or six hour races, a maximum of five fuel stops was permitted (equating to 600-litres for the race). For 24 hour races a maximum usage of 2600-litres was permitted.
Other restrictions imposed on Group C cars included a minimum windscreen height (thus outlawing open bodywork) and the requirement for crumple zones surrounding the driver (which meant tube framed construction was now prohibited).
As the 936 had been an open-topped machine with a tubular spaceframe chassis, Porsche would have to start more or less from scratch if they wanted to participate in the new Group C era.
Below Group C were new categories known as Group B and Group A.
Group B was conceived as the top class for rallying and a junior category for sports cars. It required a production run of 200 vehicles built in a twelve month period.
Group A machinery was eligible for rallying and touring car racing. 5000 units were required for homologation.
Work began on Porsche’s new Group C challenger in early 1981. The 956 that followed would initially be reserved for works use. Customer cars would then be supplied from 1983.
Chassis
The 956 was based around Porsche’s first true racing monocoque.
Manufactured from aluminium honeycomb, it had a 2650mm wheelbase which positioned the driver’s feet ahead of the front axle.
An integrated light alloy roll cage was fitted along with a triangulated tubular spaceframe to support the engine, transmission and rear suspension.
Ground effect was employed for the first time; the engine and transaxle had to be tilted upwards at an angle of around 5° at the back to make room for massive venturis that began immediately behind the mandatory flat bottom area.
Double wishbone suspension was used all round with additional rocker arms for the inboard rear configuration. Titanium springs, Bilstein gas-filled dampers and adjustable anti-roll bars were fitted at either end.
Each internally ventilated brake disc came with twin two piston calipers.
16-inch BBS Rennsport magnesium wheels measured 12-inches wide at the front, 15-inches wide at the rear and were originally shod with Dunlop tyres.
Track was 120mm wider at the front than the rear.
As per the Group C regulations, twin fuel tanks with an overall capacity of 100-litres were mounted at the back of the sills.
Engine & Gearbox
In the engine bay was an all-alloy Type 935/76 Flat 6 motor derived from Porsche’s 1981 iteration of the 936.
Designed by Hans Mezger, it featured an air-cooled block and water-cooled heads.
Dual overhead camshafts were fitted along with four valves per cylinder, a dry-sump lubrication system and a forged steel seven main bearing crankshaft.
The two KKK K26-3060G turbochargers ran water injection and air-to-air Behr intercoolers.
Displacement was 2649cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 92.3mm and 66mm.
The compression ratio was conservatively set at 7.5:1 and Bosch Kugelfischer mechanical fuel-injection was employed.
At a boost pressure of 1.3 bar, peak output was 620bhp at 8200rpm and 442lb-ft at 5000rpm.
Drive was transmitted through Porsche’s new Type 956 five-speed full synchromesh transaxle complete with dry single plate clutch.
Bodywork
The handsome Kevlar-reinforced GRP body was developed in two configurations: the low drag Langheck variant was for use at high speed tracks like Le Mans while the high downforce Kurzheck came with a much taller, more aggressively cambered rear wing.
Openings either side of the nose were for the brakes while the raised section in between fed air to the ground effect underbody.
The oil, water and turbo intercoolers were mounted laterally in the sidepods and were fed with air taken from over the front wheelarches.
Interior
Inside, the simple flat top dash was home to a variety of gauges, toggle switches and warning lights.
A digital read out for fuel consumption was calibrated in litres per hour and an adjustable boost lever sprouted out from underneath the centre of the dash.
Two seats were installed.
All 956s were right-hand drive with a right-hand gear change.
Weight / Performance
At the car’s Silverstone debut, the 956 tipped the scales at 863kg.
Top speed was expected to be around 250mph while 0-62mph took around 2.5 seconds.
Testing
The first track test took place at Weissach on March 27th 1982 where Jurgen Barth put chassis 001 through its paces.
As the 956 represented Porsche’s first experience with a monocoque, they went to great lengths to prove its durability; a week long 1000km test over Weissach’s rough cobblestone track was followed by an equally long session over the hillclimb circuit with its steep hills and tight turns.
In the second week of April, Porsche moved on to Paul Ricard where Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell took turns in the new car.
1982 Season
Porsche went into the 1982 season with the aim of winning at Le Mans. The World Sportscar Championship was considered less of a priority.
The 1982 World Championship for Manufacturers would be decided on the outcome of the first five races (Monza, Silverstone, Nurburgring, Le Mans and Spa). The Drivers’ title was contested over all eight races which included the three end-of-year events at Mugello, Fuji and Brands Hatch.
1982 was a crossover year which allowed Group 4, 5 and 6 cars to compete for one more season. While the Drivers’ title was open to cars from any category, the Manufacturers’ contest was limited to the new Group C and Group B cars.
Porsche’s primary opposition that season came in the shape of the works Ford C100s and the Ford-powered Rondeaus (M382), Lolas (T610) and Saubers (C6). The fastest cars were expected to be the super lightweight Martini-backed Group 6 Lancia LC1s.
Victory in the opening round of 1982 (the Monza 1000km) went to the Rondeau of Henri Pescarolo / Giorgio Francia as the other pre-race favourites all dropped by the wayside.
1982 Silverstone 6 Hours
Porsche then made their entrance with the new Rothmans-backed 956 at Silverstone on May 16th where Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell were partnered together in chassis 001.
In the weeks prior, the Bosch engineers had worked hard on their fuel-injection system to improve consumption rates. There was, however, still a long way to go. The six hour race at Silverstone (if dry) would see at least 10% more distance covered than a 1000km event, but Porsche still only had 600-litres of fuel at their disposal.
This meant it was marginal whether the 956 would have sufficient gas to go the distance unless Porsche ran the car at well below its full potential.
No such concerns affected Ickx and Bell in qualifying though. 001 took to the track with the boost turned up to 1.3 bar which meant 620bhp was on tap.
The new Porsche went just over a second quicker than its nearest competitor, the Piercarlo Ghinzani / Teo Fabi Group 6 Lancia LC1. Third spot went to the sister Lancia of Michele Alboreto / Riccardo Patrese.
The works Ford C100 of Manfred Winkelhock / Klaus Ludwig and the Jolly Club’s Group 6 Osella PA9 of Carlo Facetti / Martino Finotto rounded out the top five.
For the race, Porsche scaled back the boost pressure to 1 bar. The drivers had 580bhp at their disposal but they were restricted to 6000rpm and instructed to make as few gear changes as possible to conserve fuel.
In the race, Ickx initially dropped behind the two Lancias and was soon down to sixth as he followed team orders to run at ten seconds off the 956’s qualifying time.
001 rounded out the first couple of hours in seventh position.
It then moved up to third and, at two thirds distance, was promoted to second as one of the Lancias developed a sick engine.
Ickx and Bell crossed the line as runners up behind the winning Martini Lancia of Alboreto / Patrese. The other podium position went to the Joest Porsche 936C of Bob Wollek / Jean-Michel Martin / Philippe Martin.
Although the fuel position had been an embarrassment, Porsche were nevertheless pleased with their new car’s 100% reliability. The 956 had also demonstrated it was capable of more than enough speed when let loose. Everything bode well for the forthcoming Le Mans 24 Hours.
Pre-Le Mans Testing
Before the all-important trip to la Sarthe, Porsche completed a 24 hour simulation with chassis 001 on the rolling road at Weissach.
This was followed by extended sessions at Paul Ricard to refine the bodywork; the aim was to reduce ground effect, increase top speed and improve fuel efficiency with a revised Bosch injection system.
While Porsche were busy testing, Lancia drivers Michele Alboreto and Teo Fabi won round three of the 1982 World Sportscar Championship (the Nurburgring 1000km). Henri Pescarolo and Rolf Stommelen finished second overall and took the Group C class in their Rondeau M382.
1982 Le Mans 24 Hours
Porsche arrived at Le Mans with three brand new races cars (chassis 002, 003 and 004) which used lighter monocoques than the somewhat over-engineered prototype. However, they were still around 60kg heavier than Porsche’s ultimate target. Chassis 001 was in attendance as the T-car. The new Langheck low drag bodywork was fitted after successful tests at Paul Ricard.
For qualifying, the engines were turned up to 1.2 bar which gave the drivers 615bhp and a top speed of 221mph.
Jacky Ickx / Derek Bell lined up on pole in 002 while Jochen Mass and Vern Schuppan were second in 003. Schuppan had experienced a lurid moment on the Mulsanne Straight when a tyre blew and ripped threw the bodywork.
Third position went to the Joest Racing Porsche 936C of Bob Wollek / Jean-Michel Martin / Philippe Martin which was followed by the Lancia LC1s of Michele Alboreto / Teo Fabi / Rolf Stommelen and Piercarlo Ghinzani / Riccardo Patrese / Hans Heyer.
The other 956, that of Al Holbert, Hurley Haywood and Jurgen Barth (004), was down in 14th position. It had been plagued with brake problems which required an entirely new system to be plumbed in.
Turbo boost was scaled back to 1.1 bar for the race (590bhp).
At the end of lap one, Mass led from Ickx. Wollek was third in the Joest 936C and Holbert had moved into ninth. The Lancias were soon in trouble as both came into the pits with fuel pump problems. They did ultimately re-emerge, but were already out of contention.
With ten laps gone, Ickx had moved to the head of the field. He was followed by Mass, the works Lola T610 of Guy Edwards and fourth-placed Holbert.
The lead Porsches did periodically drop down the order owing to fuel rationing but the anticipated rivalry from Ford, Rondeau and Lancia had largely evaporated by mid-distance. Last to fall by the wayside was the works Rondeau M382 of Francois Migault / Gordon Spice / Xavier Lapeyre which dropped out of third spot with ignition trouble at 3am on Sunday morning.
The Porsches were then able to lap at up to 30 seconds off their potential and cruise home.
The victorious Ickx / Bell entry had an almost perfect run having only suffered a brief delay for a puncture at 10:40am.
Mass / Schuppan came home second, three laps in arrears; they made only the one unscheduled stop for attention to a temperamental fuel metering unit.
Despite losing a total of 20 laps as a result of a door that flew off and a broken rear wheel bearing that necessitated suspension repairs, the Holbert / Haywood / Barth entry worked its way up to finish third some 19 laps behind the winners.
A pair of privateer 935s came home in fourth and fifth to give Porsche a clean sweep of the top five positions.
1982 Norisring DRM
The weekend after Le Mans, chassis 001 made its final competitive appearance when Jochen Mass drove it in the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft meeting at the Norisring.
Torrential rain in the second practice session meant the drivers’ morning times stood.
Mass started third behind John Paul Jr. in Siegfried Brunn’s 908/03 Turbo and Bob Wollek in the Joest 936C.
In the 97 mile race, Mass muscled ahead after a couple of laps and extended his advantage effortlessly until eight laps from the end when the fuel light came on.
Mass had to use the reserve tank and run at a slower pace but he judged it to perfection and scored the narrowest of victories as Manfred Winkelhock’s Zakspeed Ford C100 closed to within a second at the finish line.
1982 Spa 1000km
In a bid to take the 1982 World Manufacturers title from Rondeau, Porsche decided to run two 956s at the Spa 1000km on September 5th. Because a privateer Group B 930 had scooped 15 points for Porsche at the Nurburgring, the German firm were in with a shout of taking the title if they could win in Belgium and Rondeau had a poor result.
To stand the best chance of doing well, Porsche split their top drivers. Ickx partnered Mass in chassis 003 and started from pole. Bell co-drove with Schuppan. They were half a second back in chassis 004.
Third on the grid went to the Lancia LC1 of Patrese / Fabi, the sister car of Ghinzani / Alboreto was fourth and fifth went to the Porsche-powered Kremer CK5 of Rolf Stommelen / Steffan Bellof. The Rondeaus lined up seventh, ninth and eleventh.
After a fast start, Bell stepped aside to allow Ickx to lead into Eau Rouge, but the Porsches were soon into economy mode. At the end of lap one, they were fourth and fifth behind Patrese’s Lancia, Marc Surer’s works Ford C100 and the other Lancia driven by Ghinzani.
The Group 6 Lancias were temporarily in command. However, niggling problems caused the Italian cars small but vital delays.
Encouraged by their fuel consumption figures with two-and-a-half hours gone, Porsche set about hunting down the Lancias.
Ickx / Mass took the lead shortly before the 60 lap mark while Bell / Schuppan were a lap behind the lead trio in fourth. They had moved into third after 100 laps and, when Alboreto’s Lancia ran out of fuel on the final lap, Bell / Schuppan were promoted to second. Patrese / Fabi rounded out the podium for Lancia.
Best of the Rondeaus was that of Francois Migault / Gordon Spice in fifth which meant Porsche secured the 1982 World Endurance Championship for Manufacturers by 75 points to 62.
1982 Mugello 1000km
The final three races of 1982 all counted towards the Drivers’ championship.
Porsche skipped the Mugello 1000km on 19th September but Lancia entered a three-car team. Piercarlo Ghinzani / Michele Alboreto took the win with team-mates Alessandro Nannini / Corrado Fabi coming home second. The LC1 of Riccardo Patrese / Teo Fabi failed to finish.
Going into the final two rounds, Alboreto therefore led the Drivers’ contest on 63 points and Henri Pescarolo was second on 58. Ickx and Patrese were tied for third on 55 points and Derek Bell was fifth with 50 points.
With two rounds left, it was all to play for and Porsche decided to race at both the Fuji 6 Hours (October 3rd) and the Brands Hatch 1000km (October 17th).
1982 Fuji 6 Hours
Alboreto / Ghinzani lined up on pole at Fuji with Ickx / Mass second (003), Patrese / Fabi third and Bell / Schuppan fourth (004). Henri Pescarolo and Thierry Boutsen qualified fifth for Rondeau.
Ickx jumped into an early lead, but it was Bell that emerged at the head of the field after the opening lap. Ickx then dropped to third behind Alboreto’s Lancia.
At the first stop, Bell reported oil was leaking into the cockpit and the team found a ruptured pipe; seven minutes were lost while the offending item was replaced.
Schuppan then took over and rejoined four laps down. Unfortunately, only twelve laps into his stint, Schuppan’s rear tyre exploded and the car went backwards into the barriers. Schuppan made it back to the pits on the rim, but the rear suspension and gearbox damage was deemed too great to continue.
After slow stops for the Lancias, Mass emerged in the lead having taken over from Ickx. Soon afterwards, the Lancia challenge was reduced to a single car when Alboreto had a big accident as a result of a slow puncture.
With four hours gone, the Patrese / Fabi Lancia had worked its way into the lead. It looked to have victory in the bag until Patrese had a minor crash and spent four laps in pits. This enabled the Ickx / Mass 956 to cruise home to victory.
Patrese / Fabi claimed second while third spot went to the TOM’s Toyota-powered March 75SC of Masakazu Nakamura / Kiyoshi Misaki.
The result meant Ickx replaced Alboreto at the head of the standings with one race to go.
1982 Brands Hatch 1000km
Changeable conditions all weekend for the season finale at Brands Hatch meant the outcome was a lottery.
Just one 956 was entered (003 for Ickx / Bell).
Porsche were caught out by the British weather and a down-on-power engine which was replaced the night before the race. As a result, they lined up an uncharacteristic sixth on the grid.
Pole went to the works Ford C100 of Marc Surer / Klaus Ludwing behind which was the sister car of Manfred Winkelhock / Klaus Niedzwiedz. The Lancias of Fabi / Patrese and Alboreto / Ghinzani were third and fourth followed by the Sauber C6 of Hans-Joachim Stuck / Walter Brun.
The race started in wet conditions and Ickx had moved up to third when the red flags came out on lap four after Surer crashed his Ford.
Following repairs to the barrier, the race got underway for the second time.
As the track began to dry, Ickx worked his way into the lead until Fabi took over at the head of the field with 32 laps gone. The rain then began to fall again and third place man Alboreto retired his Lancia with electrical trouble.
The wet weather and slower pace meant Porsche would be able to complete the race with just four fuel stops instead of five.
The lead sea-sawed from Porsche to Lancia over the next few hours as the weather continued to add a layer of unpredictability.
In the closing stages, Ickx / Bell had stabilised their advantage at around a minute until a late unscheduled stop for brake pads handed the lead back to Patrese’s Lancia.
A magnificent final stint by Ickx saw him overhaul the Lancia on the final lap and snatch victory by just 1.7 seconds.
With it, Ickx claimed the 1982 World Endurance Championship for Drivers. He finished on 95 points to Patrese’s 87. Bell took third on 70.
1982 Kyalami 9 Hours
Although Porsche had achieved every conceivable objective for the 956, two cars were sent to South Africa for the end-of-season Kyalami 9 Hour non-championship race.
Ickx / Mass were partnered together in chassis 003 which lost time in practice with an elusive fuel-injection problem that necessitated a complete system strip and replacement of the turbos.
Once sorted, Ickx tried the car with Dunlop’s experimental Denloc tyres that dispensed with bolts to secure the rubber to the rim. There were only sufficient Denlocs for one car to race and, after Ickx went nearly half a second quicker than the Bell / Schuppan entry (chassis 004), he decided to use them for the race.
Lining up behind the works Porsches were the Joest entries. Bob Wollek / Giorgio Francia started third in their 936/80 and Hans Heyer / Volkert Merl / Dieter Schornstein were fourth in the 936C. Fifth on the grid was John Fitzpatrick’s Joest-built Porsche 935/78-81 that he shared with Desire Wilson.
The race got underway at 10:30am and the works Porsches quickly began to establish a big lead. Within 40 minutes, they had lapped the entire field.
As the cars went into the final hour, the lead Ickx / Mass 956 developed a misfire. It dropped a cylinder and slowed drastically which allowed the Bell / Schuppan entry to reduce the deficit from three laps to just 40 seconds at the finish. Wollek / Francia took third in their Group 6 Joest 936.
After an enormously successful 1982 campaign, Porsche planned to return for 1983 with a further uprated model. The new season would also see the first deliveries of customer-spec. 956s.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Porsche - https://www.porsche.com
