Premiere: 1971 April 17 at Le Mans test day / Engine: 4.9 L Flat 12 / Power: 591 bhp / Torque: 404 ft lbs / Top Speed: 240 mph. Like the 917 LH of 1969 and 1970, the 1971 version was also made for one race only – the 24 hours of Le Mans.

The original Porsche 917 was first run at the Le Mans Test in March 1969 and right from the start showed considerable handling problems due to aerodynamic lift. The original specification of the car included a detachable long-tail (Langheck), that was designed using experience from the previous 907 long-tail coupés for minimum aerodynamic drag ...

Jul 3, 2008 · In 1971, the Porsche 917 finished its brief Le Mans career. The three long-tail examples were in the lead for many hours, amongst them the car that now resides in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, with the number ‘21'.

Over the winter, extensive development work was done on the 917L (langheck or 'long-tail'). Using the French SERA aerodynamics laboratory, the chassis was further streamlined.

Aug 19, 2021 · Gijs van Lennep and Helmut Marko's Martini-liveried Porsche 917 wasn't the fastest car in the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hour race, but a unique modification and sheer determination brought victory 50 years ago

#21 Martini Porsche 917 LH (chassis #042) was driven by Gerard Larrousse and Vic Elford in the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hour race – photographed at the Porsche Museum, Stuttgart, May 2017. The Porsche 917 is what I would call a ‘watershed’ race car, because it was a …

6 hours ago · When Porsche set about building a Le Mans winner to comply with newly introduced regulations allowing for a 4.5-liter maximum capacity starting between 1969 and 1971, they had just 10 months ...

Oct 15, 2024 · In 1971 the 917s dominated. Future five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell recorded 246mph on the Mulsanne Straight with the car. This was also the year of the Pink Pig, but a 917K won Le Mans, an experimental version using a magnesium frame and driven by the team of Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep.

Oct 11, 2024 · One of the most notable features of the 917 LH-71 was its long tail, which was designed specifically to cut through the air and reduce drag. This aerodynamic prowess allowed it to excel on the straights of high-speed circuits, including Le Mans and the Targa Florio.

The fastest lap in the race was achieved by Jackie Oliver’s Gulf 917, with an unbelievable 244 km/h (151.6 mph) average speed, while the 917 long-tail Coupé of Elford/Larrousse was clocked at a maximum speed of 386 km/h (239.8 mph) on Hunaudières in 1971.