Misplaced Pages

#4995

89-399: Up to 85% of the lap time is spent on full throttle, putting immense stress on engine and drivetrain components. Additionally, the times spent reaching maximum speed also mean tremendous wear on the brakes and suspension as cars must slow from over 322 km/h (200 mph) to around 100 km/h (62 mph) for the sharp corner at the village of Mulsanne . The road racing track, which

178-409: A 10 km/h higher top speed at Paul Ricard, where it covered 3,500 km in tests at speed, lapping three to four seconds faster. The front fenders, which in 1976 had followed the hood, now protruded above the hood line, and also accommodated mirrors. The rear fenders were altered, but the biggest change was the addition of a second rear window above the standard one. This allowed cleaner air flow to

267-416: A 47 lap 1,073 km race, putting even more strain on the new Group 5 machinery. With Mass and Ickx being at the 1976 Monaco Grand Prix , Rolf Stommelen and Manfred Schurti stepped in to drive the 935 which by now had the new look it became famous for. With the help of higher turbo boost, Stommelen qualified the 935 on the pole with a stunning 7:37.5 (see List of Nordschleife lap times (racing) ), while

356-485: A 935 K1 built on a factory shell which in the first race, the six-hour Mugello , finished second behind the Martini Racing sponsored factory entry of Mass and Ickx. Porsches occupied the first seven places ahead of a BMW in eighth, which according to the points scheme meant that Porsche had now twenty points, and BMW three. The factory 935 also scored the pole, fastest lap and win at the six-hour Vallelunga, where

445-586: A 936 won after the turbo powered sportscars chased each other into troubles. This time, a customer 935 finished third overall. The 935/77 body style was used also for winning one race in the small 2.0 litre Div. II of the DRM (predecessor to the DTM ), to prove that Porsche could also compete in that class. In Div. I, the customer 935s raced each other, and German TV announced that at the Norisring, it would thus cover only

534-454: A BMW was second and the best 934 finished fifth. After the second race, the CSI rule makers insisted that the "whale tail" hood of the road-going 930 must fit on the race car. The air-to-air intercooler setup under the rear hood had to be altered to a more compact air-to-water layout, which cost Porsche several weeks of testing and half a million Deutsche marks. The hastily modified 935 again won

623-456: A Porsche supplied 3.1 L twin-turbocharged Flat six engine with a varying power output of 559 to 596 kW (760 to 810 PS; 750 to 799 hp) at 1.5 bar boost costing 91,000 DM. A 935 K2 was converted to street legal specification and featured identical to the 935/78 "Moby Dick". The 1986 K2 which was 1 of only 12 imported into the U.S. at the time is currently owned by Peter Lima of Real Muscle car of Miami. Originally purchased by

712-518: A bypass within the city shortened the track in 1929, but the city was only bypassed completely in 1932, when the section from the pits via the Dunlop Bridge and the Esses to Tertre Rouge was added. This classic configuration was 13.492 km (8.384 mi) long and remained almost unaltered even after the 1955 tragedy . Its frighteningly narrow pit straight was further narrowed to make room for

801-519: A chicane was added to the very fast Dunlop curve, where cars would go under the Dunlop bridge at 180 mph (290 km/h). Now they would be slowed to 110 mph (180 km/h). Le Mans was most famous for its 6 km (3.7 mi) long straight, called Ligne Droite des Hunaudières , a part of the route départementale (for the Sarthe département ) D338 (formerly Route Nationale N138 ). As

890-623: A diffuser, an issue which also affects modern 911 race cars. Only a handful of 935's remained, and the car was no longer competitive with the already developed GTP cars. The last major victory for the 935 was in the 1984 12 Hours of Sebring in the IMSA GTP class against purpose built prototypes. The 935 was seen in two races in the 1986 season. The 935 can still be seen on the track throughout North America and Europe in historic racing and hill climbs. The four-wheel-drive 959 , and its racing counterpart 961 , can be considered high-tech successors to

979-553: A factory spec model, driven by Rolf Stommelen , and supported by team owner Dick Barbour and actor Paul Newman . A total of 13 complete K3 cars were built by Kremer Racing. Kits were also made available to allow other 935s to be updated to K3 specification. Facing strong competition in the 1980 DRM by the Zakspeed Ford Capri, the K4 was introduced in mid 1981 for customers at a cost of 400,000 Deutsche Mark. The K4 used

SECTION 10

#1732802389005

1068-484: A fourth, equaling 85 points. Without a competitive third brand, the winner of the final round would take the world championship. In Dijon, the turbo of BMW Motorsport was back, now with the 3.5 L CSL, and this time the fast Swedes Peterson and Nilsson put it on the pole, half a second ahead of Ickx. Again the transmission was not as strong as the Bavarian Motor Works 750 hp engine, failing before

1157-498: A lack of competition in 1976, Porsche decided not to defend its sportscar championship with the 936 in 1977, leaving it to the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 . The series would be demoted to a European series in 1978 before being discontinued. In the 1977 World Championship for Makes season , the factory continued to develop and race one or two new 935, in case BMW or another brand would bring a competitive turbocharged car. Customers of

1246-499: A mechanical fuel injection system. All of the high performance components combined enabled the engine to have a power output up to 630 kW (845 hp; 857 PS), the engine often produced turbo lag at low RPM due to the large turbochargers. The dominance of the 935 ended with changes in the FIA rules which came into effect in 1982, replacing the six numbered groups with only three groups, namely A, B and C. The second generation of

1335-491: A prescribed minimum weight of only 970 kg (2,140 lb). Porsche, having a lot of experience with lightweight cars, had managed to get the Carrera RSR prototype to under 800 kg. The empty 935 tipped the scales at 900 kg, and weight distribution could be balanced with an additional 70 kg. Preseason testing at the fast Paul Ricard circuit showed a top speed of 183 mph (295 km/h). In addition to

1424-432: A six-point safety harness, optional second seat for the passenger, air conditioning, 6-piston aluminium monobloc racing front calipers with 380 mm (15.0 in) disc brakes, 4-piston rear calipers with 355 mm (14.0 in) disc brakes, Porsche Stability Management (PSM) with traction control as well as an anti-lock braking system . It is powered by the same 515 kW (700 PS; 691 hp) engine as used in

1513-409: A speed of 400 km/h (250 mph) on the famous straight), although the official team entry was named WM Secateva. Roger Dorchy and Claude Haldi would be the drivers of car 51 while Pascal Pessiot and Jean-Daniel Raulet would drive the team's other car (#52). The latter lasted only 22 laps, and car 51 went into the pits around 17:00 in the afternoon with engine problems. After spending 3.5 hours in

1602-435: A third and final version of the 935 was developed, the 935/78, intended only for Le Mans. Due to the head gasket failures of the 1977 version, Porsche parted with their air cooling tradition and introduced water-cooled cylinder heads in the 1978 engine, and equipped them with four valves as well. The capacity was enlarged to 3.2 L, increasing its output to 559–634 kW (760–862 PS; 750–850 hp). The weight, which

1691-635: A weather station in Le Mans, which exhibits an oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ). With both the 24-hour races and the French MotoGP round being run before the peak of summer, high-profile races often have cool temperatures both in terms of ambient and track conditions with rainfall being a potential factor. Although nights cool off, sometimes into the single-digits, during the 24-hour car race, air frosts have never been recorded in June. The weather station

1780-414: Is located at the local airport just a few hundred metres from the main grandstand and pit lane of the circuit. Mulsanne Mulsanne ( French pronunciation: [mylsan] ) is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays de la Loire in north-western France . The Circuit de la Sarthe , which is used in the sports car endurance race 24 Hours of Le Mans , features

1869-578: The 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans making it one of only 2 cars since 1953 to win at Le Mans overall yet not be in the top prototype class. It also won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring six times each. It was also undefeated in the German DRM between 1977 and 1979, posted victories in the IMSA GTX class, and won many races on the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife, including three 1000km Nürburgring . The 935 also took Porsche to victory in

SECTION 20

#1732802389005

1958-444: The 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans overall, and other major endurance races, including Sebring, Daytona, and the 1,000 km Nürburgring. Of the 370 races it was entered, it won 123. Usually, no other make could challenge the 935, as other manufacturers did not supply customer cars as Porsche did. Each race, at the time, typically featured at least five 935s. The 935 used a 3.3L Type 935 twin-turbocharged flat-six engine which used

2047-456: The 1983 Australian Grand Prix , Jones, driving a 935 K4 imported to Australia from America by John Fitzpatrick racing especially for the meeting, easily won both 15 lap races. Italian driver Gianpiero Moretti , founder of Momo Wheels , finished 4th in each race driving the Moby Dick version of the 935. The Moby Dick engine was the basis for an all-watercooled 2.65 L engine intended for

2136-595: The 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race , and a round of the MotoGP Championship . The circuit also holds French motor club races and in the past has hosted rounds of the International Formula 3000 Championship and DTM (German Touring Car series). In addition to motor racing, it is the venue for the 24 rollers , a 24h race on inline skates or quads. The Bugatti Circuit was used for the 1967 French Grand Prix , though it would prove to be

2225-468: The 962 was introduced to the US market in 1984, fitted with the 935 air-cooled single-turbo engine. With the appearance of GTP cars in 1981, the 935 was still competitive through 1983. Later in 1984 the 962 appeared and wrote another history. By 1985 the days of the 935 were mostly over, as it could hardly be modified to a groundeffect design even with a tube frame chassis, with the rear-mounted flat 6 prohibiting

2314-424: The 991 GT2 RS , with bodywork resembling the 935/78, as a tribute to the 935/78. The LED taillights are shared with the 919 Hybrid LMP1 racer, side mirrors from the 911 RSR and titanium tailpipes hearkening back to the 1968 908/01 . The car has a gearshift lever with laminated wood design, a carbon fibre steering wheel and the colour display from the 2019 911 GT3 R , a safety cage, a racing bucket seat with

2403-731: The Mulsanne Straight before the 1990 race to limit the maximum achievable speed. The chicanes were also added because the FIA decreed it would no longer sanction a circuit which had a straight longer than 2 km (1.2 mi), which is roughly the length of the Döttinger Höhe straight at the Nürburgring Nordschleife . The fastest qualifying lap average speed though only dropped from 249.826 to 243.329 km/h (155.235 to 151.198 mph) in 1992. In 1994,

2492-401: The 1920s, the cars drove from the present pits on Rue de Laigné straight into the city, and after a sharp right-hand corner near the river Huisne Pontlieue bridge (a hairpin permanently removed from the circuit in 1929), before exiting the city again on the rather straight section now named Avenue Georges Durand after the race's founder. Then 17.261 km (10.725 mi) long and unpaved,

2581-409: The 1969 race. The "Maison Blanche" kink was particularly harrowing, claiming many cars over the years (including three Ferrari 512 variants) and several lives, including the legendary John Woolfe in 1969 behind the wheel of a Porsche 917 . The circuit has been modified ten more times — 1971, a year when prototypes were averaging over 240 km/h (150 mph), was the last year the classic circuit

2670-803: The 1977 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft which introduced the Group 5 rules. As the naturally aspirated BMW Coupés and Ford Capri had pulled out of the Div. I (over 2.0 litre) of the DRM, these Porsches had no serious competition in the big division until other turbo-charged cars like the BMW-powered Schnitzer, Toyota Celica and the Zakspeed Ford Capri debuted. The DRM was a drivers' championship, and with equal Porsche customer cars, no other competitor could dominate, which meant that despite

2759-522: The 935 era, despite it being also slowed down by minimum weight (1,350 kg) and limited boost. The Porsche 935 is still raced in championships alongside more modern cars, such as the GT Cup Championship , in which Richard Chamberlain pilots a replica 935 for CTR Developments in the GTO class, which utilises a Porsche 962 engine on a 911E chassis. The second generation of the 935 based on

Circuit de la Sarthe - Misplaced Pages Continue

2848-424: The 935 started a limited-production to just 77 units, with customer deliveries in June 2019. For 1976, endurance racing had two world championships: the 1976 FIA World Championship for Makes for Group 5 special production cars, and the 1976 World Sportscar Championship season for Group 6 prototypes up to 3.0 L. Accordingly, the 935 and the new Porsche 936 were the two-pronged Porsche effort for 1976 which

2937-650: The 935, 936 and even decade-old 908 and 917, mainly in form of spare parts, engines and know-how, which by then was rather dated. Factory racing was mainly done with the 924 turbo variants called the Carrera GT, with limited success. Private non-factory-built replica cars of the 1977 body style and the "Moby Dick" were entered in DRM and IMSA in following years by Joest Racing , Moretti racing and John Fitzpatrick Racing. As Porsche hesitated to sell their Evolution models, some teams developed their own ideas, especially Kremer Racing from Cologne , Germany . Parallel to

3026-533: The 935, but Group B never got a circuit racing series, and was only used in rallying before being banned there due to a fatal accident. The 1980s had few racing opportunities for turbocharged 911 cars, which often were fitted with 935-style bodywork. Being run by amateurs at the Nürburgring in VLN endurance and in the 24 hours race, they were often banned, or at least slowed down by rules. The 1990s 911 GT2 based on

3115-437: The 935/77 project which produced 370 bhp (276 kW; 375 PS). Unlike the factory 935/77 which had a center monocoque with front and rear tubular frames, Lundgardh constructed an entire spaceframe chassis, which was more akin to the setup found on the 935/78 "Moby Dick". The windshield was borrowed from a 911 Turbo , and retained much of the body of a factory 935, however towards the end of its debut season in 1980, it

3204-480: The 935/77A were not happy that the factory would race them with a newer car, but as the 935/77 was often unreliable, it won only four of the nine WCM events, which did not include Le Mans. In the WCM season opening 24 hour Daytona, the old car was entered, but tyre failures caused a DNF, with an older RSR 3.0 taking the win in front of two customer 935's. The new car body was changed significantly to lower drag, resulting in

3293-454: The 991 generation 911. After Group 5 was discontinued by FIA after 1982, the 935 continued to race in IMSA's GTP category, usually entered by smaller privateer names, who were not permitted by IMSA regulations to race the new Group C 956 because of the footbox location relative to the front axle (footbox was ahead, in violation of the IMSA rule where it must be behind the front axle). Due to this,

3382-554: The 993 is also considered a successor to the 935, but BPR series and FIA GT rules required a higher weight, and intake restrictors limited power to 410 kW (557 PS; 550 hp), less than the first 935/76. The 911 GT1 with its mid-engine and lowered roof has a different concept, though. Starting in 2003, the turbo-charged Porsche 996 of Alzen set new records at the Nürburgring VLN endurance series (see List of Nordschleife lap times (racing) ), with speeds reminding of

3471-489: The BMW turbo did not take part. The fastest of only nine race laps was just over eight minutes, though, as the engine was not sorted out, and vibrations caused ignition failure. Again, a reliable Schnitzer Motorsport -entered naturally aspirated BMW CSL took the win, with the customer 934 of Loos salvaging valuable second place points for Porsche. The 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans counted towards neither world championship, but Le Mans

3560-402: The Div. II race. Porsche engineers were sent to the drawing boards to reduce the capacity of the air-cooled flat-six to 1,425 cc. The power output of the engine was 261 kW (355 PS; 350 hp). The weight could be lowered to 750 kg (1,650 lb) according to rules in this class. To achieve this, large parts of the chassis were replaced by a tubular aluminium space frame. At

3649-628: The Dunlop chicane was tightened. In 2002, the run to the Esses was reconfigured in the wake of renovations to the Bugatti Circuit. The Le Mans circuit was changed between the Dunlop Bridge and Esses, with the straight now becoming a set of fast sweeping turns. This layout allowed for a better transition from the Le Mans circuit to the Bugatti circuit. This layout change would also require the track's infamous carnival to be relocated near

Circuit de la Sarthe - Misplaced Pages Continue

3738-467: The F1 schedule permitted. Rolf Stommelen , who was recovering from his bad crash in the 1975 Spanish GP, was the backup, along with Manfred Schurti . Under Group 5 rules, also known as "silhouette rules", several significant modifications were allowed (including bodywork modifications, larger wings, wider axles and water cooling), provided that the basic silhouette of the car remain unchanged when viewed from

3827-524: The FIA World Championship for Makes each year from 1976 to 1979. In 1980 and 1981, Lancia won the title with their Beta Montecarlo 1.4t, by regularly winning the sub 2.0 L category, and occasionally defeating Porsche in the big category. In 1982 Alan Jones , the 1980 Formula One World Champion, drove a 935 to victory in the 1982 Australian GT Championship . Jones was unbeaten for the whole season. The 1983 Australian GT Championship

3916-595: The Hunaudières leads to the village of Mulsanne, it is often called the Mulsanne Straight in English, even though the proper Route du Mulsanne is the one from or to Arnage. After exiting the Tertre Rouge corner, cars spent almost half of the lap at full throttle, before braking for Mulsanne Corner. The Porsche 917 long tail , used from 1969 to 1971, had reached 362 km/h (225 mph). After engine size

4005-550: The Indy 500, but rule makers there, remembering the dominance of the Porsche 917/10 turbo and 935, limited its boost so it would not be competitive against domestic machinery. Instead, the engine was used in the 1981 Le Mans winning 936/81, and in the 956 and 962C which would dominate the mid-1980s. Starting in 1999, this engine block forms the basis of the successful motorsport GT, and Turbo models before being phased out completely in

4094-621: The Porsche curves, and in 2006, the ACO redeveloped the area between the Dunlop Curve and Tertre Rouge, moving the Dunlop Chicane in even tighter to create more run-off area, while also turning the area after the Dunlop Chicane into an even larger set of fast, sweeping turns, known as the Esses en route to Tertre Rouge. As part of the development, a new extended pit lane exit was created for the Bugatti Circuit. This second pit exit re-enters

4183-622: The car throughout its earlier seasons, Le Mans proving no exception as the L1 retired in the 5th hour with engine failure. Eventually the original engine was replaced by a 930/76 3 L (183.1 cu in) flat-six , and Lundgardh continued to campaign the car in the GTX class of the World Sportscar Championship , finishing an all-time high of 1st in class at its penultimate outing, the 1984 1000 km of Nürburgring . For 1978,

4272-487: The corresponding times of James Hunt in the 1977 British Grand Prix , which covered only a quarter of the distance. At the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans , the 935 qualified third, barely beaten by a Renault Alpine and a 936. Compared to 1976, lap times were 15 seconds quicker now. With the new 3.2 L engine, it was the fastest car on the straight in Le Mans , recording a top speed of 367 km/h (228 mph), passing

4361-531: The customer 934 of 1976 and the 935 since 1977 dominating their division, the championship was often decided in favour of a small division pilot. Kremer went on to develop yet another special 935, the K2, and also ran the optional 3.0L engine offered by Porsche, which was connected with sixty kg more minimum weight. Porsche also sold slightly modified customer cars in 1978 and 1979. After having won both world championships in 1976, Porsche focused on Le Mans. Due to

4450-441: The factory 935, but two seconds ahead of the third placed Kremer 935. The powerful BMW did not last long in the race, however, due to gearbox problems. Initially, Porsche ran the 935 with the 911's original fender-mounted headlights, in two different guises: a sprint version with a wider version of its wheel arches, and a high speed version with modified aerodynamics. The sprint setup was rarely used. However, after carefully studying

4539-402: The factory in 1976, they had built a 935 K1, and in 1977, modified their customer 935 to the K2. For 1979, they introduced the 935 K3 (for "Kremer Type 3"; the derivative of the successful K2). Driven mainly by Klaus Ludwig , it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979, beating all prototypes, in heavy rain, which is usually considered a disadvantage for race cars with windshields. Coming in second was

SECTION 50

#1732802389005

4628-748: The factory racing version of the 911 (930) Turbo and prepared for FIA - Group 5 rules, it was an evolution of the Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype, the second place overall finisher in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans . Beginning with the 1977 season , Porsche offered the 935 to customers entering the World Championship for Makes , in the IMSA GT Championship and in the German Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM). The 935 went on to win

4717-459: The fastest official race lap records at the Circuit de la Sarthe for different classes are listed as: In 1988 , Team WM Peugeot were well aware of their slim chance of winning the 24-hour endurance race outright, but they knew that their Welter Racing designed car had exceptional straight line aerodynamics. Thus they nicknamed their 1988 entry "Project 400" (aiming to be the first car to achieve

4806-528: The first of the six hours had passed. Three 935s plus two Group 5 spec 934/5s won ahead of the best normally aspirated BMW. The 935 and 936 had each won its championship, and Le Mans, too. The age of turbocharged engines had begun in endurance racing. Based on the 1976 version, thirteen Porsche 935/77A were sold to privateer teams in Australia, Italy, France, the US and Germany. Among others, Cologne -based rivals Georg Loos and Kremer Racing entered 935s in

4895-487: The first outing at Norisring in early July 1977, both the new car with Jacky Ickx behind the wheel had problems due to overheating. Skipping the Diepholz airfield round, Porsche sorted the car out for the DRM support race of the 1977 German Grand Prix at the fast Hockenheimring (long version). In changing weather conditions, Jacky Ickx set pole by almost three seconds and won with 50 seconds, setting fastest lap in

4984-418: The floor pan of their car to mount the exhaust system at the front of the engine. Keeping this fact in view, the whole floor pan of the 935 was cut away, and the body was lowered by 10 cm (3.9 in). The gearbox was mounted upside down to reduce the angle of the drive shafts. As the rules did not limit the forward extension of the rear aerodynamic devices, Porsche even added fairings to the doors, bridging

5073-415: The front. The 935's engine was a 418 kW (568 PS; 561 hp) (at 7,900 rpm) version of the regular 3.0 L flat-six , with 60 mkp (438 lb-ft , 588 Nm ) torque at 5,400 rpm. Boost was between 1.35 and 1.55 and fuel consumption was 52 litre per 100 km. Capacity was reduced to 2.85 L, and with the turbo charging penalty factor of 1.4, it fit into the 4.0 L class which had

5162-432: The gap between the front and rear fenders. These were shortened later, covering only the front third of the doors. Because of its white color and long tail shape optimised for low drag, the 935/78 was often nicknamed Moby-Dick . With this version, the pair of Mass/Ickx won the test race, the 6 hours of Silverstone Circuit , the pole (1:22,38) and fastest lap (1:23,98 or 202,519 km/h), being only 4 seconds slower than

5251-536: The larger circuit and a separate, purpose-built section. The sections of track on the Bugatti Circuit that are on the Circuit des 24 Heures include the Ford Chicane at the end of the lap, the pit complex, and the straight where the Dunlop Tyres bridge is located. At this point in the overlapping section of the tracks there is a left-right sweep that was added for motorcycle safety in 2002. Vehicles turning to

5340-481: The left continue onto the Circuit des 24 Heures, toward Tertre Rouge and Mulsanne, vehicles turning to the right at La Chapelle will continue the Bugatti Circuit. The infield section features Garage Vert, a back straight, the 'S' du Garage Bleu, and Raccordement, which joins back at the Ford chicane. The track was home base for Pescarolo Sport , founded by famous French driver Henri Pescarolo . The circuit currently hosts

5429-458: The long straight Ligne Droite des Hunaudières leading to Mulsanne, making a tight right hand turn before the entrance of the village itself. The famous straight is often called the Mulsanne Straight in English. This Sarthe geographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Porsche 935 The Porsche 935 is a race car that was developed and manufactured by German automaker Porsche . Introduced in 1976 as

SECTION 60

#1732802389005

5518-399: The naturally aspirated 340 hp (250 kW) Carrera RSR introduced in 1974, Porsche offered a customer racing version of the 911 Turbo prepared for the more standard Group 4 rules, the 485 hp (362 kW) Porsche 934 . Some customer teams modified their 934s to Group 5 rules with body kits supplied by Porsche, these were often designated 934/5. Cologne-based Kremer Racing entered

5607-463: The new record as "405". This has led to many people mistakenly stating the record as only 405 km/h (252 mph), but Dorchy's best run down the Mulsanne straight was clocked at 407 km/h (253 mph). Bugatti Circuit is a 4.185 km (2.600 mi) permanent race track located within Circuit des 24 Heures, constructed in 1965 and named after Ettore Bugatti . The circuit uses a part of

5696-717: The only time the Formula One World Championship would use the circuit, and is the current host of the French motorcycle Grand Prix . It also forms the final round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship , and was part of the World Series by Renault and 1988 Superbike World Championship seasons . As of May 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Bugatti Circuit are listed as: Météo France runs

5785-474: The owner of Golds Gym in 1986 from Auto Saloon 2000 in Miami for nearly US$ 200,000. The unrestored 190 mph+ Porsche has been untouched since 88' when he was indicted for the distribution of illegal drugs. The specific Kremer K2 was auctioned off at Mecum Monterey Auction 2015 for an unknown amount. Through 1984 the 935 won over 150 races worldwide, including more than 20 class wins. It scored an overall win in

5874-404: The pits and was part of the road itself, without the road becoming wider around the pits, and no separation. The pit straight then was about 3.7 m (12 ft) wide, further widened in 1956 after the tragedy, but the race track and pits were not separated for another 15 years. Car speeds increased dramatically in the 1960s, pushing the limits of the "classic circuit" and sparking criticism of

5963-462: The pits, the team had the car back on the track and they decided to go for it. The plan worked: with Roger Dorchy behind the wheel the WM P87 achieved the speed of 407 km/h (253 mph). The Peugeot retired shortly after that (on lap 59) with an overheating engine. By then it had outlasted two other Group C1 entrants. Since Peugeot had just launched its new model 405, the team agreed to advertise

6052-538: The pole and fastest lap at the six-hour Silverstone , but due to a clutch problem at the start, the Martini car could finish only tenth, with the second-placed Kremer 935 collecting valuable points for Zuffenhausen. A private BMW 3.5 CSL had beaten it to the finish by a second. Even more worrisome to Porsche was the fact that BMW Motorsport had also entered a turbo, a 3.2 CSL driven by Ronnie Peterson and Gunnar Nilsson . That new BMW had qualified only one second behind

6141-665: The process. With its mission accomplished, the Porsche 935/77 2.0 (chassis 935/2-001) was retired to the Porsche Museum . Following the factory effort of the 935/77, Porsche privateer Jan Lundgardh wanted to enter the 935/77 in the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft and World Sportscar Championship , but Porsche was reluctant to provide him with a factory 935/77 chassis. Lundgardh with the help of Porsche engineer Eberhard Braun managed to procure an original 1.4 L (85.4 cu in) engine from

6230-474: The prototypes of Renault Alpine, as well as the teammate 936, as these Group 6 cars had 2.1 L engines with just over 373 kW (507 PS; 500 hp), equal to normal 3.0 L engines. The engine had to be replaced before the race, though, and with ensuing problems early in the race, the Moby Dick was no contender, finishing 8th behind three customer 935. In its third attempt, Renault finally managed to beat Porsche, and then went on to focus on F1. Two of

6319-562: The rear wing under which the single turbo was later replaced by two KKK units. This improved throttle response and also power, but several head gasket failures meant that Porsche had some homework to do for the1978 season of the World Champion chip of Makes(WCM). The works 935/77 qualified sixth at the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans , behind the Renault Alpines and the 936s, but engine troubles ended their race early. As in 1976,

6408-461: The roadgoing 930 as the flachbau , or "flatnose", part of Porsche's sonderwunsch , or "special wish" program. Also, the 935 now had extended "long tail" rear fenders, similar to the low drag setup seen years earlier on the Carrera RS. These fenders also offered more space for engine periphery and efficient cooling. The 1,000 km Nürburgring, usually consisting of 44 laps, was run in 1976 as

6497-410: The rulebooks, Porsche engineers, namely Norbert Singer , discovered a loophole regarding the modifications of fenders that gave them the liberty to remove the headlights to reduce drag and create more downforce, to which the venting slits contribute. This "flat nose" (also known as the "slant nose") with headlights in the front spoiler, became the distinguishing feature of the 935 and was later offered on

6586-587: The three 936 and another Alpine occupied the other three places. Before being retired to the museum, the Moby Dick was also entered at Vallelunga and at the Norisring, the annual highlight of the DRM series, but the twisty track around the Nuremberg Reichsparteitag grand stand proved to be quite difficult for the Moby Dick, and it failed to finish. Awaiting rule changes taking effect in 1982, Porsche did not officially enter in 1979 or 1980, granting only some limited support to customer efforts with

6675-512: The time, Zakspeed -Ford and Schnitzer -BMW were in transition from the naturally aspirated 2.0 L 4-cylinder engine rated at about 224 kW (305 PS; 300 hp) to 1.4 litre turbocharged engines rated at an excess of 261 kW (355 PS; 350 hp). These engines would later move on to Formula One, with the BMW powerplant winning the 1983 F1 Championship, and becoming the strongest F1 engine ever, producing up to 1,500 hp (1,119 kW; 1,521 PS) in qualifying trim. In

6764-400: The track as being unsafe after several trials related fatalities occurred. In 1965, a smaller, but permanent, Bugatti Circuit was added which shares the pit lane facilities and the first corner (including the famous Dunlop bridge) with the full "Le Mans" circuit. For the 1968 race, the Ford chicane was added before the pits to slow down the cars. The circuit was fitted with Armco barriers for

6853-441: The track being resurfaced. In 1979, due to the construction of a new public road, the profile of "Tertre Rouge" had to be changed. This redesign led to a faster double-apex corner and saw the removal of the second Dunlop Bridge. In 1986, construction of a new roundabout at the Mulsanne corner demanded the addition a new portion of track in order to avoid the roundabout. This created a right hand kink prior to Mulsanne corner. In 1987,

6942-422: The track just beyond the Dunlop Chicane and before the Dunlop Bridge. Following the fatal crash of Danish driver Allan Simonsen at the 2013 race at the exit of Tertre Rouge into D338, Tertre Rouge was re-profiled again. The radius was moved in approximately 200 m (220 yd) for safety reasons with new tyre barriers at the exit. The current version of the track has been in use since 2018. As of June 2024,

7031-459: Was a triangle from Le Mans down south to Mulsanne , northwest to Arnage , and back north to Le Mans, has undergone many modifications over the years, with CIRCUIT N°15 being in use since 2018. Even with the modifications put in place over the years, the Sarthe circuit is still known for being very fast, with prototype cars achieving average lap speeds in excess of 240 km/h (150 mph). In

7120-477: Was back, setting the pole, but the throttle link broke before mid-race. Derek Bell set the fastest lap in the Kremer 935, but nonetheless two BMW coupés won ahead of a private 934. Porsche still had a narrow lead in the points standings, but only the best five of the seven events would count. BMW had now three wins compared to Porsche's two, which meant that Porsche had to win the final two races. The new engine setup

7209-429: Was clocked by radar travelling at 407 km/h (253 mph). Jean-Louis Lafosse and Jo Gartner would ultimately suffer from fatal high speed accidents in 1981 and 1986, respectively, leading to concerns with the growing speeds on the 3.7 mi (6.0 km) straight. As the combination of high speed and high downforce caused tyre and engine failures, two roughly equally spaced chicanes were consequently added to

7298-467: Was eventually fitted with bodywork from the K3 developed by Kremer. For the 1981 season, the L1 was driven in the World Sportscar Championship by Lundgardh alongside Mike Wilds . Since the L1 was competing in the under-2.0 liter class, at scrutineering for the 24 Hours of Le Mans it weighed 817 kg (1,801 lb), and marked the first time a "Baby" 935 had competed at Le Mans. Reliability problems plagued

7387-437: Was less important on the Le Mans straights, had to be 1,030 kg now. As this track, like most, was run clockwise, the driver seat was moved over to the right side for better weight distribution and sight in right-hand corners, like Dunlop, Tertre Rouge and Mulsanne, another distinctive feature of the 1978 model. The new car again took full advantage of a new loophole in the Group 5 rules, of which BMW took advantage of and cut

7476-491: Was limited, the top speed dropped until powerful turbo engines were allowed, like in the 1978 Porsche 935 , which was clocked at 367 km/h (228 mph). Speeds on the straight by the Group C prototypes reached over 400 km/h (250 mph) during the late 1980s. At the beginning of the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans race, Roger Dorchy driving for Welter Racing in a "Project 400" car, which sacrificed reliability for speed,

7565-470: Was often considered the real championship. For that race, it was possible to use the 935's well-tested original engine setup. The main battle was between the sportscars, with a Renault Alpine setting the pole. The 935 driven by Stommelen and Schurti qualified third and, despite the weight and drag of a Group 5 silhouette, finished fourth overall, with one of the Porsche 936s taking the win. At Zeltweg, Ickx

7654-408: Was sponsored by Martini Racing , which had already supported Porsche 917 or 908 entries in 1970 and 1971, like the 1971 Le Mans winner. Each championship had seven races, with only Dijon hosting both on the same weekend, while on two other weekends, the races were even run in different countries, which forced Porsche to divide its resources. Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass were the main drivers, when

7743-496: Was tested at Weissach in a modified 934 while the race cars were shipped overseas. At Watkins Glen, the regular race chassis 002 of Mass and Ickx needed modification to the brakes derived from the brakes of the 917, and the test chassis 001 of Stommelen and Schurti won, with the best BMW being fourth. Porsche now had three wins and two seconds equaling ninety points, which meant that only another win could add five more points to their tally. BMW had also three wins, but only one second and

7832-407: Was used. That year, an Armco barrier was added to the pit straight to separate the track from the pits. In 1972, the race track was considerably revamped, at a cost of 300 million francs , with modification of the pit area and the first and final straights, the addition of the quick Porsche curves bypassing "Maison Blanche", the signalling area being moved to the exit of the slow Mulsanne corner, and

7921-465: Was won by the same 935 which Jones drove to the 1982 title, this time in the hands of touring car driver Rusty French. As a reward for his win in the 1983 championship, French was given a drive with Kremer Racing at the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans where he finished 9th outright with Tiff Needell and David Sutherland in a 956 . At the end of the year in the Sports Car /GT Challenge support races for

#4995