Please find in the video a first, 1:05 minutes short teaser, following a historical outline: Looking forward to a new highlight from DTW GERMANY | DAS TRIEBWERK.
The background story:
On May 6, 1966, Swiss “Stumpen Herbie” Herbert Müller and Willy Mairesse scored an important victory. In their privately entered Carrera 6, they decided the 50th Targa Florio in their favor. The race on the streets of Sicily attracted worldwide attention at the time. The Type 906 or Carrera 6 was the first Porsche built exclusively for racing purposes. Its predecessor, the 904, could still be driven on the road. Ferdinand Piech, Professor Ferdinand Porsche’s grandson, pushed this development. Angular headlight cover lenses were the prototype’s distinguishing features.
Piech’s specification to the engineers: Maneuverability before horsepower! The 906 weighed only 675 kilograms, but had a displacement of only 1,991 cc. The six-cylinder 901/22 mid-engine with Weber carburetors and dual ignition produced 220 hp. The latter entailed two spark plugs per combustion chamber. This design accelerated the combustion process. The mixture of fuel and highly compressed intake air ignited more quickly. At higher engine speeds, this feature improved energy efficiency. Dry sump lubrication ensured stable oil pressure at all times. This system used two oil pumps. One sucked lubricant from the oil sump into a separate ten-liter tank. Another pump, the pressure pump, delivered the oil from the oil tank to the lubrication points.
The two-liter, two-valve engine reached 210 Newton meters of maximum torque at 6,000 rpm. The maximum speed was 8,300 rpm. 1967 saw the further development of the Carrera 6. The 910 and 907 were built in parallel. What they had in common was the six-cylinder boxer engine. It was not until 1968 that the 907 received an eight-cylinder boxer engine. The two-liter Boxer Type 901/22 also made a career outside the racing models. Throttled down to 210 hp, it powered the 911 R 2.0. 23 of these racing versions were built in 1967. They were recognizable by their double, round taillights. But the 914/6 GT also benefited from the organ transfer. With a two-liter carburetor engine, it was capable of winning, especially in the USA. This was due to the arrangement of the engine between the two axles.
The 914/6 GT with the M471 equipment option was easier to control than a 911. By 1972 at the latest, the nine-eleven body had reached its aerodynamic limits. Speeds increased from year to year. The same applied to the lift forces at the rear of the 911. Only the best drivers were still able to keep the “yawing” rear end under control. This is how the Carrera RS with the famous “duck tail” came into being in 1973. The displacement grew to 2,700 cc. Further developments are well known, while the Carrera 6, 911 R 2.0 and 914/6 GT went quiet for the time being. Classic rallies and historic sports brought them back to their fans. The common feature of all three vehicle types was always the engine. The Carrera 6, 911 R 2.0 and 914/6 GT still have 210 hp from a displacement of 1,991 cc.
911-variants of the same era may be more widespread. But that says nothing about their driving performance. Whenever and wherever there are tight corners to be negotiated, it’s the hour of the fleet-footed racers. 1966 was no different, when the Carrera 6 dominated the Targa Florio.
Responsible for the content: Carsten Krome, netzwerkeins GmbH
Please find more exciting background information on the Porsche Carrera 6 in the article: Belle Époque: Type 906 – the fascination of Porsche prototype construction in the 1960s in all its glory.
