… On March 27th, 1982, a revolutionary race car turned its first test laps in Weissach. It was the Porsche 956. Designed to comply with the technical regulations, this was the first race car from Weissach to feature an aluminium monocoque chassis which was 80% stiffer than the frame of the 936. The body proved revolutionary in the sports car world: inverted wing profiles in the sidepods and the shape of the underbody generated enormous downforce through the aerodynamic ground effect. After intensive research, Porsche modified the principle used in Formula 1 and implements it in its sports car.
The regulation-complying 800 kilogram 956 was powered with the same 2.65-litre twin-turbo engine as the 1981-winning 936. With the exception of the 620 hp (456 kW) engine, everything else on the vehicle was new. On 20 June, Porsche celebrated a triumphant triple victory at Le Mans with the 956 … More