FYI: Porsche’s groundbreaking embrace of turbocharging owes its roots to the fiercely competitive world of racing.
Porsche’s Turbo Evolution: From Track to Road
Porsche was among the pioneers of turbocharging in the auto industry, and its journey into turbo tech began on the racetrack. Unlike General Motors, which had introduced turbocharged road cars in the early 1960s, Porsche’s initial foray into turbocharging during the 1970s was aimed squarely at enhancing its race cars’ performance.
### The Birth of Turbocharging at Porsche
The advent of turbocharging at Porsche was driven by a significant change in racing regulations. During the early 1970s, a rule change in the World Championship for Makes—which included the rigorous 24 Hours of Le Mans—prompted Porsche to innovate. Up until then, Porsche had earned its first overall victories at Le Mans in 1970 and 1971 with the formidable 917, which was powered by a naturally aspirated 4.5-liter flat-12 engine. However, from 1972, new regulations capped engine displacement at 3.0 liters.
### Enter Can-Am: A New Battlefield
Rather than adapt to these restrictive rules, Porsche shifted focus to the Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am), known for its looser regulations. The challenge here was to compete against teams wielding massive 8.0-liter V-8s. Porsche’s engineers, led by the legendary Hans Mezger, decided to turbocharge the existing flat-12 engine. Initially, a V-16 was considered but was ultimately rejected because of its excessive weight and negative impact on handling.
Two turbochargers were added to the 4.5-liter flat-12, taking the power output to a staggering 985 hp. This groundbreaking process was far removed from modern technology, relying instead on mercury columns to measure boost pressure—often leading to any overflows splattering the engineers.
### The 917 Turbo Legacy
The turbocharged 917/10 Spyder made its debut on June 11, 1972, at Canada’s Mosport Park (now known as Canadian Tire Motorsport Park). Driven by Mark Donohue, it shattered the lap record by four seconds, although mechanical issues relegated him to a second-place finish. Nevertheless, the 917/10 quickly amassed numerous victories, clinching the 1972 Can-Am championship.
For the 1973 season, the 917/30 Spyder was introduced, featuring a turbocharged 5.4-liter flat-12 that delivered a mind-blowing 1,072 hp. This dominance was so overwhelming that it’s often credited—alongside the 1973 oil crisis and recession—with contributing to the downfall of the Can-Am series.
### From Racetrack to Road: The 911 Turbo
With the 917’s turbo history firmly established, Porsche turned its attention back to road cars, applying lessons learned from the racetrack to the iconic Porsche 911. The culmination of these efforts was the first 911 Turbo road car, launched 50 years ago. This innovation set the stage for turbocharging to become synonymous with Porsche.
### The Legacy Lives On
Today, the Turbo badge is iconic for Porsche, symbolizing a rich heritage of performance and engineering excellence. Even Porsche’s electric vehicles (EVs) proudly wear the Turbo badge, encapsulating the brand’s commitment to high performance across different automotive eras.
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Steven Hale,
Editor of Automotive.fyi
