Porsche 917/30

1973

In 1972, Porsche is the only manufacturer to deploy turbo engines on the angular circuits of the Can-Am Championship; it wins the title by a wide margin with the 917/10. Porsche gets the 1973 season off to a blistering start with the 917/30 Spyder. Its 5.4-litre twelve-cylinder twin turbo engine delivers up to 1,200 PS, sprinting to 200 km/h in 5.4 seconds and hitting 300 km/h after approximately 11 seconds. Compared to the 917/10, the wheelbase is lengthened by 184 mm to 2.5 m for increased stability. In 1973 Porsche wins all eight races and the championship. The 917/10 secures the first two wins, while the other six are won by American driver and engineer Mark Donohue in the 917/30, competing for the Penske Racing Team sponsored by Sunoco and Porsche + Audi. Donohue completes the fastest laps in every race. In 1975 Donohue sets a new world record for closed-course speed at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. He reaches an average speed of 355.848 km/h in the sister car to the 917/30. Prior to the race, the twelve-cylinder’s power output had been specially increased to 1,230 PS to achieve these speeds.

Year: 1973
Engine: 12-cylinder V 180˚ turbo
Displacement: 5,374 ccm
Output: 882 kW (1,200 PS)
Weight: 850 kg
Top speed: 375 km/h

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Top of the range, with lightweight construction and 12-cylinder engine
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1972: Porsche 917/30