NISSAN R89C
1989
NISSAN R89C
1989 - 24h Le Mans / #24 - M. Blundell, J Bailey, M. Donnelly
CA28h
NISSAN R89C
PORSCHE 962C KH
1989
PORSCHE 962C KH
1989 - 3rd Supercup Nurburgring / #5 - Jochen Dauer
CA17f
Porsche 962C
1991
Porsche 962C
1991 - Le Mans / #58 - H.J. Stucj, F. Jelinski, D. Bell
CA52a
PORSCHE 962C KH
1990
PORSCHE 962C KH
1990 - 1st Brands Hatch / #1 - W. Lechner
CA17d
In 1990, the Team’s principal and driver, Walter Lechner, entered the Interserie Coupe Super Sports with a Porsche 962C KH sponsored by Walter Lechner Racing School and Jim Beam. Lechner won the fourth race of the Championship, held on the historic Brands Hatch circuit.
SAUBER C9
1987
SAUBER C9
1987 - Norisring / #61 - Mike Thackwell
CA06i
The Sauber Mercedes C9 was a Group C race car, built by Sauber in partnership with Mercedes-Benz. Chassis was mainly an aluminium monocoque, with magnesium elements and carbon-fibre skins. It had double wishbone suspensions, with direct-action at front and rocker-arm at rear, as well as Speedline magnesium rims, 17” front and 19” rear, and Brembo cast-iron 14” disc brakes. In 1988, the car was powered the ‘M117’ engine, a twin turbo, 5 litres, V8, with semi-stressed function, which used the 500SL passenger car crankcase. The two valves per cylinder were controlled by a single over head camshaft, with chain drive. In qualifying specifications, the boost pressure was 1.2 bar, and power was 800 bhp at 7000 rpm. Torque had a very flat band from 3000 to 8000 rpm, which gave the Sauber C9 a great advantage in exiting corners. Overall weight was 865 kg. Mike Thackwell was fast, talented, young, but eventually “moved away from the highest level of motor sports”, as recently written in one of the very few interviews released. He drove the Sauber Mercedes C9 in 1987 at the Norisring “ADAC Würth Supercup” event.
PORSCHE 962 IMSA
1988
PORSCHE 962 IMSA
1988 - 12h Sebring / #01 - A. J. Foyt, H. Haywood
CA25f
The Porsche 962 is a sport-prototype racing car created to replace the already successful Porsche 956, in order to allow it to race the IMSA and WSC Group C competitions. It was one of the most successful racing cars ever and it won several competitions all over the world:
– World Sport-Prototype Championship in 1985 and 1986
– 24h Le Mans in 1986, 1987 and 1994
– IMSA GTP Championship in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988
– 24h Daytona in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1991
– 12h Sebring in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988
The IMSA ‘GTP’ regulations required some modifications in comparison with Porsches designed for the Group C. Front axle was shifted 12 centimetres ahead, so that driver’s feet could stay behind the hubs of the wheels. The boxer 6 cylinders engine had a displacement of 3.2 litres, was air-cooled, with only one turbo, 2 valves per cylinder and one single overhead camshaft. The 12 Hours of Sebring in 1988, was won by this Porsche driven by A.J.Foyt and H. Haywood.
PORSCHE 962C LH
1988
PORSCHE 962C LH
1988 - Le Mans / #18 - B. Wollek, V. Schuppan, S.V.d. Merwe
CA03m
Porsche 962 is a sport-prototype racing car created to replace the already succesfull Porsche 956, in order to allow its presence in the Americans IMSA and WSC Group C competitions. It was one of the most succesful racing cars ever and it won several competitions all over the world:
– World Sport-Prototype Championship in 1985 and 1986
– 24h Le Mans in 1986, 1987 and 1994
– IMSA GTP Championship in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988
– 24h Daytona in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1991
– 12h Sebring in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988
The ‘962C’ appeared for the first time at Le Mans in 1985. The engine was a boxer, 6 cylinders, with two turbos, liquid-cooled, 4 valves per cylinder, double overhead camshaft. On the 3 factory cars engaged in the ’24 Hours’ in 1988, displacement had been increased at 3 liters. Even the tail had been updated. In those years, cars used ‘long’ shaped tails to have the less possible drag on the ‘Les Hunaudières’ straight. During qualifying, the works 962C reached a maximum speed of 391 kph. This car raced at Le Mans in 1988 in the red, white and yellow livery of sponsor Shell. The car was driven by Bob Wollek, Vern Shuppan and Sarel van der Merwe.
LANCIA LC2
1990
LANCIA LC2
1990 - Le Mans / #54 - M. Monti, F. Magnani, A. Hepworth
CA21f
The LC2 was designed by Lancia to race in the Sport-Prototype category, according to the Group C regulations. It raced for the first time in 1983. Designed by Dallara, it was powered by a Ferrari engine, whose heads had been evolved from those of the 288 GTO; the electronic control unit was highly sophisticated and ahead of its time. The engine itself was a 90° 3 litres liquid-cooled V8, with two turbochargers, working at a maximum pressure of 3 bars; four valves per cylinder were driven by double over head camshaft. Overall the maximum power was 840 hp at 7000 rpm. Gearbox was a 5 gears Hewland unit, and rims were 15″ front and 17″ rear. Chassis was made of aluminium and magnesium while body was carbon fibre composite. The overall weight was 850 kg. Lancia LC2s were as quick as Porsches, in terms of pure speed, but lacked reliability. Lancia raced LC2 cars ex-works throughout 1986; later, and until 1991, it was raced by privateers only. A Lancia LC2 was entered by Team Mussato in the World Prototype Championship in 1986. This specific model of car No.54, driven by M. Monti, F. Magnani and A. Hepworth, raced in 1990 the 24 hours of Le Mans.
PORSCHE 956 KH
1985
PORSCHE 956 KH
1985 - Hockenheim 1000km / #20 - G. Berger, W. Brun
CA09h
The Porsche 956 and later 962 models could be assembled with two different rear wing configurations: “low downforce”, used mostly in Le Mans where the 6.5 km Hunaudières straight required a very low drag at the expense of downforce, and “high downforce”, for twistier circuits. Regardless of the configuration, Porsche 956 and 962 cars were the cars to beat in any Group C competition in the early 80’s. This car, driven by Gerard Berger and Walter Brun, raced the 1000 km of Hockenheim, which was part of the 1985 FIA World Endurance Championship.
TOYOTA 88C
1988
TOYOTA 88C
1988 - WEC Fuji 1000km / #45 - A. Andskar, A. Gilbert-Scott
CA19e
The Toyota 88C is a sports car prototype designed by Toyota in 1988, according to the Group C specifications. The car, designed by Dome, was an evolution of the 87 model. It was powered by a 2.1 litre, water cooled, 680-hp, 4 cylinder turbocharged engine unit, named “3S-GT”, with 16 valves driven by double over head camshaft. The chassis was an aluminium monocoque, whose composite bodywork was made of carbon fibre and kevlar. Team Toyota Auto Beaurex Motorsport raced the 1988 WEC 1000 Km of Fuji with a Toyota 88C, sponsored by STP, bearing race number 45. The car was driven by Andrew Gilbert-Scott e Steven Andskar.
