Image via Lars Mars Cars/YouTube
Most people go their entire life never seeing a Porsche 917 K in the flesh, let alone hearing that flat-12 engine screaming. While we can’t give you that experience in person, this video gives you a taste of what it’s like to be in the presence of one of these legendary racecars.
Racer killed in a Porsche 911 GT3 RS crash.
If you’re lucky, and we hope you are, you’ve heard at least a few V12 engines idling and under load in your life. Those sadly are becoming rarer as the push towards smaller engines with fewer cylinders continues. But a flat-12 is a horse of a different color entirely, providing quite the sonic experience.
While it sounds pretty amazing idling in the paddock, the 917 K really rips as it does a flyby while speeding down the track. The thing also moves like a jaguar on the prowl, looking powerful and hugging the turns like it’s grafted into the pavement.
Of course, for the Porsche faithful and even those who aren’t so dedicated to the brand, the 917 is larger than life. Some even call it the greatest racecar of all time, something we’ll let others debate.
What isn’t debatable is the first time the 917 K raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970, it crossed the finish line first, giving Porsche its first victory in the famous endurance race. Before then, the experimental car suffered all kinds of problems from bad aerodynamics to poor handling at speed.
After working out the design flaws, the 24 Hours of Le Mans victory came and the car won eight other races that year, out of nine. For years, the 917 dominated in races as Porsche deployed different versions, the K designation being designed for stability at high speeds. But the most famous one was the Pink Pig 917/20.
This footage is from a Spa Classic endurance racing event held at the Spa-Francorchamps a few years ago. Enjoy seeing and hearing this motorsports legend in action.
Image via Lars Mars Cars/YouTube
