24h Le Mans
In this fourth installment, the Porsche 936 will experience highs and lows at Le Mans before giving its favourite driver Jacky Ickx a new special place in the pantheon of the 24 Hours.
An overhauled version of the 936 made its appearance at the 1978 24 Hours to battle Renault-Alpine, the German manufacturer's primary rival for two years running. This 936/78 stood out visually with a redesigned rear spoiler, newly supported by a center support, replacing the large lateral spoilers of the winning version of 1976 and 1977. But nothing could prevent victory for the Renault-Alpine A442 B (with at the wheel Didier Pironi-Jean-Pierre Jaussaud), ahead of the 936 driven by Jacky Ickx-Jürgen Barth-Bob Wollek (second) and Peter Gregg-Hurley Haywood-Reinhold Joest (third). Contrarily, the two 936 participations at the 1979 24 Hours, announced very late, ended in a double retirement following repeated flat tyres.
The brilliant career of the 936 was at the time thought to be over. But it made its return to Le Mans two years later, in a new incarnation called the 936/81. The main modification was under the hood in the form of a 2.6-liter engine (still flat turbocharged 6-cylinder), orginially researched under the guise of a project, aborted, for Porsche's participation in the 1980 Indianapolis 500.
At the wheel of the #11, Jacky Ickx joined the Brit Derek Bell, his teammate for the win in 1975 with Gulf-Mirage. The Belgian driver added a new chapter to his history at Le Mans by scoring the first of his three consecutive pole positions at the 24 Hours, and most especially winning his fifth victory - making him the new win record-holder at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After experiencing repeated problems, the second 936/81 driven by Jochen Mass-Vern Schuppan-Hurley Haywood finished in 12th place.
It would be the third and final win of the 936 in five years, prior to the introduction of new prototype regulations called Group C. But the 936 knew how to find its place...find out how in the next installment!
Click on the links below for previous installments of this series:
Porsche 936, the making of a prototype (1) - Porsche 917, 1971-1973
Porsche 936, the making of a prototype (2) - Porsche Carrera RSR Turbo, 1974
Porsche 936, the making of a prototype (3) - 1976-1977, two wins and a historic first
Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
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Photo: In 1981, Jacky Ickx, here at the wheel, on his way to clinching the win record at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
