24h Le Mans
24 HOURS CENTENARY – MAKES, MARQUES and IMPRINTS ⎮ It would take eight years after the win in 1987 for Porsche to reclaim the top step on the Le Mans podium. The German constructor triumphed in 1994, then again in 1996 and 1997 with two cars, one a prototype turned GT and the other originally a Jaguar!
These two unique Porsches also benefitted from support from a true heavy hitter: Reinhold Joest, currently the winningest team owner in the history of the 24 Hours.
The Porsche 962 LM's story began in 1993 when Jochen Dauer presented a modified and road standardised version of the 962 C at the International Motor Show Germany in Frankfurt. In 1986 and 1987, the 962 C prototype clinched what were at the time Porsche's last two wins at the 24 Hours. Called the Dauer 962 Le Mans (LM), the car attracted the attention of Norbert Singer who had designed all the Porsche winners at Le Mans up to that point. Looking to turn over a new leaf, the marque took advantage of newly implemented regulations.
The reintroduction of cars derived from road GTs at Le Mans offered the marque the opportunity to do just that through a technical loophole that harkened back to the birth of the legendary Porsche 917 in 1969 when a minimum of 25 cars had to be built in order to compete in the Sport class, effectively circumventing the 3-litre engine capacity limitation of prototypes. In 1994, the construction of only one car was required. An agreement was reached with Jochen Dauer to field two 962 LMs run by Reinhold Joest in 1994.
The first participation for a Porsche factory team since 1988 ended in a 13th victory thanks to Yannick Dalmas/Mauro Baldi/Hurley Haywood, and third place for Thierry Boutsen/Danny Sullivan/Hans-Joachim Stuck. Two years later, and even more impressive win added to Porsche's remarkable track record…
In 1991, Ross Brawn designed the Jaguar XJR-14 prototype (closed body) fitted with a 3.5-litre Ford V8 engine from Formula 1. In 1992, TWR joined forces with Mazda for the 24 Hours. The XJR14 switched its Ford V8 for a Judd V10 and borrowed the livery of the 787 B winner the previous year. Renamed the Mazda MX-R01, the car finished fourth after getting embroiled in the fight for the lead against the Peugeot 905s early in the race.
In 1995, the transformation was even more radical. The turbocharged flat-six Porsche engine from the 962 C now powered an open-cockpit prototype! However, a change in regulations prevented the car from competing in American endurance races as initially planned, so Joest decided to enter the car in the 1996 and 1997 24 Hours. The Joest-Porsche TWR WSC won both runnings thanks to Alexander Wurz/Manuel Reuter/Davy Jones and Michele Alboreto/Stefan Johansson/Tom Kristensen, respectively. In 1997, the only model fielded claimed the top step on the podium.
Understanding it was better to have Joest as an ally rather than foe, as an official factory Porsche entry, the car underwent its fourth incarnation for Le Mans in 1998. Now powered by the engine of the 911 GT1 winner that year, both Porsche LMP1 98s were forced to retire.
For these three victories, Porsche once again proved itself technically saavy, both in the development of its car and in navigating the regulations…before going back to basics in 1998 culminating in an overall win by the iconic 911.
PHOTOS (Copyright - ACO Archives): LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS. From top to bottom: the Joest-Porsche TWR after its win in 1996 with at the wheel Austrian driver Alex Wurz, winner as a 22-year-old rookie; the Dauer-Porsche 962 LM at its garage in 1994; like Wurz in 1996, Tom Kristensen won the following year as a rookie; in 1998, the Porsche LMP1 98 of Michele Alboreto/Yannick Dalmas/Stefan Johansson, a trio with six victories among them.
