1968 - 1969 Porsche 908K Coupe - Images, Specifications and Information

Model history:

Click here to download printer friendly version

Porsche's racing program progressed slowly, but steadily throughout the 1950s, resulting in numerous class victories in all major sportscar races. After a brief spell in Formula 1, the German manufacturer really upped the ante and started on a prototype racing program, with an overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race as the ultimate target. Porsche's racing cars traditionally utilized a lot of elements from the road cars and with things being as they were in the mid 1960s there was no engine available that was big enough to take on the big boys.

At the end of the 1967 a number of rule changes were carried through that enabled Porsche's nimble racers to possibly race for victory at Le Mans. Prototypes were limited to 3 litre engine displacement and a new class for limited production sports cars was introduced with a maximum of five litres. The prototype class engine limits came relatively close to Porsche's largest engine; the 2.2 litre flat eight. This gap could not be bridged by simply modifying an existing engine, so a unit would have to be produced if Porsche was to compete in this new class.

Eventually the construction of the new engine was approved of, but under the condition that it was simple enough to be potentially used in an upcoming production model. Lessons learned from the experimental twin-cam flat six first used in a 910 in 1967 were used to create the new 3 litre. Two cylinders were added and the bore was increased to increase the displacement up to prescribed maximum. Despite its close relationship with the road car derived six cylinder engine, the dry sump fuel injected would eventually produce 350 bhp at 8500 rpm.

The development was somewhat of a side project of the manufacturer's racing department, which had their focus on the new 2.2 litre eight cylinder engined 907 coupe. This ambitious racer featured a tubular spaceframe and was to be Porsche's works racer for the 1968 season. For the new three litre '908' a chassis very similar to that of the successful 907 was used. After the first few cars were constructed the steel used for the spaceframe was replaced by aluminium, which further decreased the car's weight. The only real difference between the early 908s and the 907 coupes was the use of larger brakes to cope with the new racer's increased speed and weight.

Halfway through the 1968 season, the 908 was ready to take over from the eight cylinder 907s, which already had scored a one-two-three victory in the Daytona 24 Hours race. Expectations were high as the 908 was rightfully considered a 907 with a boost in power. At is debut in the Le Mans test weekend, the 908 showed more problems than promise. Especially the new six speed gearbox proved to be very fragile. Further problems were caused by fierce engine vibrations that were cause by the crankshaft design. At the 908's first race on Monza it literally terrified the works drivers who found the longtail coupe a dog to drive and refused to race it in upcoming races where a short tailed coupe was campaigned.

To rectify the aerodynamic problems, Porsche fitted four coupes with revised rear ends that were equipped with an ingenious moveable wing system. When the pressure on one side of the car increased the wing on that side flattened and the one on the other side angled up to level the force on both sides. These four were also the first to be equipped with the revised aluminium spaceframe. They were ready in time for the Le Mans race, which was postponed to September from the traditional June date. After qualifying on top, two 908s led the race for the first two hours, but then fell victim to the engine and gearbox related problems and were forced to retire. A frequently patched up 908 still managed to finish third.

Throughout the winter Porsche not only worked on developing the 908, but also on a 5-litre racer that would fit in the five litre sportscar class. Dubbed the 908/2, Porsche's three litre racer for 1969 was quite an improvement over the first generation 908s used. The most notable change was the introduction of a Spyder body perfectly suited for higher downforce races like the Nürburgring 1000 km and Targa Florio. Similar in design to the one fitted in the old 2.2 litre eight cylinder engine, a new crankshaft was developed, which cured the vibration issues. The six speed gearbox was discarded and replaced by a far more reliable five speed box.

These changes were as welcome as they were successful and Porsche dominated the 1969 season. Wash-out victories were scored at Brands Hatch, Monza, the Nürburgring, Spa and in the Targa Florio. Especially the 1-2-3-4-5 place finish in the 1000 km race on the treacherous Nürburgring track showed Porsche's might. For Le Mans three longtail coupe bodied 908s were prepared complete with all the modifications found on the successful Spyders. They were joined by the new 917s, which suffered a similar fate as the 908 had a year earlier with early retirements. In the closest ever Le Mans finish one of the 908 coupes finished just a few yards shy of the winning Ford GT40.

Although the 908 was even further developed for 1970 in the shape of the 908/3, Porsche put most of their effort in developing the 917 sportscar. In it's highly successful year the lightweight 908/2 proved to be superior to its peers from Ferrari and Matra despite it's relatively standard engine compared to the Formula 1 derived powerplants in the Italian and French racers. Sadly the eight cylinder prototype racers will always be in the shadow of the 12 cylinder 917, which brought the first Le Mans factory to the Stuttgart based manufacturer. The 908/2 will remain as one of the most underestimated of its era, because a Le Mans victory still outweighs wins in all other races of a season combined.

Chassis: 908 - 019

Featured is one of the first generation 908s equipped with the short tail body. It is seen here in action at the 2006 Le Mans Classic and Monterey Historic Races.