The coupe versions of the Porsche 917 are considered by many as some of the best looking racers ever to race down the Mulsanne Straight, except for this one. This one-off was introduced at the 1971 Le Mans test weekend and immediately it was the target of the hone of the rest of the other competitors and the press.
Its rather ugly presence was the result of development work done by a French company called SERA. The goals of the project were to combine the downforce and stability generated by the 917K bodywork and a drag figure that was close to the one of the low drag long tail 917LH. SERA concluded that this could be achieved by making the body wide enough to prevent the wheels from interfeering with the airflow over the car. The nose was squared to prevent air getting under the car. Windtunnel tests showed a drag co-efficient of only 0.387 but its extreme width meant that the total drag figure was higher than that of the 917K.
Porsche countered the hone by painting the car pink for the 24 hours race with names of pieces of meat written across it. The car was subsequently known as Pink Pig (le Cochon Rose) or Big Bertha. The Pink Pig qualified seventh and ran on third place in the race when it dropped out. The speed of the car showed the car's aerodynamics might have been better than the tests suggested.
The Pig is seen here in the Porsche Zentrum in Stuttgart right across the street from the factory.
Article by Wouter Melissen, last updated before 12 / 01 / 2004
I have heard that a few people think that this special variation on the 917 is ugly, but i disagree completely. I love it(though maybe a different colour would have been nice). The shape, however, is very beautiful to my eye, and i would love to own a car with such style.
General specifications
Country of origin
Germany
Chassis number
917/20 001
Numbers built
1
Produced in
1971
Engine
Configuration
912.00 180º V 12
Location
Mid, longitudinally mounted
Displacement
4.907 liter / 299.4 cu in
Bore / Stroke
86.0 mm (3.4 in) / 70.4 mm (2.8 in)
Valvetrain
2 valves / cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed
Bosch Fuel Injection
Aspiration
Naturally Aspirated
Drivetrain
Chassis/body
polyester panels on aluminium spaceframe
Suspension (fr/r)
unequal upper and lower arms, coil springs, Bilstein dampers
Steering
rack-and-pinion
Brakes
ventilated discs, all-round
Gearbox
5 speed Manual
Drive
Rear wheel drive
Dimensions
Weight
909 kilo / 2004 lbs
Length / Width / Height
4000 mm (157.5 in) / 2210 mm (87 in) / N/A
Performance figures
Power
600 bhp / 448 KW
@ 8300 rpm
Torque
563 Nm / 415 ft lbs
@ 6400 rpm
BHP/Liter
122 bhp / liter
Power to weight
0.66 bhp / kg
Top Speed
360 km/h / 224 mph
Resources
Suggested reading
Porsche, Excellence was expected, by Karl Ludvigsen