1994 Schuppan 962CR - Images, Specifications and Information

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Porsche's 962 Group C car was not only a great success on the track, it was also a hit with privateer teams around the world. While the competition produced only a handful of racing cars, Porsche constructed well over a hundred 962s and another forty tubs were constructed by others following Porsche blue prints. Based on a design first raced in 1982, it was not surprising that the 962 was no longer competitive in the early 1990s. Rule changes to come into effect in 1994 would officially render it obsolete.

At the end of the 962's racing career there were plenty of solid cars left with no real purpose. It did not take long before several team owners decided to convert their racing car for road use. The most famous of these converters was Jochen Dauer, who constructed quite a few 962 based road cars. Ironically Porsche bent the rules slightly and entered two Dauer 962s in the 1994 Le Mans race in the GT1 class for production cars. The two cars finished first and third; a fitting finale for a great racing car.

Another driver / entrant to offer a Porsche 962 based road car was Australian Vern Schuppan. With Japanese backing, the 1983 Le Mans winner modified the former racing cars a little more than Jochen Dauer. Especially the exterior was modified considerably incorporating the front and rear lights from the contemporary Porsche 911. The chassis was also redesigned to better suit the road car needs. Power came from a 3.3 liter version of the twin-Turbocharged flat six engine used in the 962.

Unlike Dauer, Schuppan did not use existing chassis for his road going supercar. The tubs were constructed in Great Britain and the car assembled by the Modena Wycombe racing facility. They are still active in motor racing and have entered Aston Martins and Lamborghinis in recent years. The completed car weighed in at 1050 kg, which combined with the 600 bhp gave the Schuppan 962 CR superior performance to any road car available. This performance came at a very high price, as Schuppan asked a rumoured $2.5 million for each example.

With a such steep price, it was not surprising that Schuppan struggled to find customers. Later the the mythical price was adjusted slightly down by Karl Ludvigsen who quotes a price of ¥195 000 000 or £750,000 in his Porsche bible Excelence was Expected, however it did not make any difference for Schuppan. He hit financial trouble when two cars were delivered to Japan, but were never paid for. It is estimated that five, or possibly six cars were built before the company went bankrupt.