For the 1973 Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am), Porsche created one of the most ferocious racing cars ever constructed. Dubbed, the 917/30, it was powered by a 5.4 litre twelve cylinder engine that thanks to twin turbo-chargers produced as much as 1,200 bhp. This air-cooled flat 12 was strapped in a lightweight aluminium spaceframe chassis, which was clothed in a sophisticated high downforce body. The complete car weighed in at less than 850 kg (1875 lbs), giving the 917/30 a power to weight ratio never seen before and rarely seen since. Porsche 'Turbo Panzer' was supplied exclusively to Team Penske and its very brave and skilled driver Mark Donohue. Some teething problems dogged the campaign early on but once these were sorted the ultimate 917 swept all before. Two years later Donohue used a 917/50 to set a new average lap time record for a closed circuit at 356 km/h (221 mph) on the Talledega oval.
Over the last few years we have gathered enough material to completely overhaul our article on this ferocious beast, which is now illustrated by a 24-shot gallery featuring three different examples, full details of the engine mounted in the car and an 'exploded' view of an engine in the Porsche Museum.

Enjoy the links:

1973 Porsche 917/30 - Images, Specifications and Information