[Gallery] Group C Porsches wow at 79MM | GRR
On Saturday the very lucky drivers of the Porsche 956s and 962s got their eye in with a spectacular demo into the dusk here at the 79th Goodwood Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport. Now in the crisp light of day, we got to see these monster machines really open up and flex those wastegates around the Motor Circuit.
The epitome of Porsche’s industrial approach to motorsport, it speaks volumes that the 15-plus cars running didn’t actually cover all the flavours of Porsche’s Group C hero. What we did have was cars with some of the very best pedigree, including the incredible double winner New Man 956 from 1984 and 1985. It’s one of just a handful of individual cars ever to have won Le Mans twice.
Joining it was a legion of factory-backed Rothmans cars – 956s and 962s in high- and low-downforce flavours, including the 1982 Le Mans winner. These were also joined by a number of privateer cars, including two GTi Engineering machines as well as Trust Motorsports, Shell and Kenwood-liveried cars.
These turbocharged Group C machines were an altogether different proposition to spectate around our Circuit than the 917s we’ve had before. They’re faster, peakier in their performance and a different kind of loud. The heavily turbocharged flat-six engines roar rather than howl but can startle with the pops, bangs and whooshes they let out. They’re a more stable platform too in terms of aerodynamics and suspension, so are more comfortable tackling Goodwood at higher speeds. The way they accelerate out of the chicane is something else, with a few precious seconds for the driver to enjoy full power between coming on boost, and the redline hitting. We’ve not seen this many Porsche Group C heroes out on track since their contemporary 1980s racing days. What a privilege.
Photography by Joe Harding and Toby Whale.