The sports car category where the Porsche 917’s ruled, stopped to exist by the end of 1971. Some teams already competed in the Interserie and Can-Am races where there were less rules. The 917 was a bit too heavy and lacked power to be a winner in Can-Am, so teams already used lighter Spyder versions of the 917. The engines were allowed to rev a bit higher to gain some additional horsepower, but that was not enough to beat the mighty V8’s in the McLarens and Lola’s. So Porsche had to think of a different solution …
917 PA & Spyder
1969 Can-Am, Porsche 917 PA. Porsche designed the 917 for Le Mans and the World Championship Sports cars. Together with Porsche and Audi distributor Vasek Polak, this 917 PA (Porsche Audi) was built for the Can-Am series. It had new bodywork and a larger fuel tank, but the engine stayed the same. It was 150 bhp less powerful than the big blocks of the mighty McLarens. Jo Siffert drove the car to 4th position in the championship.
#0 Jo Siffert (CH) – 4th
Vasek Polak Porsche 917 PA – 4.5 liter Porsche 912.00 V12 180º, approx. 570 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 770 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. #028
- SPARK S1170 (resin)
1971 Montlhéry 1000 km, Porsche 917 Spyder. In 1970 Leo Kinnunen was one of the drivers of the famous John Wyer Gulf team. In 1971 he drove a 917 Spyder in the Interserie for AAW racing, he won this championship 3 years in a row. After the 1971 Interserie season, Leo Kinnunen and Gérard Larrousse raced in the Montlhéry 1000 km. They finished in second place behind a 917K driven by Gijs van Lennep and Derek Bell.
#3 Leo Kinnunen (FIN) / Gérard Larrousse (F) – 2nd
AAW Porsche 917 Spyder – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.11 V12 180º, approx. 630 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 770 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. #015
- SPARK SF012 #116 / 500 pcs (resin)
1971 Interserie Norisring 200 miles, Porsche 917 Spyder. The Interserie was an attractive championship. A mix of sports cars and prototypes battled in sprint races, often in 2 heats. Jürgen Neuhaus drove this beautiful Porsche Spyder to 2nd place in the 1st heat, he didn’t start the 2nd. Reason was the fatal accident of Pedro Rodriguez in a Ferrari while leading the first race.
#1 Jürgen Neuhaus (D) – 2nd / DNS
Georg Loos Porsche 917 Spider – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.11 V12 180º, approx. 630 hp. Firestone tires. Weight 770 kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. 917/10 #026
- SPARK SG011 #234 / 500 pcs (resin)
1971 Test, Porsche 917/16. Porsche designed the 917 for Le Mans and the World Championship Sportscars. Already in 1969, a Spyder version of the 917 was entered in the Can-Am series. It was still too heavy and had not enough power to compete with the McLarens. The 5-liter flat-12 engine of the Porsche 917 delivered some 600 hp in sprint races. In their search for more power Porsche built this 16-cylinder version, it should have had way over 800 hp, but it never competed and can be found in the Porsche Museum. The alternative, the turbo version would become a hit.
1971 Test
Porsche 917/16 – 7.2 liter Porsche V16 180º, approx. 850hp. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. #027
- TRUE SCALE MINIATURES 114301 (resin)
1971 Can-Am Watkins Glen, Porsche 917/10. The Spyder used in 1969 was too heavy and had not enough power to compete with the McLarens. The new Porsche 917/10 was specially designed for the Can-Am series and would be equipped with the turbo engine in 1972. Jo Siffert drove the car once in 1971 at Watkins Glen using the normally aspirated engine, he finished 3rd.
#20 Jo Siffert (CH)
Porsche 917/10 – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.11 V12 180º, approx. 630 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 765 kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/10 002
- SPARK S1171 (resin)
1972 Interserie, Porsche 917 Spyder. German Ernst Kraus was one of the Porsche customers who drove a Porsche 917 that was transferred into a Spyder. This is chassis 026 that finished 2nd at Le Mans in the previous year. Kraus used the Spyder in the Interserie championship, his best result being 3rd at Imola. He crashed the car during practice at Hockenheim and had to rent another car for the next few races. He then drove the white and blue car from A.A.W. Racing that Kinnunen used in 1971.
#17 Ernst Kraus (D) – 3rd
Porsche 917 Spyder – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.11 V12 180º, approx. 630 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 765 kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #031
- SPARK SG012 #031 / 500 pcs (resin)
1972 & 1973 Can-Am
1972 Can-Am Challenge, Porsche 917/10 turbo. The new turbo charged Porsche 917/10 ruled the 1972 Can-Am season. George Follmer drove for Penske Racing and took the title with 5 wins from 9 races. He started the season driving #6, but halfway the season he was joined by team mate Mark Donahue in a similar car. Donahue had been out after a crash for some months, and he was used to driving the #6 so Follmer switched to #7 for the remaining races, lucky number.
#7 George Follmer (USA) – 1st
Porsche 917/10 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 745 kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/10 003
- MINICHAMPS MC437 726507 (resin model produced by SPARK, limited 500 pcs)
1973 Can-Am challenge, Porsche 917/30 turbo. The Porsche 917/30 was a further development of the Porsche 917/10 turbo. With its increased engine-size it delivered between 1200 and 1500 bhp depending on the turbo pressure and also had better aerodynamics. It blew away the earlier 917/10 and the competition from Mclaren to win the Can-Am Championship.
#6 Mark Donohue (USA) – 1st
Porsche 917/30 turbo – 5.4 liter Porsche 912.52 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1200 hp @ 1.3 bar or 1500 @ 2.0 bar turbo pressure. Goodyear tires. Weight 770kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/30 003
- MINICHAMPS MC436 736006 in a presentation box #3362 / 9999 pcs (diecast)
1973 Can-Am challenge, Porsche 917/10 turbo. George Follmer and Charlie Kemp (#23) drove the 1972 Penske Porsches, now in the team of Rinzler Motorracing. The 1973 season started well; Kemp winning the first race at Mosport and Follmer the second at Road Atlanta. After that, all victories went to Mark Donahue in the new Penske Porsche 917/30. Behind him, battle for second went on between George Follmer and Hurley Haywood (#59). The latter drove this Brumos car and scored a third place in Mid-Ohio. He would do that again in Laguna Seca and he finished second in the last race of the season in Riverside. It was good enough for a third place in the championship.
#23 Charlie Kemp (USA) – 1st Mosport
#59 Hurley Haywood (USA) – 1st Road Atlanta
Porsche 917/10 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 745 kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/10 005 & #917/10 007
- #23 M.A. SCALE MODELS #unknown
- #59 MINICHAMPS MC437 726559 (resin model produced by Spark, limited 250 pcs)
1973 Interserie
The European counterpart of the Can-Am challenge was the Interserie. At first, the level of entrants was below that from the Can-Am, but in 1973 it was as good as that on the other side of the Atlantic.
1973 Interserie, Porsche 917/10. Leo Kinnunen was the man to beat in this series in his turbocharged 917/10. In 1973 he won 4 races and took the title just as in the two previous years.
#1 Leo Kinnunen (FIN)
AAW Porsche 917/10 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Firestone tires. Weight 745 kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/10 004
- STARTER #unknown (resin)
1973 Interserie, Porsche 917/10 turbo. Willi Kauhsen won the first two races in the 1973 season, but the title went to the reigning champion Leo Kinnunen who won 4 times.
#2 Willi Kauhsen (D) – 1st / Championship 2nd
Kauhsen Porsche 917/10 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 745 kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/10 015
- MINICHAMPS MC437 736502 limited 250 pcs (resin model produced by SPARK)
1973 Interserie, Porsche 917/10 turbo. Team owner Georg Loos drove a 917/10 and took 6 podiums but didn’t win a race. In the championship he finished 3rd behind Leo Kinnunen and Willy Kauhsen.
#6 Georg Loos (D) – 3rd championship
Gelo Porsche 917/10 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 745 kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/10 017
- SPARK Raceland Specials RS1209 #041 / 300 pcs (resin)
1973 Interserie Hockenheim, Porsche 917/10 turbo. Wilson Fittipaldi (brother of F1 champion Emerson) participated only once at Hockenheim in a WKRT Porsche. He took pole position with quite a margin but in the 1st heat the engine seized and he was unable to start the 2nd heat.
#11 Wilson Fittipaldi (BR) – DNF / DNS
Kauhsen Porsche 917/10 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 745 kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/10 015
- SOLIDO 18C (diecast)
1973 Interserie Hockenheim, Porsche 917/30 turbo. Helmut Kelleners drove this car in the final race of 1973. It was a 917/30, but without the 5.4 liter engine.
#3 Helmut Kelleners (D) – 5th
Porsche 917/30 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 770kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/30 001
- MINICHAMPS MC437 736103 limited 250 pcs (resin model produced by SPARK)
1973 Interserie Hockenheim, Porsche 917/30 turbo. Vic Elford started only once in the Interserie, the European version of Can-Am. He drove an evolution version of the Porsche 917/10; the car had a 917/30 chassis number but was lacking the aerodynamic changes and 5.4 litre engine. The car was entered by Motorsport Club Stuttgart but was actually a works entry. At Hockenheim Elford won the 2nd heat after he finished second in the first one.
#7 Vic Elford (GB) – 2nd / 1st
Porsche 917/30 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 770kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/30 001
- MINICHAMPS MC437 736107 limited 360 pcs (resin model produced by SPARK)
1974 & 1975 Interserie
In the USA, the regulations changed order to ban the all conquering turbo Porsches. In Europe, Interserie continued but the starting grids were by far not at the level of 1973. The remaining Porsche 917 turbo won every race.
1974 Interserie, Porsche 917/30 turbo. Herbert Müller managed to lay his hands on the works Porsche 917/30 that Vic Elford drove to victory once in 1973. Herbert won the Interserie championship in 1974. He only had to deal with the Kauhsen Porsche and Kelleners McLaren, the rest of the field were little 2-liter sportscars.
#0 Herbert Müller (CH) – 1st
Porsche 917/30 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Firestone tires. Weight 770kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/30 001
- MINICHAMPS MC437 736100 limited 300 pcs (resin model produced by SPARK)
1975 Interserie, porsche 917/30 turbo. Herbert Müller took the 917 to the track one final time and won the Interserie race at Hockenheim.
1975 #0 Herbert Müller (CH) – 1st
Porsche 917/30 turbo – 5.0 liter Porsche 912.51 V12 180º twin turbo, approx. 1100 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 770kg. Aluminum space frame chassisnr. #917/30 001
- MINICHAMPS MC437 756100 limited 300 pcs (resin model produced by SPARK)
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