Porsche 906

The Porsche 906 Carrera officially sold as 6, was a racing car, the Porsche KG. The off spring of 1966 delivered to customers coupe was a development based on the Porsche used in the European Hill Climb Championship in 1965 906 Berg Spyder and the successor of the Porsche 904

1966, when the factory team to 906 in the World Sportscar Championship and the European Hillclimb Championship, which won Gerhard Mitter with the car. In the World Championship for Porsche won the 2-liter prototype and 2- liter sports car class.

• 2.2.1 body
• 2.2.2 Suspension
• 2.2.3 Engine and transmission

• 3.1 1965 - The first deployments of the mountain Spyders
• 3.2 1966 - Victory in Europe - Climb Championship and World Championship of Makes
• 3.3 1967 and 1970 - Appearances in various championships
• 3.4 1971 - The last appearances in the World Sportscar Championship
• 3.5 The results 1965-1971

• 6.1 Porsche database

General

With the Porsche 904 Coupé came from 1964 in the World Championship of Makes and specially adapted and light 904 Bergspyder in the European Hill Climb Championship. Halfway through the mountain championship season in 1965, the 904 Bergspyder was inferior to the Ferrari Dino 206p. In order to preserve future title chances in the sports car class of the European Hillclimb Championship, had to develop a new competitive car. The new, still in 1965, completed 906 Bergspyder could not prevent the title of Ludovico Scarfiotti and Ferrari, but noted the basis for the newly developed by Ferdinand Piëch 906 Coupe dar.

The Porsche 906 was like the 904 get a homologation for the sports car class of the World Sportscar Championship. Therefore, according to FIA regulations had to be sold at least 50 vehicles of the type. Was distributed to the 906 Carrera 6, as Peugeot three-digit numbers with a zero in the middle had a name for road vehicles can be protected.

Customers were the car that had a license for use on public roads, purchase for 45,000 DM from the factory. Because of the high demand for the provided 50 vehicles for a further 15 copies were produced.

Model development

906 Berg Spyder ( 1965-1966 )

Body

The 906 Berg Spyder was the successor to the 904 Berg Spyder, who was also called " kangaroo " because of his driving behavior. Instead of a steel box frame had the 906 a lighter space frame over which a slight aerodynamic plastic skin was mounted. The chassis number was 906 010

Was first used in the Spyder with this body in 1965 when Ollon -Villars hillclimb. The following year, the developers built around the race car to the coupe. The coupe already pointed out the basic design elements such as the gullwing doors and the Perspex cover over the engine of the later series -906. The curb weight of the lightweight race car was 488 kg last.

Landing gear

To be able to still finish the Bergspyder in the mountain championship season in 1965, Porsche acquired a complete Formula 1 chassis with Lotus in England. These included the wheel and 13- inch light- alloy wheels with central locking, which replaced the original, yet the 904 Berg Spyder coming 15 - inch steel wheels with tires in the dimensions 5.50/15.00-15 front and rear 6.00/15.00-15.

Engine and transmission

The predecessor of the air-cooled 2- liter eight- cylinder boxer engine type 771 was taken. The mixture preparation was provided by a Bosch fuel injection. Depending on a driven chain camshaft per cylinder bank controlled the valves. The engine produced at a compression ratio of 10.5: 1 Maximum 191 kW (260 hp) at 8800/min.

Together with the five-speed manual transmission of type 906 reached the car a top speed of about 260 km / h

906 Coupe (1966 )

Body

The 906 Coupé was developed based on the 906 Spyder Mountain. The steel trellis frame was not only a supporting element, but served also as an oil pipeline system. In some tubes, the engine oil from the engine is returned to the oil cooler, and back, in order to save weight, the additional lines have caused. About the spaceframe an aerodynamically designed fiberglass body was mounted. The only 980 mm Height coupe had a pulled far down and forward front where the headlights and turn signals were let behind a transparent plastic disc. In some models, the left and right small spoiler were front mounted to push the vehicle by approaching air closer to the ground.

The tube frame caused by the top -opening double doors to enter the two-seater car. The motor means after the motor was directly principle behind the cockpit and is covered by a transparent yellow, louvered Plexiglas flush dropped from the roof to the rear edge. The tail ending in a so-called C - shape and has been completely unfolded backwards, in order to reach the engine and to the transmission.

For circuits that contain long straights and high speed enabled, the developers constructed a long-tail version. These vehicles achieved through improved aerodynamics over the standard Coupe higher top speeds. The long-tail version had except the extended rear a prolonged and somewhat deeper pulled down front. Had The Group 4 racing car has an empty weight of 675 kg for the standard version and a slightly higher weight of 710 kg for the long-tail version.

Landing gear

The suspension was transferred to a large extent by the Porsche 904 /6: Independent suspension with inclined wishbones and longitudinal struts front and rear, coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. The front and rear 16 mm thick 15 mm thick stabilizer reduced the inclinations of the vehicle in curves. To further improve the driving behavior of the control arms and stabilizers were stored in metal instead of rubber.

The developers used the dual-circuit braking system and tires of 904/6 For cost reasons. Separated by raised in a front and rear brake disc brakes, a complete failure of the brakes has been avoided, enabling an adjustment of the braking effect of the course needs. The 15 -inch five-hole steel rims were relatively heavy and had the front the size 7J x 15 with 5.50/15.00-15-Rennreifen and rear 9J x 15 with 6.00/15.00-15-Rennreifen.

The prototype versions used by Porsche contained compared to the standard 906 acquired by the customer some improvements to the chassis and the weight. So some modification parts were like the steering knuckles made ​​of lightweight titanium instead of steel. The brake discs were in some racing cars from the very light beryllium and reduced the curb weight compared to steel brake discs to several kilograms.

Engine and transmission

The built- in Homologationsmodell air-cooled 2- liter six- cylinder boxer engine type 901/20 was an evolution of the Porsche 911 engine and has been in the 904/6 in race eingesetzt.Das crankcase was made ​​of light electron. More weight was saved by the use of titanium connecting rods instead of steel. The flywheel weighed 3.5 kg and was approximately 2.5 kg lighter than the standard wheel. As with the production engine, the cylinder heads were made of an aluminum alloy, however, had been revised for racing on. The intake and exhaust valves were sodium- cooled and larger in size. For the Doppelzündanlage the cylinder heads received another version for the second spark plug per cylinder. The two camshafts have different timing than the standard model, and were driven by a chain. Overall, the race engine than the 911 - series engine to 54 kg was easier.

Porsche used for mixture preparation per cylinder bank a triple downdraft carburetors Weber. With a compression ratio of 10.3: 1, the engine produced at 8000 rpm around 155 kW ( 210 hp). 52 cars were equipped with this engine produced.

Nine plant vehicles received the 2- liter six- cylinder boxer engine with a fuel injection system, whereby the engine performance at unchanged speed by 7 kW ( 10 hp ) to 162 kW ( 220 hp ) could be raised.

Another four plant -906 received an air-cooled eight-cylinder boxer engine of the type 771, which was already used in 904/8. The engine had a displacement of 2.2 liters with a compression ratio of 10.2: 1 and vertical shafts which powered the two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank. The maximum power was 198 kW ( 270 hp) at 8600/min.

All vehicles were equipped with a five-speed manual transmission type 906 and ZF limited-slip differential. The gear ratios could be replaced without removing the transmission as needed.

Racing history

1965 - The first deployments of the mountain Spyders

Its premiere was the 906 Spyder at the mountain Ollon -Villars hillclimb in Switzerland. There Gerhard Mitter drove the car to second place behind the Ferrari Dino 206p Ludovico Scarfiotti. At the last race of the season the Gaisberg mountain Spyder finished in fourth place behind three Porsche 904

1966 - Victory in Europe - Climb Championship and World Championship of Makes

For the season 1966, the European Hill Climb Championship 906 Bergspyder was converted into a coupe. This racing car and used later from the uphill races Sierra Montana Porsche 910 Gerhard Mitter won the championship.

The Series 906 was launched for the first time in the 24- hour race at Daytona. The distance traveled by Hans Herrmann and Herbert Linge car finished sixth in the overall standings and won the 2-liter prototype class, because at the time not yet the necessary 50 vehicles were completed for the homologation of the sports car class.

The 12- hour race at Sebring of 906 finished the race in fourth place and won the class win over direct competitors Dino 206S from Ferrari, who finished fifth. In the next 1000 km race at Monza Gerhard Mitter and Hans Herrmann could repeat the result and in fourth place overall.

The first overall victory won by the Porsche 906 in the Targa Florio. There, the Porsche-supported private team Scuderia Filipinetti drove with the two drivers Willy Mairesse and Herbert Müller in front of the Ferrari factory team in the first place. The factory 906 with the Italians Vincenzo Arena and Antonio Pucci took third place.

The 1000 - km race at Spa -Francorchamps was a failure for Porsche, since already in training a 906 was damaged and could not start and the other two vehicles failed in the race. The race was won by a Ferrari 330P3 to four Ford GT40. In the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring, Porsche was beaten a Chaparral 2D and two Ferrari Dino 206S. The one with a fuel-injected engine equipped and driven by Bob Bondurant and Paul Hawkins 906 E reached the fourth place in the overall result.

At the 24 - hour race at Le Mans, the Porsche works team was the first time a three long tail versions of the 906 next to two series -906. The long-tail car occupied behind three Ford GT40 the ranks of four to six in the overall standings. A series -906 went to seventh place and completed the success of the 2- liter racing car.

At the Grand Prix of Mugello driven by Gerhard Koch and Jochen Neerpasch Porsche 906 won the race ahead of three Alfa Romeo GTA. Another victory won at the Porsche Grand Prix in Hockenheim. There started in addition to various private 906 three factory 906. Porsche used the race to test improvements to the fuel-injected vehicles. The driven by Gerhard Mitter, Günter Klass and Hans Herrmann works cars finished the race in positions one to three. Behind it on the fourth to sixth drove three privately employed 906

His last assignment in the season 1966, the Porsche 906 at the 500 - km race at Austria ring. There, piloted by Gerhard Mitter and Hans Herrmann won before the second works car driven by Joseph Siffert Factory 906. With this race Porsche finished the World Championship of successful victories in the 2- liter sports car and prototype class. After the factory race cars were sold in large part to private teams. The following season, the team was already working the Porsche 910 as a successor.

1966 sports cars were in the German Automobile Circuit Championship ( GUT ) in addition to touring car racing in many admitted. In all races where the 906 took, he obtained the overall victory. One of the most successful 906 pilots this racing season was Udo Schütz, who reached four wins and a second and a fourth place for the team Scuderia Lufthansa. In the following years, 2- liter sports cars were separately approved only in a few races and therefore not driven in the GUT down to two runs at the Nürburgring Hansa Cup in 1967 and 1969.

1967 and 1970 - Appearances in various championships

The Porsche works team used the 906 next to the 910 in the World Sportscar Championship in 1967 only at the races at Sebring, Monza and Le Mans. At the 24 - hour race at Le Mans reached Vic Elford and Ben Pon seventh place overall and the S2.0 - class victory behind a Porsche 907 and 910 Thereafter the work team did not go with the 906 at the start.

The 906 was very popular with many private teams and was used partially successful in the World Championship of 1967-1971. In the 1967 season made ​​private teams at the races at the Nürburgring, in Mugello, Brands Hatch, Enna and Austria on each ring victories in the 2- liter sports car class. When Coppa Citta di Enna Dieter Spoerry drove the 906 long-tail to the second place overall and the 500 - km race at Austria ring drove William Bradley and Richard Attwood its 906 Coupé also to second place in the overall standings. 1968 reached 906 private in Monza, Targa Florio, the Nurburgring, Spa-Francorchamps and at Watkins Glen each of the S2.0 - class victory. At the 6 - hour race at Watkins Glen the team Werner Frank was also placed behind two Ford GT40 and a Howmet TX Continental in fourth place with a 906 long-tail. Reached in the next two years, the 906 only in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 6-hour race at Watkins Glen victory in the sports car and prototype class.

In the European Hill Climb Championship went private teams the Porsche 906 from 1967 to 1968 during the season. 1967 Rudi Lins won with the 906 mountain Cup in the sports car class. A year later, Sepp Greger was able to secure Bergpokal the sports car class with the 906. In the two following years, more private drivers still in some races with a 906.

From 1967 to 1970 drove some private drivers with the Porsche 906 in the British Sports Car Championship. There, the cars have different, sometimes higher-powered sports cars like the Ford GT40, Ferrari 250LM, Lola T70 Chevron B8 or had to measure. In the seasons 1967 and 1969, the 906 regularly achieved top ten placings. After the 1970 season the 906 was no longer used in this ongoing until 1972 racing series.

In the USA the SCCA wore in 1967 from the Doug Revson Trophy. In this ongoing series, some only one season privateer started with 906 race car. In four out of five heats each, a Porsche 906 won only Grand Prix St- Jovite won an Elva BMW in front of a 906

1971 - The last appearances in the World Sportscar Championship

1971, the 906 in the sports car world championship his last three missions. At the Targa Florio and the 1000- km race at Austria Ring of cars per a second place achieved in the S2.0 - rating. The last race in the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring, he fell out after 28 laps. After that, the Porsche 906 has not been used in championship races.

The results 1965-1971

Specifications

The Porsche 906 was produced from 1965 to 1966 in the following version used at the factory:

Featuring a carburettor six cylinder engines had 155 kW (210 hp), a slightly lower performance than the six-cylinder engines with injection system, which provided 162 kW (220 hp).