917/30 Gave Auto Journalist Best 10 Minutes of His Life

Time of Your Life

Since its inception, only a lucky select few people have ever been able to get behind the wheel of the legendary Porsche 917 racer. That includes world-renowned automotive journalist Andrew Frankel, who was lucky enough to get a full ten minutes in the seat of one at this year's Goodwood Members Meeting. But as he explained to Porsche in a recent interview, those few precious minutes turned out to be the ten greatest in his life.

Photos: Porsche 

Lasting Speed

This year, Porsche celebrated 50 years of what is perhaps its most iconic race car. Thus, it was no surprise that they brought several of them to Goodwood for a special exhibit. But what was surprising is that it wasn't just Porsche employees and professional race car drivings who got some wheel time. And you wouldn't blame them if they did, because the 917 is still incredibly fast even by today's standards.

Photos: Porsche 

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Just Enjoy

Frankel himself was rather astounded that these priceless machines were being entrusted to a bunch of journalists with essentially zero rules. "There were no wagged fingers, no rev-limits, no supplication to bring it back in one piece. Just enjoy it. That and confirmation that today it will indeed put ‘at least’ 1100 hp under my foot."

Photos: Porsche 

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Feels Newer

Despite its age, incredible power, and lack of weight, the 917 proved to be surprisingly easy to drive, according to Frankel. "At first it seems too easy. The clutch is heavy but not sharp, the four-speed gearbox quite slow, but easy to navigate. It feels smaller and narrower than it looks and it responds entirely faithfully to your steering inputs. It’s trying to lull me, make me drop my guard so it can mug me in the most public and humiliating way imaginable. Isn’t it?"

Photos: Porsche 

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Growing Confidence

It didn't take long before Frankel's confidence grew exponentially. "The throttle is progressive, and limitless though it appears to be, you can control the arrival of the power. Confidence builds. So you think about other stuff, like how well it handles. Grip from enormous Avon race tires is prodigious and the balance is deliciously neutral. You start to feel you’d like more power. So you press a little harder."

Photos: Porsche

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Pushing the Limits

Before he knew it, Frankel was apexing corners at incredible speeds. Until that is, he decided to floor it at 100 mph in third gear. The rear tires instantly lit up, but amazingly, the car remained poised. Not the sort of thing that you'd expect from a 50-year-old race car, that's for sure.

Photos: Porsche

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Unforgettable Moment

It was certainly an unforgettable moment, even if it was fleeting. "And that was that. The dream had come true," Frankel said. "I’d driven the greatest of the great as fast as I could safely make it go. And the Porsche 917/30 didn’t merely live up to hopes and expectations a lifetime in the creation, it exceeded them in every regard."

Photos: Porsche

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