A Look Back at the Pink Pig at Goodwood FoS
Daily Slideshow: Fresh off a Le Mans win, the successor to the original 917 Pink Pig tore up Goodwood's track in proper fashion.
Truffle Hunter
Few cars in motorsports history are as famous (or instantly recognizable) as Porsche's "Pink Pig." But in actuality, this unique livery decorated the flanks of two cars. The first, a Porsche 917 developmental racer that sought to test the very limits of aerodynamics, drag, and downforce. The second, the 2018 Le Mans-winning #91 Porsche 911 RSR. But in typical Porsche fashion, no matter how historic a car might be, it won't stop them from flogging it.
Chills Down Your Spine
The fine folks at Speedhunters were on the scene to capture this historic moment, and needless to say, they came away impressed. The Pink Pig "hammers down the Goodwood start straight towards me, smoke pouring from the rear tires and the sound of its mid-mounted 510hp 4.0-liter flat six reverberating around the tree-lined avenue. The sight of it, the spectacle, the noise. It’s a proper chills-down-spine moment."
No Royal Treatment
It's impressive that Porsche would leave their seemingly priceless racer in such condition, but we certainly love them for it. The Pink Pig came to Goodwood covered in bugs, grime, and who knows what else. But that only adds to the charm, doesn't it?
Bringing Home the Bacon
Porsche brought back this famous (infamous?) livery, along with their equally legendary Rothman's decor, as part of their 70th Anniversary celebration. The brainchild of Porsche designer Anatole Lapine, the Pink Pig livery combines butcher cut marks with a bright pink appearance to really bring home the bacon in terms of looks.
>>Join the conversation about the 917 from last year's Festival of Speed right here at Rennlist.com.
Living Legend
Of course, the original 917 Pink Pig wasn't just a looker. It dominated the competition at the 1971 Le Mans qualifying session before suffering an accident. But that didn't diminish its legacy, and to this day it remains perhaps the most famous Porsche motorsports livery ever conceived.
>>Join the conversation about the 917 from last year's Festival of Speed right here at Rennlist.com.
Battle Scars
Thus, it's almost fitting to see the newer 911 version of the Pink Pig covered in bugs and remains of the various wildlife it took out along the way. It's not their style to wash cars like this, nor to restore them back to their original glory.
>>Join the conversation about the 917 from last year's Festival of Speed right here at Rennlist.com.
Preservation Efforts
In fact, rumor has it that Porsche actually applied some sort of seal/wrap/coating over the Pink Pig following its race win in an attempt to preserve the bug guts and rubber bits that now adorn the car. Which if true, would be pretty awesome, we think.
>>Join the conversation about the 917 from last year's Festival of Speed right here at Rennlist.com.
Never Change
To see an automaker pay such fitting tribute to their own past is a glorious thing for us enthusiasts. And we hope that over the next 70 years, Porsche never loses sight of what made it so great in the first place!
>>Join the conversation about the 917 from last year's Festival of Speed right here at Rennlist.com.
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