Porsche 917 Meets 919 in Pairing of Le Mans Legends

It's a Celebration

It's been 50 years since Porsche's historic 1970 Le Mans win, and the automaker has been rightfully celebrating that achievement all year long. They also found this to be the perfect time to pair up two of their most historically significant race cars - the 917 KH and 919 Hybrid, as well as the two hot shoes who piloted them to victory - Hans Herrmann and Timo Bernhard - for a little reminiscing.

Photos: Porsche

Racing Reunion

Herrmann is a 1970 Le Mans winner, here standing in front of his original car from those days - the Porsche 917 KH. Beside him, Bernhard, the latest Porsche Le Mans overall winner, hangs out with the 2017 Porsche 919 Hybrid. All four are celebrated champions, and the two drivers drove both the last and Timo also the first lap of their victorious races.

Photos: Porsche

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Safety First

One of the topics the two discuss at this historical meeting is safety, interestingly enough. "We still drove in pairs," said 92-year-old Herrmann. "The young guys today look lazy by comparison: they drive in threes. One of them can go and sleep for eight hours." "Motorsport is definitely still dangerous," said Bernhard, "but there’s no comparison between motorsport today and back then. Fear was a constant companion 50 years ago, that was no longer the case for us."

Photos: Porsche

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Stark Differences

The stark differences in their racing machines are quite obvious as well. The 917 weighs in at just 800 kilograms, or 1,763 pounds, and is powered by a 4.5-liter 12-cylinder engine sending 572 horsepower to the rear wheels. The car had to be warmed up for 10 minutes before a race, its resin body is a mere 1.2mm thick, and the cockpit is so tight that the driver's helmet would touch the roof.

Photos: Porsche

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Modern Tech Marvel

Meanwhile, the 919 takes a mere two hours of prep to get ready to race and is a virtual space ship by comparison. This car is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant producing 493 horsepower that powers the front wheels, which is paired with an electric motor making an additional 394 horsepower, which drives the front wheels. Its lithium-ion battery can also charge from regenerative braking and exhaust gas energy.

Photos: Porsche

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Cross Comparison

"The 917 was the high-tech car of its time. With it Porsche showed how to build the best prototypes according to the rules of the time," Bernhard said. "The same goes for the 919 Hybrid. This was the car that Porsche used to show how technology for the road is developed in motorsport – just look at the Taycan." Bernhard has also driven the 917, too. "Yes, twice," he said. "Of course not at the limit, but still enough to get a good impression of racing back then." However, when Porsche asked if Herrmann would like to get into the 919, he replied - "My goodness, absolutely not."

Photos: Porsche

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Close Relationship

The two men and their cars represent a big slice of Porsche's history at Le Mans. There, the automaker has secured a total of 19 overall victories, 108 class wins, and countless memorable moments. Porsche and the greatest and longest-established motorsport event in the world has enjoyed a close relationship for more than six decades. And now, all those years later, Porsche remains the most successful marque in the almost 100-year history of Le Mans.

Photos: Porsche

>>Join the conversation about the 917 and 919 right here in Rennlist.com.

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