Porsche 917K Hits Public Roads With Bruce Canepa Behind the Wheel
The legendary car builder and collector isn't afraid to drive his one-of-12 917K.
Legendary Cruise
The Porsche 917 is a car that needs no introduction as one of the most iconic racers ever conceived. The model racked up a number of legendary wins over its illustrious career, and today is a celebrated machine that's largely kept under wraps by those lucky enough to own one. However, that isn't the case with legendary car builder/collector Bruce Canepa, who recently took his own 1969 917K out for a spin on some public roads.
Motorsport Legend
Amazingly enough, Canepa actually owns two of the dozen 917Ks produced, and this one is fresh off a full restoration that took three years to complete. It's also a historically important machine, as the short-tail version of the 917 went on to score Porsche's first overall 24 Hours of Le Mans victory back in 1970.
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Special Sight
Chassis 017 saw racing action in 1970 and 1971, and participated in a number of events including the Monza 1000km race and the Daytona 24 Hours. This particular cruise is the car's first since its restoration was completed, and the sight and sound of it roaring down the street is something truly special.
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Racing Career
This 917K made its racing debut at the Spa 1000 km in May 1970, where it replaced the damaged chassis 004 car and stole its VIN plate so that the team wouldn't have to deal with the lengthy customs process. The very next year, it saw action at Daytona, Monza, and Zeltweg. After qualifying fourth at Daytona, it was ultimately forced to retire, which was also the result at Zeltweg. However, it did manage a second-place finish at Monza.
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Not Afraid
Obviously, most of us would never dream of driving anything this valuable (roughly $20+ million or so) on the street, or even the track, for that matter. But Bruce Canepa isn't the type of person that's scared to mess with a nearly priceless vehicle, as we've seen from his own custom 959 creations.
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Special Experience
Canepa has also previously driven a 917/10 Can-Am car on the street, another essentially priceless Porsche racing legend. And truthfully, we love to see these cars get out on the road, even if it is one that it was never really designed to drive on.
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Intoxicating Watch
The only thing better than watching this 917K roll down the street in this video would be seeing it in person. It simply sounds incredible as Canepa gives it the beans on multiple occasions, those intoxicating exhaust notes bouncing off nearby buildings. The fact that you simply don't see stuff like this every day only makes it that much more special, too.
>>Join the conversation about this 917K out and about right here in the Rennlist Forum!
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