The Dauer 962 Le Mans is a
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
based on the
Porsche 962
The Porsche 962 (also known as the 962C in its Group C form) is a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the Europ ...
Group C
Group C was a category of sports car racing introduced by the FIA in 1982 and continuing until 1993, with ''Group A'' for touring cars and ''Group B'' for GTs.
It was designed to replace both Group 5 special production cars (closed top touri ...
racing car
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
. Built by German Jochen Dauer's
Dauer Racing
Dauer Sportwagen GmbH was a German automobile, automotive company founded by former racing driver Jochen Dauer in Nuremberg. Initially founded as Jochen Dauer Racing in 1987, the auto racing, racing team had several years of participation in the AD ...
, a racing version of this car went on to win the
1994 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 62nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 18 and 19 June 1994.
The 1994 race was won by a car that had its roots in a 10-year-old design. Porsche exploited an unusual quirk in the GT regulations at the t ...
with the support of
Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
in LMGT1 group.
The first road car debuted at the 1993
Frankfurt Auto Show
The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility shows. It cons ...
. In total 13 cars were made.
Changes to meet road regulations
Dauer Racing (now
Dauer Sportwagen
Dauer Sportwagen GmbH was a German automotive company founded by former racing driver Jochen Dauer in Nuremberg. Initially founded as Jochen Dauer Racing in 1987, the racing team had several years of participation in the German Supercup and Euro ...
) produced the 962 Le Mans from stripped down Porsche 962 bodies for modification.
[QV500.com: Dauer 962 LM](_blank)
/ref>
Components of the bodywork were replaced with slightly revised carbon fiber
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
and kevlar
Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s a ...
panels. The under tray was replaced with a flat version for better stability at high speeds.[QV500.com: Dauer 962 LM sport](_blank)
/ref> A second seat and leather upholstery were installed in the cramped cockpit, as well as a video screen for DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
playback in later years. A small compartment was added to the front of the car to carry luggage. A hydraulic suspension system was also added to meet German ride height requirements for street cars.[Supercars.net](_blank)
/ref>
Specifications
The 962 Le Mans uses nearly the same engine as the racing 962: Porsche's water-cooled Type-935, 2994 cc Flat-6 with two Kühnle, Kopp und Kausch AG turbochargers. Since the road car did not have to meet racing regulations, the air restrictor was removed allowing for an output of approximately . The 5-speed racing gearbox was also retained.
The drivetrain also stood the same, being rear-wheel-drive.
A top speed of was independently measured in 1998. Other performance figures included a 0- in 2.8 seconds
and 0- in 7.3 seconds.
The Dauer 962 was called the 'fastest street-legal production car in the world' in the Evo September 2003 issue.[Evo September 2003: p.106-109] It was succeeded by the Bugatti Veyron which reached in 2007.
Motorsports
Following rule changes in the World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.
The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and No ...
in 1992 which saw Porsche 962
The Porsche 962 (also known as the 962C in its Group C form) is a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the Europ ...
numbers dwindle in Europe, including at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
, Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
was looking for ways to continue their sports car efforts. Although 962s were still legal at Le Mans, the cars were subjected to newer technical regulations that negatively affected their performance, subsequently ceasing to be competitive against the current top entrants in its class.
With the re-introduction of production-based grand tourer
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either ...
-style cars in 1993, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (English: Automobile Club of the West), sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organ ...
(ACO) had created a loophole accidentally as no specific number of road-going examples was established within its homologation
Homologation (Greek ''homologeo'', ὁμολογέω, "to agree") is the granting of approval by an official authority. This may be a court of law, a government department, or an academic or professional body, any of which would normally work fr ...
requirements. With Dauer's success in modifying a Porsche 962 into a street-legal car in 1993, Porsche saw an opportunity to bring the 962 back into competition.
With the first production car shown to the public in 1993, Porsche had only to meet certain design criteria--the requirement that production-based cars have storage space for a typical suitcase had already been fulfilled, as the Dauer road car was able to carry luggage. The flat bottom of the 962 Le Mans also fit with GT rules.[Porsche USA](_blank)
- 1994 Dauer 962 Three more modifications were necessary to fully comply: Narrower tires than the 962 had run in Group C
Group C was a category of sports car racing introduced by the FIA in 1982 and continuing until 1993, with ''Group A'' for touring cars and ''Group B'' for GTs.
It was designed to replace both Group 5 special production cars (closed top touri ...
, a larger fuel tank (now up to 120 litres), and the reinstallation of a restrictor for the engine, although this one would be larger than the one they had run in Group C.
The flat bottom and narrow tires of the 962 Le Mans would hinder the performance of the car over the long laps at Le Mans even with the increased power from the GT-class air restrictor. However Porsche believed that the larger fuel tank they were allowed in the GT-class would allow them to overcome this lack of speed by spending less time in the pits than the Group C cars, something which is key for an endurance race.
A total of two Dauer 962 Le Mans race cars were built. Arriving at Le Mans with the support of Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
's factory racing team, Joest Racing
Joest Racing is a sports car racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest. Their headquarters are in Wald-Michelbach, Germany.
Early years
As a combined driver/team owner, Reinhold Joest first began to ...
, Dauer's two cars showed that they lacked the overall pace of the top Group C cars by qualifying fifth and seventh. However their pace in their class was shattering as the next closest GT1-class car could only muster 12th. The race saw Porsche's plan pan out, as the Dauer 962 Le Mans were able to gradually make their way to the top of the standings while their competitors spent time in the pits or succumbed to mechanical woes. In the end, only a lone Toyota 94C-V
The Toyota 92C-V was a prototype racing car built by Toyota as a Group C car, and later as a LMP car. It raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for three years. It also took part in the final year of the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship during ...
in the Group C class could contend with the Dauers, taking second place overall. The Dauer 962 Le Mans of Yannick Dalmas
Yannick Dalmas (born 28 July 1961) is a former racing driver from France. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times (in 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1999), each with different teams. Prior to this, he participated in 49 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting ...
, Hurley Haywood
Hurley Haywood (born May 4, 1948) is a retired American race car driver. Haywood has won multiple events, including five overall victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, three at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and two at the 12 Hours of Sebring. He is cre ...
, and Mauro Baldi
Mauro Baldi (born 31 January 1954) is an Italian former Formula One and endurance driver who raced for the Arrows, Alfa Romeo and Spirit teams.
He is one of only 9 drivers who won the Triple Crown in endurance racing.
Biography
Baldi started ...
would take the overall win while the second team car would finish one lap behind in third place overall.
Soon after this event the ACO attempted to fix the loophole in the GT regulations by setting a minimum requirement for production cars to meet homologation standards. With this, the Dauer 962s would never race again, nor would the normal Porsche 962s as the Group C class was finally abandoned. But ACO only banned the fully prototype style car enter the GT1 class and still allowed some semi-sports prototype
A sports prototype, sometimes referred to as simply a prototype, is a type of race car that is used in the highest-level categories of sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars, unlike street-legal and production-based racing cars, are n ...
that related to production car to get GT1 homologation with only one road going car. SARD MC8-R
The Sard MC8-R was a modified and lengthened version of the Toyota MR2 (SW20) built for GT racing by Toyota's SARD (Sigma Advanced Research Development) works team.
SARD heavily modified the original MR2 frontal chassis deriving with custom rea ...
is the earist example. Later on, it inspired the domination of 911 GT1.
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.cybermasters.de/dauer-automobile/dauer/engabout.html
Timeline Le Mans winners
- 1994 962 Dauer Le Mans GT
Grand tourer racing cars
Porsche vehicles
Sports cars
24 Hours of Le Mans race cars
Le Mans winning cars