Porsche 917 - Endurance Racer

As it's the first post of 2011 I wanted to feature an iconic car that had huge success at one of the world's most gruelling and demanding races, Le Mans 24 hours. The Porsche 917 is a very special competition car. The car featured components made out of magnesium and titanium in order to keep the car as light as possible. Certain weight reduction methods were not so costly, such as the gear knob being produced out of balsa wood.

To show the impact this car had on the motorsport industry, in 1997 the 917 was hailed as 'The Greatest Racing Car of All Time' in Motorsport Magazine.

Here is a clip of the film Le Mans (1971) starring Steve Mcqueen. The scene building up the tension just before the beginning of the race is still an all time classic.