Porsche 917 Concept: the successor to a myth

The Porsche 917 Concept has been locked away in the factory for six years and will now see the light of day at an exhibition by the brand.

It was in March of this year that Porsche unveiled a concept car of striking appearance that left many questions about its real significance. However, the name that the Stuttgart brand chose for its new creation cleared up some of the doubts about what the brand intended.

Its name was Porsche 917 Concept, meaning it inherits the designation of the brand’s legendary racer with which Steve McQueen raced the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the film of the same name. Another clue about the significance of the new model is that the manufacturer itself stated that the concept would form part of an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the all-powerful Porsche 917.

The exhibition will open its doors to the public on 14 May at the brand’s Museum, where visitors will be able to enjoy a good number of photographs of the model displayed by the brand in this space. In addition, Porsche will also provide some information so that we can gradually get to know this design exercise. An interesting fact is that it was created by a team of about twenty people from the design and development department of Porsche in 2013.

The aim of these people was to build a prototype with which to pay tribute to the famous Porsche 917 with red and white livery that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 in the hands of Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood.

Moreover, the creation of this car seven years ago was also a sign that Porsche was already planning its return to endurance racing as an official team. This ambition became a reality in 2014, when the brand returned to the paddock of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the novel Porsche 919 Hybrid, which competed in the LMP1 category.

The Porsche 917 Concept has been and will be a donor of ideas

Unfortunately, this reinterpretation of the Porsche 917 created in 2013 never took the step forward from being a lump of clay to becoming a real prototype. However, it is true that in its lines we can see some features that were extrapolated to the 918 Spyder, such as its aggressive front end or its spectacular wheels.

Therefore, the exhibition at the brand’s museum represents the first presentation of the Porsche 918 outside the walls of the factory. However, the question is whether this concept, conceived seven years ago, will remain at the embryonic stage or whether the brand has plans for it.

Nevertheless, everything suggests that this prototype may be a “Frankenstein” from which, just as some parts came out for the Porsche 918 Spyder, it may serve as inspiration for the next hypercar the brand plans to launch in 2025.

This upcoming creation would be the natural successor to the Porsche 918 Spyder (of which 918 units were produced, with production ending in 2015) and, according to the brand’s president, it could be powered by a hybrid system or even a battery electric car.