Porsche 906

Porsche 906 Carrera 6
Porsche 906 at the Nürburgring 1966, Driver: Jo Siffert
Overview
Manufacturer	Porsche
Body and chassis
Class	Group 4 Group 6
Layout	RMR layout
Powertrain
Engine	1991cc flat 6
Chronology
Predecessor	Porsche 904
Successor	Porsche 910

The Porsche 906 or Carrera 6 was the last street-legal racing car from Porsche. It was announced in January 1966 and 50 examples were subsequently produced, thus meeting the homologation requirements of the FIA's new Group 4 Sports Car category to the letter. The type would also compete in modified form in the Group 6 Sports Prototype class.

A successor to the Porsche 904, and designed under Ferdinand Piëch's new regime at Porsche R&D, the 906 replaced the boxed steel structure of the 904 which used the fiberglass body for extra structural strength with a tubular space frame and unstressed fiberglass body. The fiberglass itself was laid up by hand, producing consistent results, instead of the uneven spraying technique used on the 904.

The result was a car that weighed 580 kg (1,280 lb), approximately 113 kg (250 lb) lighter than the 904/6 (the 6-cylinder 904). The engine regularly fitted was the 901/20 6-cylinder lightweight racing engine with 220 hp and carburetors, although some examples that were raced by the factory team received fuel-injected or 8-cylinder engines, especially in hillclimbing events where Porsche competed with Ferrari Dinos for the European championship.

In its debut in the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, the Carrera 6 finished 6th overall, and won its class against Ferrari Dino 206 Ps. At the 12 Hours of Sebring, Hans Herrmann/Gerhard Mitter finished fourth overall and won the class, as at the 1000 km of Monza.

906s recorded class victories at the 1000 km Spa and the 1000 km Nürburgring and a privately entered 906 secured an overall victory at the 1966 Targa Florio when the factory cars failed.