Porsche WSC-95
The original WSC-95 at Donington Park
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| Category | Le Mans Prototype |
|---|---|
| Constructor |
Porsche AG (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) |
| Predecessor |
Porsche 962C, Jaguar XJR-14 (original) |
| Successor |
Porsche 911 GT1 (1996, LM-GT1), Porsche LMP2000 (planned, LMP) |
| Technical specifications | |
| Engine | mid-engined |
| Competition history | |
The Porsche WSC-95 (sometimes referred to as the TWR WSC-95) was a Le Mans Prototype originally built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing. It was modified by Porsche from the original group C Jaguar XJR-14 from which it derived, and run by Joest Racing. Originally intended to race in the IMSA World Sportscar Championship, the WSC-95 saw very little race action even though it managed to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 1996 and 1997 without being acknowledged as a factory supported project. It was later upgraded to the Porsche LMP1-98 before being retired. Only two cars were ever built.
In 1995, Porsche approved the beginning of a project to develop a prototype for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) series, running under the World Sports Car (WSC) regulations. The car was not a factory-backed effort, yet was approved by Porsche and use some of their expertise and most of all their powerplant. Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) used the XJR-14 chassis number 791, modified by Porsche.
For an engine, Porsche used one of their longest running motors, the Type-935 turbocharged Flat-6. Originally used in the Porsche 956 in the 1980s, the engine was still powerful enough to power modern prototypes. While Porsche's new 911 GT1s used a 3.2 Litre engine, the WSC-95 used a smaller 3.0 Litre engine. Although smaller, this gave the WSC-95 a better fuel economy than the 911 GT1, which was useful over long race distances.
Unfortunately, the IMSA WSC regulations were changed prior to the 1995 season, leading to Porsche canceling the project. However, in February 1996 Reinhold Joest of the Joest Racing team convinced Porsche to give the unused prototype to his team, and for them to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With approval from Porsche, Joest put forth the money to allow for the construction of a second car from scratch, as well as the slight modifications to the existing car in order to meet the Le Mans Prototype (LMP1) regulations. Porsche agreed to help in the development of the car only if Joest agreed to pay for the services.
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