F1 GRAND PRIX TOURS. COM
F1 GRAND PRIX TOURS. COM RACING SPONSORSHIP IN SOUTH AFRICA
Formula 0ne Grand Prix Tours is a company based in South Africa and has been sponsoring a 1974 Porsche RSR Turbo currently being raced very competitively in two South African racing series. The company is proud of it very successful sponsorship with this stunning South African built car and feels that its involvement with motor racing in South Africa provided it with a definite advantage when it comes to the designing of its international Formula One F1 Grand Prix tour packages. Like motor sport, the successful design and management of Formula One Grand Prix tour packages is based on teamwork, dedication and knowledge. F1 Grand Prix Tours. Com has successfully managed both and invites you to join this winning Formula One tours team.
1974 PORSCHE CARRERA TURBO RSR
During the latter half of 1973, Porsche decided to produce a factory prototype sports car, which could compete competitively against the Matra V-12's, Mirage Ford's, Bonnier Lola's and Alfa 33's in the prototype sports car category during 1974 - for the World Championship for makes. They therefore developed two purposed build and designed prototype sport cars towards the end of 1973, and another two "upgraded" versions during 1974, making the total number of these prototypes ever build in the world, only 4!
These factory entered cars competed extensively at Le Mans, Monza, Spa, Nürburgring, Watkins Glen and all the other circuits used for the world makes championship of 1974.
Porsche's plan for competing in the 1974 World Championships of Makes was a simple one - take a Group 4 Porsche Carrera RSR race car of the previous year, outfit it with lightweight fiberglass doors, deck lids and fender extensions, develop and install a turbo engine and go racing.
This is essentially what Porsche did, by constructing the 4 turbo-racers, that were campaigned under the then familiar Martini Racing Team banner and competing as a Group 5 prototypes during that year. Unlike its more sophisticated competitors, like the Matra Simca's, Alfa 33's and Gulf Mirages, the Porsche RSR Turbo was basically a Group 4 machine modified to more lucrative Group 5 specs. It is interesting to note, that the Porsche 936 actually utilized the same turbo charged engine as used with the Porsche Carrera RSR Turbo prototype of 1974.
However Porsche's Group 5 turbo charged Carrera did remarkably well as they finished 3rd overall in the 1974 World Makes competition, including two second places overall in both the Le Mans and Watkins Glen events for that year. The secret of the cars success was a turbo equipped 6-cylinder power plant, which developed upwards of 470 bhp, light weight body and a huge rear wing to generate the much required down force in the high speed sweeps at Le Mans. During the seventies the Porsche RSR Turbo was considered to be the worlds fastest 911.
STUNNING REPLICA
During 2003 Johan van Veelen the CEO of F1 Grand Prix Tours. Com, who has been fascinated by these rare Porsches for many years, finally took the decision to build a replica of these historic cars and to compete mainly in the South African Historic Racing Car Series and the South African Porsche Challenge series. He wanted to produce something as close to the real cars as humanly possible and therefore after much negotiation with the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart acquired permission to measure, take profiles and photographs of the original car in the Museum, which he did during August 2003.
On his return from Germany he managed to put together a specialist building team to accomplish this difficult historic task.
Polystyrene mockups of the relevant body parts were created from the original profiles, which were then shaped to exact specifications after which a fiberglass body specialist Johan Krause covered them in fiberglass.
Some very rare original engine parts were sourced and Porsche Turbo guru Brian White was commissioned to build the motor utilizing an original twin spark distributor, Bosh mechanical injector pump, camshafts etc.
After 4 months of hard work by Johan Terburgh and Johan Fourie mainly responsible to put the car together, this stunning and rare piece of Porsche history, was ready for racing in South Africa.
PORSCHE RSR TURBO SPECIFICATIONS OF THE ORIGINAL CAR
Engine
- One KKK turbo charger
- Engine output: 500 bhp
- Maximum torque: 410 lb/ft @ 5400rpm
- Bosh mechanical fuel injection
- Twin spark ignition
Wheels
- Front: 245/575-15
- Rear: 340/575-15
Performance
- 0 - 100Km/h = 3.8 seconds
- 0 - 200 km/h = 9.4 seconds
- Top speed on the Le Mans straight = 300 km/h
RACING HISTORY OF 1974 PORSCHE RSR TURBOS
World Championship for Makes 1974
The Carrera RSR Turbo competed in the sports prototype class during 1974 and competed against sportscar prototypes including the Matras, Alfa 33s, Gulf Mirages, and achieved a3rd position overall for the 1974 World Championship of Makes from the following individual results:
- Le mans 2nd overall
- Watkins glen 2nd overall
- Spa 3rd overall
- Paul Richard 4th overall
- Monza 5th overall
- Brand hatch 5th overall
- Nurburgring 6th overall
- Ostereichring 6th overall
- Imola dnf
- Kyalami dnc
