Porsche to compete at Le Mans with historic liveries
Porsche will field two special Porsche 911 RSR at this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans: The factory-run cars with the starting numbers 91 and 92 will compete sporting the traditional Le Mans liveries of the 1970s and 1980s.
The 911 RSR with the number 91 echoes the Rothmans paintwork of the Porsche 956 and the 962 Group C sports prototypes. Both clinched overall victory twice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the 956 C in 1982 and 1983, and the 962 C at the 1986 and 1987 races.
The finish of the number 92 car harks back to the Porsche 917/20 that tackled Le Mans in 1971. This one-of-a-kind race car was designed to combine the aerodynamic advantages of the short and long-tail versions of the 917 and thereby ensure that the previously untested car would win the qualification. The 917/20 was dubbed the 'Pink Pig' due to its pink paintwork with sections of the car labelled in butcher-style cuts. The idea implemented under the Porsche designer Anatole Lapine caused a stir at the Sarthe. Still today, the 917/20, also known as the 'Truffle Hunter', is one of the most famous Porsche cars ever.