Beschreibung:

The 1988 motor racing season was an historic one for both Inrternational Group C and American IMSA-GTP long-distance competition. At Le Mans, Porsche’s run of 6 consecutive wins was broken by Jaguar, with a Porsche 962 finishing second, on the same lap after 24 hours. And the Kremer 962 CK6-88 now offered here finished 9th driven by Giacomelli, Takahashi, and Okada. As a season finale a World Challenge race was organised in which the top European Group C teams confronted IMSA-GTP’s best in November 1988 at Tampa Bay, Florida. The Kremer team entered 962 ‘CK6-88’ driven by none other than the Andrettis – Formula 1 World Champion and Indy-winning father Mario and multiple CART Champion son Michael – to finish 6th overall. In addition to Le Mans and the Tampa World Challenge races ‘CK6-88’ was campaigned throughout 1988 in both the FIA World Sports Prototype Championship and the FIA Interserie Championship. In the Coupe d’Europe Interserie ‘CK6-88’ carried distinctive sprint bodywork with a bespoke Kremer rear wing; this bodywork, in original ‘Bridge’ livery from the Tampa race now being included in this sale. ‘CK6-88’ won three rounds of the Interserie championship driven by Kurt Nissen. Retired from international competition, ‘CK6-88’ remained in an American collector’s ownership until 2001, with occasional use in historic races keeping it fresh. This particular Kremer 962 features the preferred TC Prototypes Ltd “Thompson” chassis with its reputedly stronger, stiffer aluminium-honeycomb monocoque chassis, offering enhanced rigidity and safety. The chassis, running gear and bodywork are understood to be in highly original order, having been maintained in full race order but not extensively campaigned since its retirement from frontline competition. Furthermore the car is equipped with a full Porsche works 3.0-litre flat-6 turbocharged engine with water-cooled four-valve cylinder heads, cast magnesium-alloy crankcase with titanium alloy connecting rods and forged alloy pistons. Induction is via two KKK turbochargers with twin air-to-water intercoolers. Bosch Motronic ‘1.2’ engine management is fitted, with single spark plugs per cylinder. Maximum Power is some 620bhp at 8,200 rpm (at 1.2 bar boost) - maximum torque 630Nm at 5,400 rpm. In 2001 this Kremer Porsche’s engine was overhauled by Porsche North America at an invoiced cost (after discount) of $47,000. A copy receipt is presented in the accompanying invoice file. At the same time the fuel tank was replaced to meet current FIA requirements, while a general mechanical overhaul was also undertaken. The car has had only test use since. A second set of wheels is also included within this sale. From the 356 to the GT1; from the 917 to the 962, and up to present day with the LMP2 prototype. Porsche have been at the forefront of major-league sports car endurance racing. Each model was, and is, constructed with benefit of Porsche’s hard-earned depth of experience in logic world-beating design and engineering. From the successes of 1970-71 with their iconic Typ 917, through the 935/936 era of the later ’70s, Porsche had won Le Mans six times before 1982. But these records became merely the foundation for the success achieved by the model which Porsche then built for Group C endurance racing. Between 1982 and 1994, cars from the 956/962 family would win the classical 24-Hour race no fewer than another seven times. Group C racing in the 1980s and early ’90s was a great era in which blindingly fast sports-prototypes battled it out effectively worldwide. It was a fuel allocation formula which permitted unlimited engine capacity, turbocharging and ground-effect aerodynamics. Sophisticated engine management systems were developed to optimise fuel efficiency. With 600–700 horsepower available in endurance race conditions the Group C Porsche 956s and 962s were and are still truly great cars. In America the IMSA-GTP series ran similar sports-prototypes but free of fuel allocation restriction