Porsche 910

Porsche
910
Production period:	1966-1968
Class :	race car
Body versions :	Coupé , roadster
Engines:	Gasoline engines : 2.0–2.2 liters (162–198 kW)
Length:	3860-4113 mm
Width:	1680-1710 mm
Height:	765-980 mm
Wheelbase :	2300 mm
Empty weight :	450-600 kg
Previous model	Porsche 906
successor	Porsche 907

The Porsche 910 , also called Carrera 10 , was a racing car from Porsche KG . The car was a further development of the Porsche 906 and was used by the works team in the sports car world championship and the European mountain championship from 1966 to 1968 .

Porsche won the title in 1967 and 1968 with the 910 Bergspyder specially designed for the European Hill Climb Championship.

General

With more than 50 vehicles sold, the 906 was a commercial success for Porsche and also a sporting success with P2.0 and S2.0 class victories in the sports car world championship and the title win in the European hill climb championship in 1966. Nevertheless, Porsche recognized that an inexpensive, series-produced racing car would not be able to achieve an overall victory in the brand world championship in the long term. When the 910 was being developed, it was only planned to be used by the Porsche works team and not to sell new cars to customers. In contrast to the 906, the 910 was the first Porsche sports car that was no longer approved for use on public roads.

The basis for the 910 was the predecessor 906, whose basic structure, engines and gearbox were adopted. As a sports car prototype, 50 vehicles were not necessary to receive the homologation, so that a total of only around 35 units were produced.

Model development

910 Coupé (1966–1968)

body

Front view of a Porsche 910

The outer shell of the 910 was made of plastic and was glued to the load-bearing tubular space frame. The aerodynamically designed shape was similar to the body of the Porsche 906, with only a few differences. For example, the doors of the Coupé opened to the front and, unlike the predecessor, were not opened up as wing doors. The roof was put on and could be removed, which suited tall drivers. Another distinguishing feature between the two types was the engine cover, which on the 906 was made of clear Plexiglas, which ran in a streamlined diagonal from the cockpit to the stern. In contrast, the 910 had a spoiler behind the cockpit and underneath a horizontally arranged plastic panel painted in the vehicle color. The rear could be opened completely to the rear in order to access the engine and gearbox for maintenance work. The racing car had space for two seats and was designed as a left-hand drive. It was possible to enter from both sides of the vehicle. In use, only the driver's seat on the left was included in the vehicle.

In addition to its stabilizing and load-bearing function, the frame construction also served as an oil line system. In the steel pipes, the engine oil was conducted from the engine to the radiators in the front of the car and back. Thanks to these and other weight-reducing measures for the tires, the vehicle weight of 580 kg has been reduced by 40 kg compared to the 906.

In 1967 Porsche fitted some 910s with an eight-cylinder instead of a six-cylinder engine. These 910/8 vehicles, at 600 kg, had a slightly higher curb weight than the 910/6 models that had been in use since 1966. From the outside, the two vehicles differed in the modified engine covers at the rear.

landing gear

Lateral rear view of a Porsche 910 with the typical 13-inch magnesium rims

The chassis of the 910 has been redesigned. The car had independent suspension with wishbones as well as longitudinal tension struts at the front and longitudinal thrust struts at the rear. Progressive coil springs and hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers were used for suspension and damping. Front and rear transverse and infinitely adjustable stabilizers reduce the inclination of the vehicle when cornering.

The hydraulically operated disc brakes were separated into a front and a rear circuit by a two-circuit system. The braking force distribution could be adjusted and adapted to the requirements of the driver and the route. Together with the 8-cylinder engine, Porsche used internally ventilated brake discs at the front instead of the standard brake discs for the first time in the 1967 Targa Florio. In order to save time when changing the brake pads in races, from the end of the 1967 season Porsche introduced so-called quick-change brakes, where the brake pad could be replaced by simply folding down a spring bar.

The developers achieved significant weight savings by changing from 15-inch wheels to 13-inch wheels. On the 906, Porsche used 15-inch steel wheels that were attached with five wheel nuts. The 910 received lighter 13-inch wheels made of die-cast magnesium with central locking, which were fastened with a light alloy hexagon wheel nut. At the front, 5.25-13 tires were used on 8J × 13 rims and 7.00-13 tires on the rear on 9.5J × 13 rims, as they were also used in Formula 1 .

engine and gears

Like the Porsche 906, the first Porsche 910s were fitted with a 2.0-liter six-cylinder boxer engine of the type 901 in 1966. As was common at Porsche at the time, the engine was air-cooled with an axial fan. The valves were controlled by an overhead chain-driven camshaft per cylinder row. The gasoline-air mixture was prepared by an injection system. With a compression ratio of 10.3: 1, the engine developed a maximum of 162 kW (220 hp) at 8000 rpm.

A year later, at the start of the Targa Florio, instead of the six-cylinder engine, some vehicles received an air-cooled 2.2-liter eight-cylinder boxer engine of the type 771. This type of engine had also been used in some races in the 906. In order to keep the weight of the engine down, many engine parts are made of light material. The crankcase was specially made of magnesium . The cylinder heads were made of light metal. When fully assembled, the engine weighed 145 kg and thus only around 10 kg more than the six-cylinder engine. Two overhead camshafts per cylinder row, which were driven by vertical shafts, controlled the valves. The engine, compressed with a ratio of 10.2: 1, achieved a maximum output of 198 kW (270 hp) at 8600 rpm. Other technical features of the engine were dry sump lubrication , Bosch injection system and transistor double ignition. The spark plugs had platinum electrodes.

For power transmission to the rear axle, Porsche used a fully synchronized five-speed manual transmission of the type 906, which was derived from the series transmission of the Porsche 911 . A multi- disc limited slip differential was also installed.

910 Bergspyder (1967–1968)

body

Porsche 910/8 Bergspyder from the 1967 season at the Porsche factory in Gmünd

The 910 Bergspyder used in the European Hill Climbing Championship in 1967 and 1968 differed most clearly in its body from the coupés used in the brand world championship. During the construction, the developers used many lightweight materials to keep the weight of the vehicle low. The tubular space frame was made of lightweight aluminum instead of the usual steel. The outer skin of the body was made of very thin plastic and had no doors. The driver sat in an open cockpit with a low windshield and no roof.

In 1967, there was initially a continuous flap ( spoiler ) operated via the wheel suspension at the rear in order to increase the contact pressure when entering bends. In the next year it was replaced by two separate flaps on the left and right, which were also adjusted via the wheel suspension, differently depending on the degree of relief or load on the wheels during extension or compression.

Together with other weight-reducing components made of titanium and measures such as the use of a small tank with a capacity of only 15 to 16 liters, the Bergspyder weighed only around 500 kg in the 1967 season. For the following season the weight could be reduced again to 450 kg.

landing gear

The chassis and tires were taken over from the circuit model almost unchanged. Only for the brake system did Porsche use very light brake discs made of beryllium and brake calipers made of titanium. The beryllium brake discs alone saved 14 kg compared to the standard steel brake discs.

engine and gears

The Bergspyder had the air-cooled eight-cylinder boxer engine of the type 771, which, however, compared to the coupé only had a displacement of two liters and was made of lighter components. It developed 198 kW (270 hp) at an engine speed of 8800 rpm. The compression was 10.5: 1 higher than the 2.2-liter engine.

In order to keep the curb weight low, the designers did without an alternator and instead used a battery made of light silver cells, which ensured the power supply of the ignition system for the short hill climbs.

Racing history

1966 - First use in a hill climb

The Porsche 910 Coupé in a hill climb. Here in 1969 at Bad Neuenahr.

The Porsche 910 had its race debut on 28 August 1966 in Switzerland, the mountain race Sierre-Crans Montana. In the race, Gerhard Mitter and Hans Herrmann drove the Coupé to second and third place in the overall standings. The Italian Ludovico Scarfiotti won the race with a Ferrari Dino 206P .

1967 - Victory in the European Hill Climb Championship and Brand World Championship

In 1967, the Porsche works team mainly fielded the 910 Coupé, which had already been tested the previous year, alongside the 906 in the endurance races of the World Sports Car Championship. In the 24-hour race at Daytona, Hans Herrmann and Joseph Siffert drove the car to fourth place behind the more powerful Ferraris 330P4 and to victory in the prototype class with a displacement of up to 2 liters. At the 12-hour race in Sebring, Scooter Patrick and Gerhard Mitter achieved a podium and class victory with third place in the overall standings, followed by Joseph Siffert and Hans Herrmann, who finished fourth. In the race, Porsche only had to admit defeat to the much more powerful Ford GT40 . In the following 1000 km races in Monza and Spa-Francorchamps, the Ferrari and Ford prototypes were able to demonstrate their engine power on the fast sections of the track compared to the Porsche and relegate them to third and second place.

In the 2-liter class, the 910 was on par with the Ferrari Dino 206S . The Targa Florio was won by Paul Hawkins and Rolf Stommelen with the 910/8, which was used for the first time, ahead of two other 910s from the works team and ensured a triple victory. Porsche entered the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring in 1967 with six 910s and, with the drivers Udo Schütz and Joe Buzzetta , celebrated an overall victory for the first time in this race that has been held since 1953. Three more Porsche 910s followed in places two to four. Three of the 910s launched were equipped with the 2-liter six-cylinder engine and three with the 2.2-liter eight-cylinder engine. In the course of the race, the 910/8 disappointed with two failures with valve damage and fourth place. In contrast, the 910 equipped with the six-cylinder engine scored a triple victory.

At the 24 Hours of Le Mans , Porsche used the 907 as the successor to the 910, which placed fifth in the overall standings behind the Ferrari 330P4 and Ford GT40. The 910 Coupé driven by Rolf Stommelen and Jochen Neerpasch was the sixth vehicle to finish the race. The last victory in a long-distance race in 1967 was achieved by a 910/8, driven by Gerhard Mitter and Udo Schütz, at the 500 km race in Mugello. At the end of the 1967 brand world championship season, Porsche was the winner in the 2-liter class with the 910.

For the European Hill Climb Championship, Porsche developed the Bergspyder, which is significantly lighter than the Coupé. With this racing car, Gerhard Mitter won four of eight hill climbs and secured the championship title ahead of his teammate Rolf Stommelen. The Dino 206S Spyder used by Ferrari was clearly inferior to the 910/8 Bergspyder and could not intervene decisively in the fight for the title.

1968 - Another victory in the European Hill Climb Championship

In 1968 the Porsche works team no longer used the 910 except in the European Hill Climb Championship. Gerhard Mitter won with the further improved 910/8 Bergspyder in seven of eight starts of the season even more clearly than last year. Since Ferrari had announced a new vehicle for the hill climb championship, Porsche developed the 909 Bergspyder , which was only finished at the end of the season and only driven in two races by Rolf Stommelen. Mitter preferred the proven 910/8 Bergspyder, especially since Ferrari did not use a new racing car and the championship was no longer in jeopardy. With the win of the season in 1968, Mitter and Porsche won the European Hill Climb Championship title for the third time in a row after 1966 and 1967.

Porsche used the newly developed 907 in the 1968 brand world championship. Porsche sold the 910 racing cars with the 2-liter six-cylinder boxer engine to private teams, some of whom achieved victories in the P2.0 class with these vehicles. A 910 Coupé in the 2-liter prototype class each won the 6-hour race at Brands Hatch, the 1000 km race at Monza and Spa-Francorchamps and the 500 km race at the Österreichring.

1969 and 1970 - Appearances in the British Sports Car Championship

Side view of a Porsche 910 as it was used in the British Sports Car Championship.

In 1969 the FIA ​​reduced the minimum number of vehicles for a sports car homologation from 50 to 25. Since the Porsche 910 with six-cylinder engine, also known as the 910/6, was sold to private customers in excess of the minimum required, the racing car was approved for the S2 .0 class.

Private teams then successfully fielded the 910 in the brand world championship in the 2-liter sports car class. In the 1969 season, the car finished three of six races as class winner and one race each as second, third and fourth in its class. One of the greatest successes in 1969 was the S2.0 class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans , in which Christian Poirot and Pierre Maublanc drove the car to ninth place in the overall standings. In the following season, a 910 achieved three class wins in five races and a second and third place each.

Porsche 910 with Sepp Greger during training for the 1000 km race on the Nürburgring in 1971

In addition to the sports car world championship, the Porsche 910 was also used in the British sports car championship. In the racing series founded in 1966, mainly only the Porsche 904 and the 906 were represented as homologated sports cars until 1968 . In the 1969 and 1970 season, various private teams fielded the 910/6 and regularly achieved top ten placements. The use of the 910 in the British Sports Car Championship ended with the 1970 season.

From 1970, some teams started with the 910 in the European Sports Car Championship and the Interseries , both of which were newly founded that year. In the races of the European Championship, the drivers were able to regularly place in the top ten places.

1971 to 1973 - The last missions

From 1971 to 1973 the 910 was only used sporadically in races in the sports car world championship, in the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring and once in 1972 in the 12-hour race in Sebring . In 1971 Sepp Greger and Rudi Lins achieved eleventh place in the overall standings and victory in the 2-liter class with the vehicle at the Nürburgring. This was the last major success of a Porsche 910 in this racing series.

The results from 1966 to 1973

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

Technical specifications

The Porsche 910 was produced and used from 1966 to 1968 in the following versions:

Porsche 910:	910 coupe	910/8 Coupé	910/8 Bergspyder
Engine:	6-cylinder boxer engine (four-stroke)	8-cylinder boxer engine (four-stroke)
Displacement:	1991 cc	2195 cc	1981 cc
Bore × stroke:	80.0 x 66.0 mm	80.0 x 54.6 mm	76.0 x 54.6 mm
Performance at 1 / min:	162 kW (220 PS) at 8000	198 kW (270 hp) at 8600	198 kW (270 hp) at 8800
Max. Torque at 1 / min:	206 Nm at 6400	230 Nm at 7000	211 Nm at 7100
Compression:	10.3: 1	10.2: 1	10.4: 1
Valve control:	One overhead camshaft each, chain drive	Two overhead camshafts each, vertical shaft drive
Cooling:	Air cooling (fan)
Transmission:	fully synchronized 5-speed gearbox, limited slip differential, rear-wheel drive
Brakes:	Dual circuit disc brakes
Front suspension:	Wishbone with longitudinal thrust struts, transverse continuously adjustable stabilizer
Rear suspension:	Wishbones with longitudinal tension struts, transverse continuously adjustable stabilizer
Front suspension:	progressive coil springs
Rear suspension:	progressive coil springs
Body:	Plastic body (coupé with removable roof), glued to a tubular space frame
Track width front / rear:	1430/1380 mm	1430/1401 mm
Wheelbase :	2300 mm
Tires rim:	VA: 5.25–13 on 8J × 13 HA: 7.00–13 on 9.5J × 13
Dimensions L × W × H:	4113 × 1680 × 980 mm		3860 × 1710 × 765 mm
Empty weight :	580 kg	600 kg	450 kg
Top speed:	approx. 265 km / h	approx. 280 km / h	approx. 255 km / h

literature

• Jürgen Barth, Gustav Büsing: The big book of the Porsche types. Race car. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 978-3-613-03241-5 .
• Peter Schneider: Type compass Porsche. Racing and racing sports cars since 1948. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-613-02300-8 .
• Lothar Boschen, Jürgen Barth: The big book of Porsche types. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01284-7 .
• Michael Behrndt, Jörg-Thomas Födisch, Matthias Behrndt: ADAC 1000 km race. Heel-Verlag, Königswinter 2008, ISBN 978-3-89880-903-0 .

Web links

Commons : Porsche 910  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Porsche database

• Porsche 910/6 Coupé on Porsche.com ( Memento from June 5, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
• Porsche 910/8 Coupé on Porsche.com ( Memento from June 5, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
• Porsche 910/8 Bergspyder on Porsche.com ( Memento from June 4, 2009 in the Internet Archive )

Report on the Internet

• "Porsche 910: The first step to the title" on Prova.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Dr. Ing.hc F. Porsche AG: 1967 - Porsche 910/8 Bergspyder. On: www.porsche.com/germany/ , archived from the original on June 4, 2009 ; Retrieved December 9, 2012 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Prova - Internet site: Porsche 910: The first step to the title. From: www.prova.de , accessed on December 9, 2012 . 
3. ^ ^{A b c d e} Jürgen Barth, Gustav Büsing: The great book of the Porsche types. Race car. P. 168 and p. 169.
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Jürgen Barth, Gustav Büsing: The great book of the Porsche types. Race car. P. 125.
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Jürgen Barth, Gustav Büsing: The great book of the Porsche types. Race car. P. 130.
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Dr. Ing.hc F. Porsche AG: 1966 - Porsche 910/6 Coupé. At: www.porsche.com/germany/ , archived from the original on June 5, 2009 ; Retrieved December 9, 2012 . 
7. ↑ ^{a b} Dr. Ing.hc F. Porsche AG: 1967 - Porsche 910/8 Coupé. At: www.porsche.com/germany/ , archived from the original on June 5, 2009 ; Retrieved December 9, 2012 . 
8. ↑ Jürgen Barth, Gustav Büsing: The great book of the Porsche types. Race car. P. 118.
9. ^ ^{A b c} Jürgen Barth, Gustav Büsing: The great book of the Porsche types. Race car. P. 129.
10. ^ ^{A b c d e f} Jürgen Barth, Gustav Büsing: The great book of the Porsche types. Race car. P. 131.
11. ^ ^{A b} Jürgen Barth, Gustav Büsing: The great book of the Porsche types. Race car. P. 133.
12. ↑ Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the sports car world championship 1966. At: www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 15, 2012 . 
13. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the sports car world championship 1967. At: www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 15, 2012 . 
14. ↑ Michael Behrndt, Jörg-Thomas Födisch, Matthias Behrndt: ADAC 1000 km race.
15. ↑ ^{a b} Euromontagna - website: European Hill-Climb Championship. From: www.euromontagna.com , accessed December 15, 2012 . 
16. ↑ Auto, Motor and Sport: Piëch and Porsche 909 - Meeting of the Extreme. From: www.auto-motor-und-sport.de , April 17, 2007, accessed on December 8, 2012 . 
17. ↑ Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the Sports Car World Championship 1968. At: www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 15, 2012 . 
18. ↑ ^{a b} Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the Sports Car World Championship 1969. At: www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 15, 2012 . 
19. ↑ Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the sports car world championship 1970. At: www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 15, 2012 . 
20. ↑ Classicscars - Website: Race results of the British Sports Car Championship 1969. From : www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 15, 2012 . 
21. ↑ Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the British Sports Car Championship 1970. From : www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 15, 2012 . 
22. ↑ Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the Interserie 1970. At: www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 18, 2012 . 
23. ↑ Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the European Sports Car Championship 1970. At: www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 18, 2012 . 
24. ↑ Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the Sports Car World Championship 1972. At: www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 15, 2012 . 
25. ↑ Classicscars - Internet site: Race results of the Sports Car World Championship 1971. At: www.classicscars.com , accessed on December 15, 2012 .