Porsche racing history · 1984–1994
Porsche 962: History, 962C Specs & Le Mans Wins
By CarWhere Research · Updated
The Porsche 962 was the longer-wheelbase successor to the 956, built in 1984 to meet IMSA rules, with the 962 C following for Group C. It won Le Mans in 1986 and 1987, won the Daytona 24 Hours in 1986, 1987 and 1989, and in road-legal Dauer 962 LM form won Le Mans again in 1994.
The 962 came out of a 1984 IMSA rule change that required more protection for the driver's legs. Porsche's answer was to move the 956's front axle forward 12 cm, putting the pedals behind it. Otherwise the layout stayed the same: an aluminum monocoque, a ground-effect underbody and a twin-turbo engine. The IMSA-spec 962 set the fastest qualifying time at Daytona in 1984. By 1985 the works Rothmans team was racing the Group C version, the 962 C, at Le Mans.
The works Rothmans 962 C won Le Mans in 1986 and 1987 with Derek Bell, Hans-Joachim Stuck and Al Holbert. In the US, Bell won the Daytona 24 Hours in a 962 in 1986, 1987 and 1989. It also served as Porsche's test bed for the PDK dual-clutch gearbox. Privateers raced 962s into the 1990s. In 1994, Jochen Dauer's road-legal conversion ran as a GT car and won Le Mans outright.
962 history, year by year
- 1984 — An IMSA rule change leads Porsche to lengthen the 956 into the 962. The IMSA 962 sets the fastest qualifying time at the Daytona 24 Hours.[1],[2]
- 1985 — A works Rothmans 962 C finishes third at Le Mans, behind two 956s.[3]
- 1986 — The Rothmans 962 C (No. 1: Bell / Stuck / Holbert) wins Le Mans, and Bell also wins the Daytona 24 Hours in a 962. Stuck wins the German Supercup in a 962 C used to test the PDK dual-clutch gearbox.[4],[5],[6]
- 1987 — A second straight Le Mans win (No. 17: Stuck / Bell / Holbert), a second Daytona win for Bell, and a second Supercup title for Stuck.[5],[6],[7]
- 1989 — Derek Bell wins the Daytona 24 Hours in a 962 for the third time.[5]
- 1990 — A Joest customer 962 C (chassis 962-015) finishes fourth at Le Mans.[2],[8]
- 1994 — The road-legal Dauer 962 LM wins Le Mans overall in the LM GT1 class.[1],[9]
Porsche 962 specs
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged (two turbochargers)[6] |
|---|---|
| Power | 700 PS (1987 Supercup 962 C); driver Bernd Schneider recalls up to 900 PS in the early 1990s[1],[6] |
| Weight | 850 kg (1987 Supercup 962 C)[6] |
| Chassis | Aluminum monocoque with ground-effect underbody, carried over from the 956[10] |
| Wheelbase change | Front axle moved forward 12 cm; the 962 C's wheelbase is 120 mm longer than the 956's, with the pedals behind the front axle[1],[10] |
| Transmission | Manual and, on test-bed cars, the PDK dual-clutch; PDK used in Porsche's Group C cars from 1986/1987[1],[6] |
| Classes | IMSA GTP (962) and Group C (962 C); Dauer 962 LM ran as LM GT1 in 1994[2],[9] |
| Years raced | 1984–1994[2],[9] |
962 race results and wins
| Year | Event | Result | Car / drivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 24 Hours of Daytona | Fastest qualifying time[2] | 962 (IMSA) |
| 1986 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | 1st overall[4] | 962 C #1 (Rothmans Porsche) — Derek Bell / Hans-Joachim Stuck / Al Holbert |
| 1986 | 24 Hours of Daytona | 1st overall[5] | 962 — Derek Bell and co-drivers |
| 1986 | ADAC Würth Supercup | Champion[6] | 962 C — Hans-Joachim Stuck |
| 1987 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | 1st overall[2],[7] | 962 C #17 (Rothmans Porsche) — Hans-Joachim Stuck / Derek Bell / Al Holbert |
| 1987 | 24 Hours of Daytona | 1st overall[5] | 962 — Derek Bell and co-drivers |
| 1987 | ADAC Würth Supercup | Champion[6] | 962 C — Hans-Joachim Stuck |
| 1989 | 24 Hours of Daytona | 1st overall[5] | 962 — Derek Bell and co-drivers |
| 1994 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | 1st overall (LM GT1)[9] | Dauer 962 LM #36 — Yannick Dalmas / Mauro Baldi / Hurley Haywood |
What made the 962 significant
- Porsche calls the 956/962 family its most successful race car. It credits the family with five manufacturers' and team titles, five WEC drivers' titles, seven Le Mans wins, four IMSA titles, 52 IMSA race wins and five Daytona 24 Hours wins.[2]
- It continued the 956's Le Mans streak, giving Porsche six straight overall wins from 1982 to 1987.[2]
- A 962 C was the motorsport test bed for the Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK), which is now offered across Porsche's road cars.[6],[10]
- The Dauer 962 LM turned a Group C prototype into a road-homologated GT car. It raced Le Mans only once, in 1994, and won.[1],[9]
The 962 and Porsche's road cars
The Porsche 962 was built to race. For the road cars that share its engineering, history and factory records, start here:
Porsche 962 FAQ
What is the difference between the Porsche 962 and 962 C?
The 962 was built in 1984 for IMSA, which wanted the driver's feet behind the front axle. Porsche moved the 956's front axle forward 12 cm to comply. The 962 C was the Group C version for the World Championship and Le Mans, with a wheelbase 120 mm longer than the 956's.
How many times did the Porsche 962 win Le Mans?
Three times. The works 962 C won in 1986 (Bell/Stuck/Holbert) and 1987 (Stuck/Bell/Holbert), and the road-legal Dauer 962 LM won in 1994 (Dalmas/Baldi/Haywood).
How powerful was the Porsche 962 C?
Porsche quotes 700 PS and 850 kg for Hans-Joachim Stuck's 1987 Supercup 962 C, which used two turbochargers. Bernd Schneider recalls having up to 900 PS available in the early 1990s.
Did the Porsche 962 win at Daytona?
Yes. Derek Bell won the Daytona 24 Hours in a 962 in 1986, 1987 and 1989. Porsche credits the 956/962 family with five Daytona 24 Hours wins in total.
What was the Dauer 962 LM?
It was a 962 converted into a road car with a body from Jochen Dauer's company, done with Porsche's help so it could race as a GT car. It won Le Mans overall in 1994 in the LM GT1 class, its only year there.
Related Porsche race cars and specials
Porsche history, specs and production research
Sources
Dates, production counts, specifications and results on this page come from the sources below. Where sources disagree, the page says so or uses Porsche's own figure.
- The milestones and developments of Group C — Porsche Newsroom
- 40 years of Group C – a reunion in Leipzig — Porsche Newsroom
- Winners & Records — 1985 — 24h-lemans.com (ACO)
- Winners & Records — 1986 — 24h-lemans.com (ACO)
- Porsche congratulates Derek Bell on his 85th birthday — Porsche Newsroom
- Prince Carl Philip drives legendary Porsche 962 C: a boyhood dream fulfilled — Porsche Newsroom
- Winners & Records — 1987 — 24h-lemans.com (ACO)
- JOEST RACING - Prize list & statistics — 24h-lemans.com (ACO)
- Winners & Records — 1994 — 24h-lemans.com (ACO)
- Porsche 962 C restored to its original condition down to the last detail — Porsche Newsroom USA
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