Miguel Sánchez
1974 was a really important year for Porsche. Not in vain, it was right here when the Stuttgart brand began to successfully use the turbocharger both in racing and in series production; an essential technological fact for the future of the brand, which would make this type of supercharging one of its mechanical emblems for the rest of its history.
But let's go in parts. That being the case, the first thing to understand is how the use of the turbocharger in Porsche was something taken directly from competition. In this sense, you are probably already remembering the supercharged units of 917 participants in the CanAm series; specifically that of the Sunoco Porsche+Audi team capable of delivering up to 1.560 HP (!) in order to be the most performance machine in the entire championship.
Obviously, and despite the numerous challenges to be solved, from here on Porsche began to seriously evaluate the possibility of applying this technology not only to the World of Brands but even to the production cars themselves.
Something very well reflected in the development of the 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 1973. Thinking about maximum lightness - thanks to the use of materials such as titanium, its weight was only about 750 kilos -, this model only similar to the standard 911 in the appearance of its volumes managed around 500 hp already in its first evolutions. Enough to dream of surpassing the Matra that, in turn, had made the once successful 917 obsolete.
FROM THE TRACKS TO THE STREETS
Looking ahead to the 1974 season, the Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo was still seen as something practically experimental. And, beyond its aerodynamic daring -or certain problems with cooling-, the truth is that it was all doubts about the reliability of the enormous turbocharger.
Likewise, their entry into action occurred in an extremely forceful manner and only at a fairly high rate. In short, a real challenge for the brand's drivers who, even so, achieved the second overall place at Le Mans 1974 clearly demonstrating the possibilities offered by leaving atmospheric engines behind.
A possibility also contemplated for production cars, which would become pioneers in the use of such technology as long as it could be tamed on the chassis of a vehicle that, after all, anyone could drive more based on their wallet than on their driving skills.
PORSCHE 911 TURBO (930), THE FIRST TURBO IN THE 911 SAGA
Getting technology from the track to dealerships isn't exactly easy. And it is that, while the professional pilots They can be asked to fully master radical and furious vehicles, a general buyer cannot be subjected to the risk of wild, brutal and unpredictable mechanics.
In short, transplanting elements of competition to mass production requires thousands of hours testing the car in order to tame it, to make it more accessible and negotiable in the hands of the first person who can get into its seat. Quite a challenge when we talk about the beginnings of the turbocharger in Porsche because, in the end, the RSR He seemed really intractable.
Because of this, Porsche had to make a huge effort to ensure reliability, drastically reduce your input and improve performance at low revs.
Regarding the first, a lot of work was done with the quality of the materials and, in relation to the next two points, the key was in the regulation of the gases. through the valvebypass" until achieving a torque curve more or less acceptable for a car that, let's not forget, was going to be approved for circulation in open traffic.
OVERCOME THE 300 HP BARRIER
Leaving aside the current situation - in which electronics have softened the behavior of the 911 - the truth is that Porsche customers not only did not criticize, but even sought, the radical performance of cars like the 356 or the first 911 with the engine clearly hanging behind the rear axle.
Something totally irrational but, at the end of the day, responsible for giving a personal “touch of the house” while demanding to make the charming flourish of draw not curves but angles given the peculiar ease of inertia.
That being said, adding a turbocharger to the 911 added even more oomph to an already very personal car to drive. However, when we talk about high-end sports cars, the advertising career It is not only made around character but also based on pure power, based on the fetish of performance.
Therefore, the point at which the 911 Turbo saga reached its full confirmation was when, in 1977, a new tuning of the model launched on the market two years earlier increased from 260 HP. up to the psychological barrier of 300 hp thanks to improved cooling with a new radiator.
From here on, no one could doubt how Porsche was at the forefront of turbochargers, being the performance brand most emblematic when it comes to putting them on the road.
Images: Porsche Newsroom / RM Sotheby's
