Porsche was dominating the racing scene in the early 1980s with the incredible 956. But the World Sportscar Championship prototype was banned from the U.S. IMSA GTP series on safety grounds, so Porsche developed the 962. And it went on to become just as successful.
Produced from 1984 to 1991 in 91 examples, the 962 became the race car to beat in any sportscar prototype class from 1985 to 1989 and continued racing in private hands until 1993. This video posted by the folks at Canepa Motorsport shows just how insanely quick the 962 is.
The footage isn't actually new. It was shot a few years ago when Bruce Canepa drove the 1990-spec Porsche 962 at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. The car was entered in Class 7A and went on to dominate the field. It finished first and set the fastest lap against competition from the likes of the Mazda 767B.
The 962C you'll "ride" in during the video is also a bit different from your "regular" 962. This is one of the last factory 962s every built. It was ordered by Japanese racing team Trust, which eventually used it for testing only. With just a few hours of track time, it's one of the most original 962 race cars around today.
Fully restored by Canepa Motorsport, it's powered by a late development of Porsche's twin-turbo, Type 935 flat-six engine. These engines usually generate in excess of 600 horsepower, enough to push the 962 to mind-boggling speeds.
The video shows Bruce Canepa run a few good laps at Laguna Seca. There's plenty of in-car footage, as well as detailed lap data shown onto the screen. There's even live commentary from the event. The 962 hits top speeds of up 145 mph (233 kph), impressive for Laguna Seca, which isn't necessarily a high-speed track.
Naturally, seeing such a powerful race car blast through the iconic "corkscrew" turn is as exciting as it gets.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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