<< Prev Page 2 of 2 A quick glance at the spec sheet explained why the new Porsche was no match for the still dominant McLarens. Their all-alloy Chevrolet V8 engines had a lot more torque and were also considerably lighter than the complicated Porsche V12. The McLaren aluminium monocoque also weighed considerably less than the Porsche. The total difference between the two was a startling 140 kg. The one thing the Porsche had going for itself was rock-solid reliability provided by its endurance racing roots.
Siffert was not deterred by the performance gap and continued to race the car with verve and consistency in the remaining races. He finished on the podium once and despite missing the first four races, ended the year in a highly impressive fourth in the championship. During the year various changes were carried through. The only mechanical modification concerned the exhaust pipes, which were routed out the back. Porsche's engineers paid specific attention to the aerodynamics and before the season was over the car sported a sharp 'shovel' style nose.
Porsche turned all of their attention to the world championship and the all-important Le Mans round during 1970 and 1971, so the 917 PA received no further updates. Siffert's old car was sold to Vasek Polak, who entered the car for several more seasons for his own driver Milt Minter. In 1972 and 1973 the car even featured the turbocharged engine that Porsche had developed for their new 917/10 Can-Am car. Three more cars were built along the lines of the 917 PA for the European Interseries championship. Porsche's own car was used for testing and currently sports an experimental 16-cylinder engine.
With a single podium finish, the Porsche 917 PA was certainly not the most successful Can-Am car built. Having won Le Mans twice, Porsche gave it another go and developed the bespoke 917/10. This initially featured a naturally aspirated engine but was soon equipped with a twin-turbo version of the flat-12. Porsche drivers were crowned champions in 1972 and 1973. The lessons learned with the 917 PA were fundamental for the later successes. Even if the 1969 season did not yield victories, just being there must have also achieved the exposure sought by Vasek Polak in the first place. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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A quick glance at the spec sheet explained why the new Porsche was no match for the still dominant McLarens. Their all-alloy Chevrolet V8 engines had a lot more torque and were also considerably lighter than the complicated Porsche V12. The McLaren aluminium monocoque also weighed considerably less than the Porsche. The total difference between the two was a startling 140 kg. The one thing the Porsche had going for itself was rock-solid reliability provided by its endurance racing roots.