Developed specifically for the 1976 World Sports Car Championship, the Porsche 936 was a proof of the high standards of quality displayed by the Stuttgart firm in the realization of thoroughbred racing. Next to the 935 entered in the Group 5 World Championship, Porsche was fighting in another World Championship, that of the 6 groups, with the 936. The typical silhouette of the turbocharged two-seater was characterized by a large air intake located above the cockpit and a high tail fin.

The Porsche 936 was a Group VI car composed of parts borrowed from the 908 (chassis), 917 (braking system) and the 911 Turbo road car (engine). The apartment engine with a 2.1-liter turbo 911 flat 6 cylinder developed 590 HP. Despite the fact that she did not win the first race, the 24 hours of Nurburgring 1976, in which she was engaged, the first year was a success. After only four of the seven races in the season, Porsche had won the World Sports Car Championship. The 936 won all the races against the factory Renault Alpine and at Le Mans, she secured the first victory for a turbo-engined car driven by Jacky Ickx and Gijs van Lennep. Celebrating Porsche’s technical mastery, professional race management and high level of crew control, the 1976 season of the German team ended with a double world championship title with the 935 and 936.

In 1977 and 1979, Porsche renewed its victory at Le Mans with other 936. We all know to this day the story of the fabulous 24 Hours of Le Mans 1977 and the magical driving of Jacky Ickx that year. In 1978, the second Porsche 936 finished in second place.
In 1981, the participation of Porsche at Le Mans was a half surprise. On this occasion, the 936 undergoes significant modifications with the use of a 620 hp engine, the one initially planned for Indianapolis. Performance was the key, the 936/81 reaching a speed of 360 km/h in the straight of Les Hunaudières, making it the fastest car of the competitors.

For Porsche, the race went ideally. The 936/81 driven by Ickx and Bell was in the lead from the start and knew no problem. Returning to the pits only for normal maintenance and refueling, his longest mechanical stop did not exceed four minutes. With a 14-lap lead over the Rondeau-Ford, Ickx and Bell won the race. The Porsche victory at Le Mans 1981 also marked an anniversary: Thirty years earlier, Porsche had committed itself for the first time to the most famous endurance race in the world. At the time, his 1.1-liter aluminum Type 356 coupe won the first class victory for Porsche.

Only three 936 Turbo Spyders were built. The Porsche Museum owns two of them. The third is chassis 936-001 belonging to Bruce Canepa, the same one who won the 24 hours of Le Mans 1977.

                                            The images were provided by their author Luc Delens