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Sports car fascination
718 RS 60 Spyder in front of Porsche Werk 1
sometimes far superior on paper. At
the Targa Florio, for instance, notorious
for its tight and t wist y mountain roads.
At the 12 Hours of Sebring. At numerous
hill-climbing events. And, naturally, at
the Mecca of racing: Le Mans. It was a
winning streak that elevated Porsche from
underdog to giant killer. And to the darling
of the fans.
Of course, every legend also begs a big
question: what comes next? Our answer:
we keep going – on the roads beyond the
racetracks. And we write a new chapter in
the history of the legend. Right here, right
now.
So, in 1953, the first ever Porsche
designed specifically for motor racing
made its debut on starting grids around
the world. And, in doing so, it paved the
way for a series of pure-bred mid- engined
race cars: from 1957, it was followed by
the 718 RSK Spyder – a fundamentally
revised version of the 550 A Spyder; the
718 RS 60 Spyder; the 718 W-RS Spyder;
and, ultimately, the 718 GTR – the coupé
gracing the Spyder line-up.
By the mid-60s, they would go on to
claim over 1,000 racing victories – and
convincingly outperform a field that was Every legend has a beginning. Strictly
speaking, the legend of the 718 began
back in 1953 with a simple but audacious
plan: to take the offensive. Not least on
the racetrack.
A rousing statement of intent followed
by action: with a four-cylinder horizontally
opposed engine, with a consistent
lightweight construction and with a
cornering performance never witnessed
before. The 550 Spyder. A sports car
that defied the motorsport standards of
its time – because our engineers simply
cannot be content with the status quo.
Only those who know their roots
can develop with a flourish.
The 718 era.
