Porsche 924 Turbo racing version: Test ahead of its big debut at Le Mans 1980

This is the sort of assignment a motorsport journalist loves: on a typically dreadful February day in Hamburg in 1980, the editor-in-chief called us – that is, my colleague from the technical section of ‘rallye racing’, Peter Hellgut, and myself – into his office and announced: “You’re off to Le Castellet, where Porsche is testing the racing version of the 924 Turbo. I’ve sorted everything out with Porsche – you’re all set.”

I was to write a report on the progress of the test, whilst Hellgut – a qualified engineer – was to keep a close eye on the technicians and their notes. The prospect of the Mediterranean, warmth and sunshine had us in high spirits.

We didn’t need to be told twice. Hellgut, who was also in charge of our test cars, wisely chose a Toyota Corolla with sports features and what was, for the time, a generous 110 PS – if all went well, it was set to be a brisk drive.

As it happens, the wonderful ski resort of Courchevel in the French Maritime Alps lies right on the way there, and as we were well on schedule, I asked – half in earnest, half just for the sake of it – whether we fancied a spot of skiing. My companion was thrilled: ‘I’ve never done it before, but I’ve always wanted to give it a go.’

In short, I kitted the poor bloke out with a pair of hire skis and showed him the basics on the beginners’ slope – and, I couldn’t believe it – after a few expletives, he actually slid down the little slope.

This little interlude had spurred us on even more to get on with our actual task. The Porsche team led by project manager Norbert Singer and Peter Falk was already in full testing mode and gave us a warm welcome. The aim was to teach the latest ‘baby’, the 924, how to race.

The plan was for a major outing at the Le Mans 24-hour race in just under three months’ time. The technical specifications were clear: 900 kg, 320 turbo PS from the four-cylinder engine, super-wide tyres, a roll cage and a modified chassis.

The aim of the 14-day basic set-up and functionality programme, carried out by the ten-strong test team, was to prepare for a performance that would make the biggest possible impression on the public at the most important race of the year.

Behind this, of course, lay a sales strategy: in many motoring circles, the 924 is not recognised as a ‘real’ Porsche at all. There is occasionally scornful talk of a ‘Porsche-Audi’ because it is powered by the same engine as the good old Audi 100. Through this sporting endeavour, the marketing strategists hope to improve the Porsche image of this compact model. It should be noted in passing that this was also the motivation behind our kind invitation.

Our two days at Le Castellet were characterised by the professional routine of such test programmes: adjustments were made to the chassis and tested, whilst test drivers Günter Steckkönig and Derek Bell reported meticulously on the car’s reactions to the various fine-tuning adjustments.

The Porsche completed lap after lap, and whilst it was doing so, Dunlop’s tyre guru Dieter Glotzbach encouraged me (“Come on, you run too, don’t you?”) to go for a jog around the Grand Prix circuit, which is just under six kilometres long; each time Derek Bell roared past me, he rewarded me with applause in the form of a high-speed wave on the Mistral Straight.

Finally, world-class driver Bell put it on record: “In my opinion, the most remarkable thing about the racing version of the Porsche 924 is the way in which changes made to the chassis are clearly reflected in lap times. The chassis responds to the slightest adjustments, so we were able to start fine-tuning very quickly here at Le Castellet.”

They are well aware of the expected disadvantage in the engine department, but, as Norbert Singer puts it, “we’re banking on reliability” – and he adds with a smile, “and on the unreliability of the others”.

Feeling confident that we’d gathered enough material for a story well worth reading, we hopped into our Corolla in the south of France and sped northwards – 1,600 km in twelve hours; after all, we wanted to drive at a brisk pace. Back then, you could still do that without running the risk of getting pulled over somewhere. So we couldn’t resist making a quick detour to the Baltic Sea.

For Porsche, the effort, care and time invested on the Côte d’Azur were to pay off: the best-placed of the three racing newcomers – driven by Jürgen Barth and Manfred Schurti – finished the gruelling race in an unexpected sixth place overall. The three works cars purred quietly, swiftly and reliably through the powerhouse field.

It was only in the final hours that concerns arose, when Bell and Rouse – almost simultaneously, each with a blown valve – pulled into the pits to ask for further instructions. These were – how could it be otherwise – unequivocal: carry on!