Amelia Island 2015 – 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe Is One of Two Survivors



Amelia Island 2015 - 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe Is One of Two SurvivorsThis Le Mans racer from Porsche is part of a 200-mph dream: Fast cars, evolving in hyperspeed.

The 908 was an adapted version of the 907 – but altered to fit an all-new 3.0-liter boxer eight-cylinder engine.

We believe this is chassis 908-019 (or perhaps 908-011) – which is thought to be one of two surviving short-tail 908 Coupes outside the Porsche Museum. The 908K stands for short-tail, which was ideal for tighter tracks versus the long-tail for the Le Sarthe LeMans track itself.Porsche_908_LH_Le_Mans_1968_Porsche_55728

This machine was a transition phase for the Porsche race crew. A rule change for 1969’s LeMans series led the Porsche factory works race team to develop the flat-12 and the 917, which then dominated LeMans until the mid-1970s after knocking the GT40 from its four-peat of race wins in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969.

25_examples_of_the_Porsche_917_built_in_1969_for_motor_sport_Porsche_55727

The 908 was still quite a promising machine, however, and continued to evolve into the 908/2 and 908/3 Spider — with early teething issues on the flat-8 being ironed out fully for impressive racing glory nearly every time it took to the track.

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1968 Porsche 908 – Tech Specs

 

Configuration

B8

Location

Mid, longitudinally mounted

Construction

alloy block and head

Displacement

2,996 cc / 182.8 cu in

Bore / Stroke

85.0 mm (3.3 in) / 66.0 mm (2.6 in)

Compression

10.5:1

Valvetrain

2 valves / cylinder, SOHC

Fuel feed

Bosch Fuel Injection

Aspiration

Naturally Aspirated

Power

350 bhp / 261 KW @ 8,500 rpm

BHP/Liter

117 bhp / liter

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Drivetrain

Body

fibreglass

Chassis

aluminium spaceframe

Front suspension

double wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers

Rear suspension

upper and lower links, radius arms, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers

Steering

rack-and-pinion

Brakes

Dunlop-ATE discs, all-round

Gearbox

5 speed Manual

Drive

Rear wheel drive

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Dimensions

Weight

600 kilo / 1,323 lbs

Wheelbase / Track (fr/r)

2,300 mm (90.6 in) / 1,486 mm (58.5 in) / 1,453 mm (57.2 in)

 

Performance figures

Power to weight

0.58 bhp / kg

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