While the 924 Carrera GT was still in the development process, Porsche already started to derive the first racing cars from it. Although not yet fully homologated, three 924 racing cars were prepared for 1980’s Le Mans race. Compared to the Carrera GT, the new racing car featured an even wider body with four large headlights designed for racing in the dark at Le Mans. The watercooled straight-four 2.0 litre engine was optimized and equipped with a massive front mounted intercooler and a Kugelfischer fuel injection system. The boost was almost doubled compared to the road version resulting in an impressive 320bhp @ 6200rpm and 380Nm @ 4500rpm. The performance was additionally improved thanks to serious lightening which brought the weight down to 945kg compared to the 1180kg of the road car resulting in an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 0.34bhp / kg and an impressive 160bhp / litre.
Not homologated yet, the three Porsches were forced to run in the GTP class against cars that were built specifically as racing cars. These 924s were renamed 924 Carrera GTP. The four cylinder racers were dwarfed in qualifying by the much larger engined competition, placing 34th, 44th and 46th on the starting grid. In the wet race the 924’s handling and Porsche’s famed reliability made its mark as the cars gradually moved up while the other cars simply slid off the road or expired. The ‘German’ Carrera GTP eventually fought its way up to sixth overall and third in class, the other two cars finished fifth and sixth in class, very satisfying results for a “rather spontaneous” action.
Shortly after the Le Mans race, the 924 Carrera GT was offered to customers and by the end of the year 406 examples had rolled off the production line clearing the way for a second, more extreme homologation special required for the homologation of the Carrera GTP spec car. This new road car called the Carrera GTS was lighter and especially the nose resembling the GTP car more closely. The boost for the street legal version was increased even further resulting in a 245bhp output. It did make the Carrrera GTS rather difficult to drive. Additionally, quite a few were equipped with the 275bhp ‘Club Sport’ option. The required fifty cars were ready and lined up for homologation inspection in March 1981.
To distinguish this new racing car from the 924’s that raced at Le Mans in 1980, the new car was dubbed 924 Carrera GTR. It incorporated all the experience gathered with its predecessor and featured the most powerful 924 engine that ever left Weissach: The GTR engine developed 375 horses that astonishingly were still transferred from the clutch to the transaxle by the stock 924 Turbo light alloy propshaft. Two examples were fielded at Le Mans, but they did not leave up to the high expectations. One car retired early, while the other finished a distant fourth in class.
In 1982 three GTR were lined up again and this time with more success scoring a class victory. It was the last appearance for the 924 at Le Mans. The GTR’s continued to be raced in North America, but with limited success.
