From the motorsport archive: On this day in 1966

Porsche takes us out in its new Le Mans challenger

The racing success of the Carrera GT (904) led Porsche to use similar ideas to the Carrera 6 (906) for the new Group 4 rules; and after starting strongly in the 1966 International Manufacturers’ Championship, it gave us a ride at Hockenheim.

The 906 had a small, two-seat body of glassfibre atop a tubular spaceframe, within which was nestled a 2.0-litre flat-six engine making 210bhp and 145lb ft.

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“We left to the accompaniment of a simply shattering noise, and headed up the ‘straight’ towards the hairpin at the back of the circuit at what seemed a considerable speed – an impression which was shattered when [racer] Gerhard Mitter said the engine was cold and we’d do a warming-up lap to begin with.

“On the return straight, we got back into fifth before slowing down again for the wiggly new part of the circuit.

The car was at its most interesting here; and one was able to marvel at the skill of a racing driver and unbelievable roadholding of a racing car. We flew through the bends; and as we began to slide, Mitter let the wheel spin back through his fingers, catching it at the precise moment so that our progress was absolutely smooth as we swung through the left-right-left bends.”

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