1983 Porsche 956 Pilots: V. Merl, C. Schickentanz, M. DeNarvaez Team: Sorga SA / Joest Racing Race: 4th overall (4th in class C) at Le Mans in 1983 Minichamps - 430836512 (diecast)
Published 05/09/17
For 1982 FIA changed the rules of the game: gone was Group 6 class and in came C class. With the rule change Porsche needed a substitute for the venerable 936, and the all-mighty 956 was born. The engine, basically the same used in the 936/81 (Type-935) was a turbocharged flat 6 of 2.65 l. This time, however, it had EFI, making the engine more economical and capable of 635 hp. The chassis, a first for Porsche, was an aluminum monocoque, and the 956 was the first Porsche to use the PDK dual-clutch gearbox. And another first for the 956 was that it was the first Porsche to use ground-effect. The project was so effective that the 956 generated 3× more down-force than the 917. The result of all this? For four years straight the 956 dominated at La Sarthe.
In 1983, between factory (Rothmans) and customer cars, eleven 956s were fielded, and of these, eight crossed the finish line in the first positions. The Newman 956 #12 (chassis #956-105) came in 4th overall that year.
This is another model from Minichamps, and once again, a very “honest” one. The paint job is very good, and more important of all, the lines of the car were very well recreated in scale. However, tires are not marked – looks like Minichamps doesn’t like marked tires. Very certainly this 956 #12 is not a must-buy model for most. But it will go nicely in any Le Mans or Porsche collection.