Nurburgring Onboard Footage Shows Porsche Insanity

Intense vintage onboard footage shows how the Porsche 956 held the Nürburgring lap record for over 35 years.

The Porsche 956 is a monster in racing history that laid fear into any of its on-track competitors. Introduced in 1982, its aluminum monocoque construction and monumental aerodynamically driven downforce put the Porsche 956 in a league of its own. Additionally, its 2.9-liter six-cylinder boxer engine featured electronic fuel injection, water-cooled cylinder heads, and turbocharger forced induction.

This recipe all adds up to a whopping 620 horsepower at 8,200 RPM. Combining this power with world-class aerodynamics led to a remarkable Nürburgring lap time of 6:11.13 in 1983, which was a world record. This record stood for over 35 years until the Porsche 919 Evo in 2018. It truly is a remarkable piece of automotive history. Now, we have a chance to see just how intense a lap of the Nürburgring in a Porsche 956 is.

In a recent video posted to the Duke Video Youtube channel, a true look at the power and precision of the Porsche 956 is given through the perspective of the driver’s seat thanks to an onboard camera. Duke Video shot this footage during official practice for the last race ever fun on the Nürburgring’s old layout. One thing this footage makes clear is that this footage serves as a perfect reminder that driving a racecar is no easy task, no matter how ideal of a racecar it is.

Navigating the World’s Toughest Road Course

Throughout the entirety of the twists, turns, and elevation changes of the Nürburgring, it’s clear that the driver, Derek Bell, has a handful with the 956. Not to mention having to navigate the constant traffic from other classes of racecars also on course for practice. However, despite it not being a full-blown race, we still get a chance to hear the remarkable boxer six open up. Every time Bell lifts his foot, the chatter of the turbocharger comes through clear as day. It takes a special kind of bravery to get behind the wheel of a racecar on the Nürburgring. This is especially true when the car is well capable of record-setting lap times.

Unfortunately, the actual race that this practice event was for did not end so well for Bell and his teammate, Stefan Bellof. Bellof, who set the 35-year long record, wound up crashing at over 160 miles per hour during the race. However, we walked away from the incident uninjured. Remarkably, though, the race would go on to be won by another Porsche 956 with drivers Jochen Mass and Jacky Ickx behind the wheel.

Talented drivers with a complex machine.

Though this is just a practice lap, there is plenty of footage available from Duke Video onboard this 956, including races at the Nürburgring, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Spa, Brands Hatch, and Fuji Speedway. So, if vintage Porsche racing footage is your thing, you may want to consider purchasing their DVD or their digital download from their website. Either way, you should definitely watch the below video with the volume way up!

Despite the record now being held by a hybrid Porsche that punished it by running a lap nearly a whole minute faster, we can all still appreciate the remarkable skill required to handle one of these cars, especially on a track like the Nürburgring.