Who on this bbs knows a lot about the current state of the art in prototype sports car racing (i.e., the Audi R-8) and also some of the history of that type of car, dating back to the Can-Am cars of the 1970s?

My question is this: If you raced an R-8 against the legendary Porsche 917-30 Can-Am car, what would the results be?

The R-8 has the advantage of 30 years advancement in technology -- aerodynamics, suspension, electronics, etc. But that 917 had over 1100 horsepower. Porsche pretty much killed the Can-Am series with that car -- nothing could compete against it so everybody ended up taking their marbles and going home.

I recall that some 917 Porsches (not the 1100 HP turbocharged monsters!) were hitting speeds approaching 250 MPH on the Mulsanne straight at LeMans, what are the R-8s hitting? But that is probably an apples and oranges comparison, because didn't they put a chicane in that part of the course as a direct result of the speeds the 917s were reaching?

So... I don't dispute that the Audi R-8 is the best prototype class racer ever built -- fast, reliable as an anvil, as good on tight twisty courses as on long sweeping ones, tough, easy to maintain, easy to drive. But is it as fast as the old 917-30 Can-Am racer?

tanstaafl.

With modern tyres and modern aerodynamics the R8 would loose the 917

In rallying the current cars with about 300bhp are alot quicker then the group B monsters with about 600bhp

In all racing modern cars are quicker overalll due to huge gains in cornering speeds in straght line they might not be as quick but overall no contest

The chicanes on the Mulsanne were put in following a crash of the TWR Jag XK-8R in (I think) 1988 or 89. Another one was added in 96 following another crash which was fatal (steering failure, and the car lifted off the track).

No idea about the comparison: probably faster in a straight line, but I doubt they would corner as well as the modern chassis. I thought the Merc was the one that took over from the 917?