2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic Porsche 917 race car, which brought the German automaker its first win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970. The 917 has been the legend for Porsche and to celebrate its birthday, the manufacturer has commissioned the 'Porsche 917 Concept Study' that pays homage to the original. The new 917 concept will be on display fat a special exhibit at the Porsche Museum and will run from May 14 to September 15 later this year. The exhibit will also have 10 different 917s on display from Porsche's racing heritage.
Porsche says the 917 concept was developed by a small team of designers and engineers and will remain a study for now. The car looks absolutely stunning, and absolutely worthy to feature on the wall of a Porsche aficionado. Taking inspiration from original 1969 race car, the concept gets a wedge-like nose and a long hood that is complemented by the massive front fenders. The wraparound windshield is inspired from the Le Mans racers and so are the haunches that rise as we move the rear. Porsche has recreated certain elements like the rectangular headlamp design and the design of the side skirt and front air intakes.
The 917 Concept Study features the original Le Mans winning car's racing number 23 and the red with white stripes Salzburg livery has never looked so stunning. The headlamps and windows have been blacked out which is likely that the car is a full-size clay model. Porsche hasn't revealed any other details on the concept nor do we get to see any other angles of the car in images. We will have to wait for the concept to be displayed at the exhibit later in the year.
In addition to the concept, Porsche also announced the restoration of the first 917 ever made. The car will be also on display at the Porsche Museum and was restored to its original condition from 1969. The company used many original parts as possible while the front and rear sections were reproduced in addition to the rear section of the aluminium space frame. The restoration took about a year by a team of former technicians and engineers. This 917 though was a test and presentation car and did not compete in any of the races at the time. It was repainted several time and even worked on a short green front section in 1970. This was also the car that was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show
