Porsche 917K

The 917K is one of the coolest and most legendary vintage Porsche endurance racers. It debuted in 1968 and participated in various endurance races until 1971. This vehicle propelled Porsche to its first win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and won 31 of the 68 races it participated in. The K in this particular 917 stands for Kurzheck, or "short-tail" in German. Powering the 917K is a 4.5-liter flat-12, which was eventually bored out to 4.9 and 5 liters. Its flat-12 produces 600 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, launching the vehicle to 60 mph in less than three seconds and a top speed of 220 mph. Ten other iterations of the 917 exist, while select examples of the 1971 917K contain vertical tail fins. Like many race car interiors, the 917K's interior is very basic and constructed around saving as much weight as possible. However, unlike most vehicles, the gear lever is placed by the driver door instead of in the center console. The Porsche 917 was limited to 59 units, 36 of which were the Kurzheck "short-tail" models. Some units of the 917 didn't survive; those that did are either in museums like the one above or the hands of private collectors, each worth at least eight figures. In a nutshell, the Porsche 917K is an extremely impressive vehicle and in the top tier of all-time motorsport greats. Most importantly, the 917 helped Porsche transform into the sports car racing pioneer that it is today.