1995 Porsche 962 Kremer K8 Spyder
One of the last air-cooled Porsche endurance racecars
Overall winner at 1995 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
One of just four built
This Kremer K8 Spyder represents the swan song of Porsche’s racing origins, standing as one of the last endurance racecars that competed with an air-cooled Porsche engine. After nearly 50 years since the company’s inception in 1948, the 962 is the last of air-cooled racing engines produced by Porsche. The simple flat-four-cylinder engines evolved into flat-sixes in the 1960’s, and turbocharging was adapted in the 1970’s in the 917/30, followed by all iterations of the 936. By the 1980’s, Porsche was achieving dominance in the endurance car space, still utilizing their air-cooled powerplants.
The 962 debuted in 1984 as the successor to the 956. The cars’ reliability over the course of long endurance races with the Type-935 turbocharged flat-six allowed the 962 to be extremely successful, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, the IMSA GT Championship series from 1985 through 1988, and the Interserie Championship five years straight from 1987 through 1992. With a large turbocharger (later a second turbocharger was added) paired with Bosch fuel and ignition systems, the Type 935 engine was easily able to produce over 600 horsepower.
Over the course of 24-hour racing, these air-cooled endurance cars had difficulty managing heat, and although the cars were fitted with oil coolers, Porsche understood that further steps needed to be taken. The 962 was fitted with water-cooled heads and water jackets surrounding the cylinders to keep temperatures lower.
It was clear to Porsche that their air-cooled engines had reached their performance peaks, as water-cooled engines became the standard in the late 1990s. The 962 and Type-935 engine are testaments to Porsche’s engineering standards. As regulations changed and companies introduced more modern cars into the 1990’s, Porsche continued to win major races with a powerplant that was well over a decade old. This 962 Kremer K8 on display took first overall at the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona, proving the longevity and strong performance of the 15-year-old, air-cooled, Type 935 engine.
Specifications:
Engine: 3.0 L Twin-Turbocharged Flat-Six
Horsepower: 530
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
Curb Weight: 2094 lbs