The
Porsche 962 arrived on scene in 1984 as essentially a Porsche 956 for the
IMSA/US market. IMSA GTP rules, while differing to Group C in regards
to the determination of equivalency between chassis and engines,
did utilize chassis regulations that were largely similar, but for one
key area, that of safety. IMSA mandated that the driver's feet had
to be behind the front wheel centerline. Therefore Porsche needed
to change the 956 to accommodate this difference and ultimately that meant
redesigning the monocoque and giving the car a new designation. The
962's monocoque was basically a stretched 956 tub with one primary difference;
the front suspension was shifted 120 mm forward though the driver's position
and seat stayed the same. The result was that the 962's front overhang
was shorter (in order to stay within the maximum regulated length) with
the added bonus being that the car was aerodynamically less pitch sensitive.
The 962's story is one of longevity and versatility. And this longevity has all to do with the solid engineering that went into the car from the start. As the competition heated up, others may have outperformed the 962 in one category or another, but none could match its performance depth. That the 962 continued to win races into the mid-90s, when it frankly had no business doing so given the competition and vastly different regulations, is a testament to this.
