In late 1981 Porsche developed the 956 keeping in mind to win both the North American IMSA GTP Championship and World Sportscar Championship. IMSA GTP regulations did not allow the car to enter in the US series citing driver safety as the major issue. Making the 956 eligible under IMSA regulation was a breeze, Porsche simply increased the wheelbase to make room for the pedals. A steel roll cage became part of the light and agile aluminum body.
At its heart was the mighty 934s 2.8l air cooled flat 6, with a single turbocharger unlike the Group C 956 with twin K27 turbos. This was due to the fact that twin turbos not allowed in IMSA GTP races. The newer Andial built 3.2l fuel injected flat six was put into the 962 near the middle of 1985 for IMSA GT. It was not until 1986 that the 962C got it’s 3.2l twin turbo powerhouse.
The 962 built to run for the World Sportscar Championship was designated the name of 962C. This made it stand out from the standard 962 gunning for the IMSA GTP. Eventually, in 1987, the 3.2l engine used in 962C was banned for the IMSA.
There were only 91 962s produced from 1984-91. Fewer than 20 cars were officially used for racing though, the rest were sold to customers. This resulted in the 962s being highly prized among owners. Even more is the worth of the factory cars built originally out of 956s.
