For most car-loving mortals, a sports car like the
Porsche
911 is more than enough to satisfy anyone's desire for fun and adrenaline.
But it is known that the ambition can be great and why deprive yourself of putting a Formula 1 engine on it.
The Lanzante 930 TAG Turbo is a 930 generation Porsche 911 Turbo fitted with a
real life
TAG-Porsche Formula 1 1.5-litre V6 engine .
This is not a replica that sought to imitate the V6 engine, rather it is one of the actual units originally developed in the first half of the 1980s.
The company Lanzante Limited will be in charge of offering the Porsche with a Formula 1 engine.
Among other things, that engine helped drivers of the stature of Niki Lauda and Alain Prost, together with the McLaren team, dominate the seasons of the highest category of world motorsport in the early eighties.
The Lanzante 930 TAG Turbo is a limited edition of eleven units that will be delivered by Dean Lanzante's studio to a select group of buyers willing to pay almost one and a half million
dollars for each unit
.
born for fun
The history of this particular sports car dates back to the early 1980s, when McLaren reached an agreement with TAG and Porsche to develop a
turbocharged V6 engine
that would allow it to win titles in Formula 1.
The revolutionary Formula 1 turbocharged 1.5-liter V6 engine that produced 1,000 horsepower.
The creative brain behind this unit was
Hans Mezger
, the legendary engineer for the Stuttgart brand responsible for some of the best high-performance engines built to date.
After many twists and turns, the legendary V6 TAG Porsche emerged and, during tests, was placed in the back of a 911 Turbo street car just for fun.
That inspired Lanzante Limited, a British company that both restores classic cars and prepares competition models, to go ahead with the construction of its own 911 with a Formula 1 engine.
McLaren with a TAG-Porsche engine, in 1983.
Although McLaren did not sell Lanzante the original engine, they did sell the
eleven units that made up the 1985 season supply
.
That means Lanzante and the team have embarked on a project to create eleven custom 930 Turbos, each with a unique Formula 1 racing engine.
A dominant engine
Porsche's tradition in motorsports is a hallmark of the German brand.
His successful participation at different times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is probably the best known part of his rich history of triumphs.
But there are others just as successful that may be less well known, such as his victories in the Dakar Rally or the seasons in which
he dominated Formula 1
.
That moment of glory in the highest category of world motorsport is due in large part to Hans Mezger, a legendary engineer who was responsible for several extraordinary recipes for Porsche.
Niki Lauda and Hans Mezger, the genius engineer at Porsche.
Among other things, he was responsible for the air-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine of the Porsche 911 and also for the overall construction of the 917, the unbeatable prototype at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
But what was probably his most high-profile project took off in 1981, when Ron Dennis and his McLaren racing team set out in search of a powerful turbocharged engine for Formula 1.
Ultimately, Porsche was chosen and the decision was made to design and
build a completely new engine
, as well as provide on-site support during the races.
Hans Mezger, along with one of his greatest creations, the 1.5-liter V6 Formula 1 engine.
Once again, Hans Mezger was the creative mastermind behind the 80-degree angled 1.5-litre V6 engine that would later produce
over 1,000bhp
.
In 1984 Niki Lauda became World Champion with him, and again in 1985, followed in 1986 by Alain Prost.
The TAG Turbo won a total of 25 races, in addition to the two Constructors' World Championships in 1984 and 1985. .
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