The 917 Living Legend Concept steals the spotlight at the 50 Years of Porsche expo

The Porsche Museum has set up a special anniversary exhibition to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Porsche 917 racecar. There are 14 exhibits, 10 of which are 917s issued in various years. Even the very first Porsche 917, which debuted half a century ago, is present. Nonetheless, it was the 917 Living Legend Concept that managed to steal the spotlight of the entire event and leave the guests speechless.

Interestingly enough, the “concept” isn’t even a normal car, but rather a full-size mockup that provides an opinion on what the legendary racecar could look like if it were produced in the present. Furthermore, the mockup was created six years ago, but was never on display until now.

The body paint of the concept vehicle imitates the original livery of the Porsche 917 KH, the car that brought Porsche its first absolute victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It has no engine inside, but the company claims that a real-world vehicle like this would end up with a 5.0-liter twin turbo V8 engine rated somewhere between 750 and 1,000 horsepower (559 – 745 kilowatts).

The first 917 ever came powered by a 4.5-liter naturally aspirated engine good for 580 hp (433 kW). There were several different versions in the family, each one with its own dimensions and drivetrain. Some came equipped with opposite-cylinder engines 4.5 to 5.0 liters large, while others packed supercharged units with up to 5.4 liters of displacement. The range-topping engine produced 1,100 hp (820 kW).

Photos: Porsche