Amelia Island 2015 – 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe Is One of Two Survivors

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1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 9

Amelia Island 2015 - 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe Is One of Two SurvivorsThis Le Mans racer from Porsche is part of a 200-mph dream: Fast cars, evolving in hyperspeed.

The 908 was an adapted version of the 907 – but altered to fit an all-new 3.0-liter boxer eight-cylinder engine.

We believe this is chassis 908-019 (or perhaps 908-011) – which is thought to be one of two surviving short-tail 908 Coupes outside the Porsche Museum. The 908K stands for short-tail, which was ideal for tighter tracks versus the long-tail for the Le Sarthe LeMans track itself.Porsche_908_LH_Le_Mans_1968_Porsche_55728

This machine was a transition phase for the Porsche race crew. A rule change for 1969’s LeMans series led the Porsche factory works race team to develop the flat-12 and the 917, which then dominated LeMans until the mid-1970s after knocking the GT40 from its four-peat of race wins in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969.

25_examples_of_the_Porsche_917_built_in_1969_for_motor_sport_Porsche_55727

The 908 was still quite a promising machine, however, and continued to evolve into the 908/2 and 908/3 Spider — with early teething issues on the flat-8 being ironed out fully for impressive racing glory nearly every time it took to the track.

1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail CoupeAmelia Island 2015 - 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 11968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 1 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 15 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 14 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 13 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 12 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 11 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 10 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 9 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 8 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 7 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 6 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 5 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 4 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 3 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 2

1968 Porsche 908 – Tech Specs

 

Configuration

B8

Location

Mid, longitudinally mounted

Construction

alloy block and head

Displacement

2,996 cc / 182.8 cu in

Bore / Stroke

85.0 mm (3.3 in) / 66.0 mm (2.6 in)

Compression

10.5:1

Valvetrain

2 valves / cylinder, SOHC

Fuel feed

Bosch Fuel Injection

Aspiration

Naturally Aspirated

Power

350 bhp / 261 KW @ 8,500 rpm

BHP/Liter

117 bhp / liter

 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 48 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 47 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 46 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 45 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 44 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 43 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 42 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 41 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 40 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 39 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 38 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 37

Drivetrain

Body

fibreglass

Chassis

aluminium spaceframe

Front suspension

double wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers

Rear suspension

upper and lower links, radius arms, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers

Steering

rack-and-pinion

Brakes

Dunlop-ATE discs, all-round

Gearbox

5 speed Manual

Drive

Rear wheel drive

 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 291968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 30 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 36 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 35 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 34 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 33 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 32 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 31

Dimensions

Weight

600 kilo / 1,323 lbs

Wheelbase / Track (fr/r)

2,300 mm (90.6 in) / 1,486 mm (58.5 in) / 1,453 mm (57.2 in)

 

Performance figures

Power to weight

0.58 bhp / kg

Amelia Island 2015 - 1968 Porsche 908K Short-Tail Coupe 1