Porsche's Race Cars: 75 Years of Clever Engineering and Innovation on the Track and Road

Porsche's first purpose-built race car was the 550 Spyder in 1953, which won its first race at the Nürburgring.

The 550 had a mid-engine layout like Porsche's first prototype, unlike the rear-engined 356 production cars.

The 550's 1.5L engine designed by Ernst Fuhrmann had an oversquare design with dual overhead cams and twin spark plugs per cylinder.

Porsche race cars like the 550 tested innovations like aerodynamics, turbocharging, and hybrid systems before they reached road cars.

Porsche has used racing for 75 years to develop clever engineering and performance-focused road cars.