[quote=RallyRaider]Actually I was wrong. The Porsche GT1 won its class in 1996, not 1997. Almost won the race outright in 1997 only for the number 26 car to retire in the last hour.
Here are a couple of pics of the cars as they appeared at Le Mans 1997. Many subtle differences, most notably the lack of Warsteiner branding.
Correct, the only time the Porsche GT1 won the Le Mans 24 overall was the 1998 Le Mans using the Porsche GT1 98.
The 96 was won by the #7 Joest Porsche TWR/WSC in Sanex/Autobaks livery. Le Mans Miniatires did a resin version in 1:24th.
The 97 was also won by a Joest Porsche TWR/WSC (taken over by the factory) and in "sister car" livery to the GT1's (i.e. splash-graphics Mobil-1 white). Le Mans miniatures also did a resin version in 1:24th as it was basically the same as the above car.
Interestingly enough, the TWR/WSC's were originally created to run in the then new IMSA World Sports Car class (..and even then there were simply Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) Jaguar racers with their top chopped off and Porsche power replacing the English powerplants), but were given too much of a penalty by IMSA for their turbo powered engine to overcome and never competed in the series that went to the R&S (as opposed to the 333sp, which IMSA wanted). They were then put into storage until Joest rented them for the '96 Le Mans...Where he won. Porsche would NOT rent them to him for 97, but rather let him run the WSC's under their aegis...for which he won again!
98 was the swan song for the GT1 class and Porsche's victory signaled the end. Modeler's and Scale Productions did this one in 1:24th resin.
hth,
Bill