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1960 Porsche 356 B 1600 GS Carrera GTL Abarth
Flat four cylinder, displacement (bore * stroke), 1.966 cm3 (87,5 mm * 66,0 mm), compression ratio, 9,8 : 1, overhead camshafts, V-shaped overhead valves, blower cooling, 2 twin
carburetors, torque, 126 Nm at 5.500 rpm, 118 kW (130 HP) at 6.200 rpm, rear engine, rear drive, manual-four-speed, wheelbase 2.100 mm, turning circle 11,0 m, front suspension: crank handle, torsion bar
springs, telescopic damper, rear suspension: swinging axle, torsion bar springs, telescopic damper, disk brakes f/r, spindle steering, wheels, 5.60 - 15, length 3.876 mm (probably without an exhaust pipe),
tank capacity 80 liters, 230 km/h, kerb weight 800 kg, produced: 20, purchase price: 25.000 DM, 1960
You can still see the Italian design in it today. It stands out from the crowd of 356s. Not even the 'triangular scraper', which is considered a sort of legitimate successor, can keep up.
By the late 1950s, the standard Porsche 356 had reached its limits as a race car. The problem isn't the engine, which, in the racing version, is a 1,600-cc engine capable of producing up to 100 kW (135 HP),
but rather the aerodynamics.
The 356, with its body spanning the wheels and a cross-sectional area that was too large due to its height, was unable to hold its own against Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, or Lotus at Le Mans, for example. In addition,
the body weight was too high.
Since Porsche didn't build the car bodies itself anyway, it could have outsourced their production to other companies. Traditionally, there were very good contacts with Italy. Although Carlo Abarth did not get
involved in the engine technology this time, he did organise the development of the new model.
As a token of gratitude, it appears in the signature as 'Gran Turismo Leichtbau Abarth'. The design is attributed to Franco Scaglione. The cars were built by Ugo Zagato in Turin and finished at Abarth and in
Stuttgart.
As with Porsche's first vehicles, this model marks a return to an all-aluminum construction. It will not only be lighter, but also narrower and significantly flatter, with an almost teardrop-shaped roof that extends
significantly toward the front.
It is estimated that this Abarth version weighs about 100 to 120 kg less than a comparable 356. The Sebring racing exhaust, which protrudes an incredibly long way toward the rear, is said to have added about 5 kW (7 PS)
compared to the standard sport exhaust.
Reportedly, the new model was nearly 20 km/h faster than the 356 Carrera race cars on the Mulsanne Straight. Already on their very first attempt, Herbert Linge and Hans-Joachim Walter won the GT-1600 class at Le Mans.
Further class victories followed at the Targa Florio, the Nürburgring, Goodwood, and the European Hill Climb Championship. The car is particularly distinguished by the fact that it often clearly outperforms its colleagues in
this class. A total of 20 genuine GTL Abarths will be built. The cost for such basic equipment, a small fortune back then.
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