This latest production, dating back to 1951, is the Pegaso Type 102 Saloon of 2½ litre capacity, from which has been developed a 2.8 litre saloon and a sports coupe of 2½ litre. Alternative bodywork includes sports tourer and "Saoutchik". This last curiously named style was entirely conceived and carried out by members of the "Sociedad de Tecinos de Automocion" (hence the name!). The asymmetrical competition special which forms the subject of our plan this month was designed by Senor Wilfredo P. Ricart, Director General of the society, assisted by his son, also a qualified engineer. Its general lines are admittedly developed from the twin fuselage car with which the Italian Taruffi amassed a number of low capacity class records, but it enjoys a certain original style of its own, and is the only sports racer to have adopted this layout of recent years.

The driver's cockpit is carried over to the extreme right, and enclosed very like an aircraft. On the left the passenger's seat is completely covered in —this place, in practice, is not occupied anyway. The cockpit extends behind the driver to terminate in a fin, which is balanced by a similar fin on the passenger's side. Lights are encased all round by a large airscoop which follows "shark's mouth" lines. This asymmetrical design permits a considerable reduction in the cross-sectional area as against a car of normal layout, though the driver is somewhat restricted for elbow room. To give hint adequate space for dicing, it will be noted that an opening has been cut in the door.

The car is finished in a light saffron yellow, with a wide red band going across the bonnet and longitudinally from front to back. Furniture, headlight rims, wheel rims and spokes, and exhausts are all chromed. Leather upholstery is finished in natural colour. instrument panel is polished mahogany, with instruments in black.

The 2.8 litre engine fitted is basically the standard Pegaso 90° V-8 fourstroke with maximum r.p.m. of approximately 6,300. Speed in the neighbourhood of 150 m.p.h. is claimed for it, and the Spanish driver Celso Fernandez has been timed over the flying kilometre on the Barcelona-Ribas road at just over 142 m.p.h. Main dimensions are as follows: Length over all 14 ft. 8¾ in., width over all 6 ft. 2 in., wheelbase 7 ft. 8 in., front track 52 in., rear track 51 in., height 51 in., ground clearance 6 in. All up weight varies between 17¾ cwt. and 19 cwt. There are five forward speeds and reverse, while turning circle is 29½ ft.

Four carburettors provide fuel, and consumption is estimated to be 24 m.p.g. at 60 m.p.h., and 19 m.p.g. at 80 m.p.h.

Suspension is by independent torsion bar, while brakes and shock absorbers are hydraulic.

Closer inspection reveals it to be the result of varied development work carried out by Porsche on Formula 1, Sports/Racing, and Gran Turismo cars during the past several seasons.

Externally the car is somewhat radical in form, although clearly related to the 2-liter flat eight Prototype GT coupe first raced in the 1962 Targa Florio by Bonnier/Vaccarella. New for Porsche is the use of fiberglass instead of aluminum panelling for the bodywork. It is a special material called Pantal, developed and patented by Porsche. The shells are molded by Heinkel (the well-known aircraft firm) and bonded directly to the frame, an expensive arrangement in the event of serious accident damage.

The very long nose and low overall height (41.9 inches) are immediately apparent. The inner edges of the extremely long plastic headlight fairings fit flush with the hood, a tidy if anesthetic solution. Porsche have made a much more handsome job of blending the roof contours into the rear deck than have Ferrari with their similar but much larger 3-liter 250 LM Granturismo coupe. The sharply angled tail of the Carrera GTS follows current practice, but contracts with the rounded contours of all previous Porsches. The entire rear deck swings open from the center of the car (or can be removed completely) to expose the engine compartment. Altogether this new Porsche presents a lithe, fierce appearance; if it proves to be as rapid as it looks, Porsche will have little difficulty maintaining their hold on the 2-liter class during 1964.

In this day of multi-tube space frames and monocoque structures. the box section steel chassis frame seems out of place, but the low overall weight of the car -(1434 lbs.), coupled with reasonable rigidity, should be competitive. The suspension, while developed from that of the 1962 Formula 1 car, is essentially new, comprising unequal length wishbones and coil springs front and rear. Anti roll torsion bars and telescopic shock absorbers are fitted. The kingpins are ball jointed, while steering is by rack and pinion. The brakes are 9.5-inch ATE (Dunlop pattern) discs all around, with small hand operated drums within the rear discs. Air intakes for the brakes are cut in the rear quarter panels of the body; on the latest examples these have been fitted with scoops. Typical Porsche bolt on disc wheels carry 5.90 x 15 Dunlop tires.

At the heart of all this sophisticated equipment is the trustworthy horizontally opposed, four cylinder, air cooled engine. In this case it is positioned ahead of the axle instead of behind as in the earlier Carrera and Abarth Carrera GT coupes. The four cam 1966-cc. unit is a fully-tuned 180 b.h.p. (DIN) version of the Carrera 2 engine available in the 356B coupe with 130 b.h.p. Bore and stroke are 92 x 74mm. Equipped with twin Weber 46 DCOE downdraft carburetors. the GTS power plant produces 148.3 lb.-ft. of torque at 5000 full power is developed at 7100 r.p.m. Transmission is by single dry plate clutch and 5 speed all synchro gearbox. In addition to the four cylinder engines supplied in customers' cars, Porsche will probably employ the newer eights in factory prototypes. With either engine the car should have little opposition in its class; in the Targa Florio and the Nurburgring 1000-km race it may challenge the 3-litre machinery.

So far the Carrera GTS has been ordered in England by Stirling Moss (S.M.A.R.T.), Les Leston, Dick Stoop, and Mike de Udy, in Holland by Carel de Beaufort (3 cars), and in the United States by Otto Zipper (2 cars). The first Zipper car, to be entered for Richie Ginther and Ronnie Bucknum at Sebring, was recently delivered in Los Angeles and is the subject of our five view drawing. By the time this article appears, several of these new Porsches will have made their debut in Florida.

SPECIFICATIONS: Engine, horizontally opposed air cooled four cylinder; four gear driven overhead camshafts; 92 x 74mm., 1996cc.; 180 b.h.p. (DIN) at 7000 r.p.m.. torque 148.3 lb-ft. at 5000 r.p.m., 91.5 b.h.p./liter; compression ratio 9.8/1; two Weber 46 DCOE downdraft carburetors; dry NI411, lubrication. Single dry plate clutch. Transmission 5 speed all synchro. Steel box section frame with plastic body structure bonded to form unit chassis. Front suspension, unequal length wishbones with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers, anti roll bar, ball joint king pins. Rear suspension, upper wishbone and lower control arm, with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers, anti roll bar. Brakes 9.5-inch ATE (Dunlop) discs. Porsche 5-stud bolt-on disc wheels.

DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase 90.5 inches. Front track 51.7 inches, rear track 51.6 inches. Length 161.0 inches. Front overhang 39.8 inches, rear overhang 30.7 inches. Height 41.9 inches. Width 60.6 inches. Ground clearance 4.8 inches. Tires 5.90 x 15 Dunlop.

At the beginning of the year Porsche announced an entirely new car for 1966, employing this flat six engine and known as the Carrera Six. It is anything but an experimental prototype, a batch of fifty being already in production. Porsche expect to have the car homologated for Group 4 Sports Car racing before the European season starts.

The multi-tubular space frame chassis is based on that used in the European Hillclimb Championship contender last year. Suspension is independent all round, with coil springs. The air cooled flat six single overhead camshaft engine, mounted forward of the rear axle, produces over 200 b.h.p. and provides a claimed maximum speed in excess of 180 m.p.h. A five speed gearbox is used.

The squat fibreglass body is aerodynamically functional rather than beautiful and sports gullwing doors a la Mercedes 300 SL. With an overall height of only 3 ft. 2½ in. the dry weight of the car is a mere 11 cwt. The 15 in. wheels have 6 in. and 8 in. rims at front and rear respectively. The fuel tanks are housed in the side body members. The exhaust arrangement broadly follows Porsche 904 tradition. A three branch manifold from each cylinder head merges into a single pipe. The two pipes then join in the centre and end in a megaphone type tailpipe. An extension was fitted to the tail at the Le Mans test weekend, but was later removed as no significant improvement in handling was evident. Spoilers have been added at the nose, varying in shape and size. It is clear from this that speeds are being reached at which problems of lift and instability are being encountered.

On its first outing at Daytona, a Carrera Six driven by Hans Hermann and Hermann Linge finished sixth overall and first in its class, following this performance with fourth and sixth overall at Sebring, again winning the two litre prototype category. This latter showing might have been even better, had not the leading works car driven by Don Wester been swept off the course by Andretti's spinning Ferrari, crashing and killing four spectators. The cars were apparently handling beautifully.

Despite the presence at Le Mans of five Ferrari Dinos and three Matra-B.R.M.'s, the Carrera six should be able to maintain Porsche's competition record.

Porsche Cars (Great Britain) Ltd. are running a car in British races this year, driven by Mike de Udy. In its first appearance, at Mallory Park on Easter Monday, the car won both its races and established a new GT record.

This car is finished in British Racing Green, with bare metal side panels below the "waist line". The rear window is tinted orange and is unusual in having louvres along the sides. The tops of the side windows are darkened to prevent glare (shown hatched in the accompanying plan) and a small opening panel is provided on the driver's side. The steering wheel is wood rimmed. Some cars are equipped with parallelogram type windscreen wipers.

Porsche have a knack of producing cars which "go" right from the start. If they have any teething troubles nobody ever gets to know about it, and the Carrera Six is no exception. At a price in Germany of D.M. 45,000 or approximately £3,800, all you need to do is sell your Aston Martin, and put your name on the waiting list.