No manufacturer is more closely linked to the greatest 24 Hour race than Porsche, with an incredible record of 19 overall victories to date.

Prior to the Group C sportscar era, Porsche had achieved six overall wins, which was still three behind Ferrari.

Masterminded by Porsche’s legendary motorsport chief, Norbert Singer, the company’s Group C programme—headlined by the 956 and 962—would become the most successful in its history, and take its tally to 13 wins by 1994.

The 956 was a radical new design for Porsche.

The firm had previously relied on a tubular or spaceframe chassis for its prototype sportscars, but the 956 was the first model to feature an aluminium monocoque.

The engine was a twin-turbocharged 2.65-litre six-cylinder, which had already won Le Mans with the 936/81.

One of the biggest advancements for the 956 was its aerodynamics, with ground-effect being harnessed to generate a huge amount of downforce.

Cleverly, the 956 featured two bodywork setups: the long-tail f...