This Porsche 930 is Powered by Niki Lauda’s Actual 1985 TAG Turbo F1 Engine
The 930 TAG Turbo was developed by Lanzante Motorsport, a British engineering business with a storied history that includes a 1995 overall triumph at the Le Mans 24 Hours and the development of some of the world's craziest road vehicles.
By Divyam Dubey
Formula One racing is the pinnacle of automobile innovation and no other four-wheeled vehicle on the planet comes close to its level of performance. For this reason, automakers have a penchant for using Formula One (F1) to advertise their vehicles. The 930 TAG Turbo is the product of the British engineering company Lanzante Motorsport, and just eleven of these one-of-a-kind masterpieces will be delivered to their discerning owners. McLaren collaborated with TAG and Porsche in the early 1980s to develop a turbocharged F1 engine and Hans Mezger, famed Porsche engineer, creator of some of the world's best performance engines, was the mind behind this innovative equipment. TAG Turbo is a reference to the iconic Porsche engines with the TAG emblem that helped McLaren win three straight World Championships in 1984, 1985, and 1986.
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Lanzante 930 TAG Turbo: Exterior
Outside, the only distinguishing features are the attractive 17-inch Ruf wheels and the bespoke engine cover. To accomplish such a remarkable weight reduction, Lanzante remade its doors from aluminium and its bumpers, hood, and engine cover from carbon fibre. Weighing in at only 130 kilogrammes, the engine is lighter than the original flat-six by a whole 130 kilogrammes. There are carbon-ceramic brakes hiding beneath the Ruf alloys, along with custom front suspension uprights and two-way adjustable Ohlins dampers at each corner.
Lanzante 930 TAG Turbo: Interior
There is a lot of carbon fibre in the cabin, but the weave is completely hidden. Instead, leather is used for covering or the components are made to look like the original rubber bits that came standard on the car. The motor sport-quality Tilton pedal box has also been designed to appear authentic. TAG-themed custom instruments, including a 10,000rpm rev counter and a water temperature readout, provide the final touch.
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Lanzante 930 TAG Turbo: Engine
Lanzante collaborated with Cosworth to fit a 1.5-litre V6 into a 930 chassis, however, the power output has been drastically reduced from its original 1,000 horsepower in the F1 category to a more manageable 503 hp for use on public roads. With a top speed of almost 321 km/h, it has a redline of 9,000 rpm.
The F1 unit has obviously undergone extensive modification to make it controllable. Custom gear ratios were installed in the six-speed manual gearbox, a limited-slip differential was added, and the boost pressure was reduced by 25%, the fuel-to-air ratio was altered to improve low-speed comfort, and a new crankcase and smaller turbochargers were installed by Cosworth to increase driveability and reliability.
A new water-based cooling system, including a novel front-mounted radiator, has replaced the previous air-cooled system. New coilovers and carbon brakes have been added, but traction control has been left out.
