As R2 would appear at Le Mans as a Sonauto entry (Porsche’s French distributor), it was refinished in the fetching yellow and green colour scheme of team sponsor BP. It would contest the Group 4 category with Peter Gregg and Guy Chasseuil while the pair of Martini cars in attendance ran in the Group 5 category with all manner of experimental features.

R2 qualified 36th on the grid, second fastest of the under three-litre Group 4 cars. It had risen to 15th at the three hour mark and by midnight was lying eleventh. By mid-distance (4am), Gregg / Chasseuil had moved into eighth, but progress was subsequently delayed between 5am and 6am after the car picked up a puncture down the Mulsanne Straight. It rejoined in 15th and went on to finish 14th overall which was good enough for third in class.

R2 did not race again. Instead, it served as a test bed for the massive tyres and spoilers that would appear on Porsche’s 1974 RSR Turbo.

It remains in Porsche’s possession to this day and has since been returned to 1973 trim.

Notable History

Marlboro livery

Registered LEO ZA 69

04-05/11/1972 ICM Tour de Corse (G. Larrousse / C. Delferier) DNF (#2)

Used as 1973 test-bed

Martini livery

01/04/1973 Le Mans Test (G. van Lennep / H. Muller) 5th oa, 5th S3.0 class (#62)
01/04/1973 Le Mans 4 Hours (G. van Lennep / H. Muller) 1st oa, 1st S3.0 class (#62)
13/05/1973 WSC Targa Florio (L. Kinnunen / C. Haldi) 3rd oa, 3rd S3.0 class (#9)

BP livery (Sonauto Porsche)

10/06/1973 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (P. Gregg / G. Chasseuil) 14th oa, 3rd GT3.0 class (#48)

Used as 1974 test-bed

Retained by Porsche and restored to 1973 Martini trim

Porsche Museum

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Porsche – https://www.porsche.com