Legendary Porsche engineer Hans Mezger has died (2024)

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Legendary Porsche engineer Hans Mezger has died? ›

The legendary engineer died on June 10, 2020 at the age of 90. Porsche owes him not only the Porsche 911's air-cooled, six-cylinder boxer engine but also the overall construction of the 917 and its twelve-cylinder engine as well as his creation of the TAG Turbo Formula One engine.

The last true Mezger engine was used in the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 of 2011, by which point its designer has already been retired nearly 20 years…

Enthusiasts refer to these 996-series GT3 and 911 Turbo engines as "Mezger engines," after Porsche engineer and racing powerplant maestro Hans Mezger. To be clear, all 911 engines prior to the introduction of the liquid-cooled 996 were Mezger engines, as he designed the original 2.0-liter for the first 911 (or 901).

Mezger began his success story at Porsche with the design of the 6-cylinder Boxer engine for the Porsche 911 in 1963. He was part of the team back then and the final design proved to be fundamental to several generations of the Porsche 911, playing a pivotal role in cementing the car as a fan favourite.

First off, the 'Mezger engine' moniker is a bit of a misnomer as legendary engine builder, Hans Mezger has been designing Porsche powerplants since the Sixties. However, in the 911 world, the term has recently become synonymous with the engine fitted to GT3s (up until the introduction of the 991 generation).

The Mezger engine has a similar intermediate shaft to drive the camshaft chains, of course. As in the M96, it's under the crankshaft, but is driven by gears – one of the signature Mezger noise sources – rather than the later engine's chain. And, crucially, its bearings are lubricated by the engine's regular oil system.

The Mezger engine would end up being used in every GT3, GT3 RS, GT2 and GT2 RS of both 996 and 997-era 911s (each of which had two specific generations), the last being the 500bhp 4-litre engine in the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 sold in 2011.

The long list of Mezger-designed engines includes the production flat-six that powered the first 911 and all future air-cooled generations, the Type 912 flat-twelve of the Le Mans-winning 917, or the TTE PO1 V6 at the heart of the McLaren MP4/2 which dominated Formula 1 in 1984.

The 997.1 Turbo was the last of its kind. The 473-horsepower 3.8 liter flax-six is based on the 911 GT1, and is the last turbocharged Mezger engine.

With the right options, the base Macan SUV earns its place in the Porsche lineup. Who put a Volkswagen engine in my Porsche? It's a question as old as the brand itself, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that Porsche equips its base Macan crossover with a VW/Audi-sourced turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four.

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Successful drivers of the Porsche 935 included Jacky Ickx, Jochen Mass, Klaus Ludwig, Rolf Stommelen, Manfred Winkelhock, and Bob Wollek.

By the end of the 1950s, his income was sufficient to buy his first new car: a black Porsche 356 A Speedster. Like his fellow actor James Dean, McQueen felt drawn to the young brand out of Stuttgart. The Speedster and its 75 hp engine combined day-to-day usability with the qualities of a club racer.

Time magazine featured a cover story about the car, and Motor Trend named the Corvair as the 1960 “Car of the Year.” Americans bought them due to their unique style, and affordable price, well under $3,000. They even earned the nickname, “The Poor Man's Porsche.”

The Porsche 930 Turbo, also known as the “Widowmaker” 911, is a legendary car with a reputation for being difficult to handle. It earned its nickname due to its powerful engine, rear-wheel drive, and tendency to oversteer, which could catch inexperienced drivers off guard and result in a dangerous loss of control.

The Porsche 911 and Porsche Boxster from model year 1997 to 2005 have a high failure rate of the intermediate shaft bearing also known as an IMS bearing. Its design and construction lead to premature failure of the bearing, which results in catastrophic engine failure.

The 997.1 Turbo was the last of its kind. The 473-horsepower 3.8 liter flax-six is based on the 911 GT1, and is the last turbocharged Mezger engine.

So, to comply with the tightening emissions regulations and improve the performance of the 911, Zuffenhausen turned to MFI on its iconic rear-engined sports car, replacing carburetors with MFI systems on certain models in 1972, with standard fitment taking place from 1974.