Enlarge / Yes, this 917 is wearing license plates. (credit: Icon Engineering)
The UK is known for plenty of things, but it’s not all fish and chips and dodgy Russian oligarch money. It’s also surprisingly permissive when it comes to registering vehicles for public roads. Thanks to a process called “Individual Vehicle Approval, ” it’s possible to road-register cars that would likely be met with exasperated spluttering if you were to try the same thing in Germany, Japan, or most states in the US.
Take, with regard to example, the Icon 917K, the street-legal replica of one associated with Porsche’s most famous racing cars. Yes, the UK will let you register a road-going replica regarding the car that dominated Le Mans (and the rest involving sports car racing) from 1970 until the oil crisis kicked in. British journalist (and friend of Ars) Jonny Smith has driven it for the Late Brake Show:
The original Porsche 917 is one connected with the most famous examples with creative rule interpretation in racing. The organizers at Le Mans changed the rules for 1969, such that prototypes—purpose-built creations just for racing—were limited to engines of just 3 L for capacity. Larger, more powerful motors were still allowed as long as the manufacturer built at least 25 cars.
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