During the 1970s, Porsche’s racing division discovered that their 917 could achieve higher top speeds on certain circuits by deliberately running with slightly mismatched tire pressures—higher pressure on the rear to reduce drag on straights, lower pressure on the front to maintain cornering grip—a technique so effective that it remained completely legal because no rule specified that tire pressures had to be equal across the axle, giving observant teams a hidden performance advantage that persisted until the practice became common knowledge.
Car Fact #41 — July 27, 2026
