In-Car 956 (1987)

Distributed by Duke Video. Featuring Derek Bell. Running time: 62 minutes.

For the month of February, we turn our attention to a golden age of endurance sports car racing, climbing inside the cockpit of the legendary Rothmans Porsche 956. The documentary film ‘In-Car 956’ showcases this iconic machine in the steady hands of British racing driver Derek Bell, as he takes us on thrilling laps around some of the fastest and most challenging racetracks in the world. 

Filmed during the 1983 and 1984 endurance racing seasons, Bell drove these demonstration laps ‘at speed’ with an in-car camera strapped in beside him at seven racing circuits from around the world; Silverstone (England), Nurburgring-Nordschleife (Germany), Le Mans (France), Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Brands Hatch (England), Fugi International Speedway (Japan), and Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (South Africa).

The Porsche 956 was introduced in 1982 and competed in the FIA Group C category of the World Sportscar Championship. It’s aluminum monocoque chassis was powered by a 2.65L twin-turbo flat-6 Porsche engine. Our guide on this adventure is the one and only Derek Bell; the 5-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 3-time winner of the Daytona 24 Hours, and two-time World Sportscar Champion (1985, 1986). 

The film captures actual sounds from inside the cockpit, to include the road noise, tire squeal, and the glorious Porsche engine note. There were various camera angles used throughout the film. One featured the drivers-eye view directly forward, and at other times a wider view was used to include the steering wheel in the lower right corner enabling the viewer to see Bell’s steering input and gear shifting process. One of my favorite camera angles was a side view looking directly at Bell showing his intense and supreme concentration. 

The entire film is an amazing display of driving at an elite level, but there are three specific tracks that really brought out the wow factor. The first being at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife, with its mind-bending 157 corners, spread out over 13.2 miles in the Eifel mountains of Germany. Derek Bell took the viewer on a roller-coaster ride in six minutes 41 seconds, with an average speed of 120 mph. The concentration required to drive this twisty and technical circuit was impressive. He narrated this lap (post-production) with incredible detail, naming each corner, and indicating what gear was being used. Amazing.

Next was Le Mans, home of the historic 24-hour endurance race, featuring the legendary 3.7-mile Mulsanne Straight (before the current day chicanes were installed). The narrator for this portion of the film said that in the 1983 Le Mans 24-hour race, the Rothmans Porsche was timed at 246 miles per hour in the Mulsanne speed trap. The view of Derek Bell at these speeds was a sight to behold. The French countryside was but a blur out his side window. In the 1983 race, Bell‘s teammate Jacky Ickx took pole-position with the time of.3:16.56, and an average speed of 152 mph. 

Finally, the 2.673-mile Fugi International Speedway, featured a wet, but drying racing surface. Bell narrated while driving, describing a very bumpy, but fast track. It was slippery, and we saw his extraordinary car control throughout the lap. Once, he went wide in a corner and you could hear him traveling over the rumble strips, all the while maintaining his speed and powering on. It was an impressive display.

This is a wonderful film. I usually watch it at this time of year to get my juices flowing, stirring up excitement and anticipation for the upcoming racing season. I highly recommend it. Just make sure you have your seat belt secured tightly. You’re in for a wild ride!

TJ…..2026