By Mike Spinelli, Jalopnik
Never, ever let it be said that Sir Stirling Moss is not at least a dozen kinds of badass.
Sir Moss, who is 81 years young, bought a super-rare Porsche RS 61 last year at the Amelia Island Auction for $1.7 million, then crashed it at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It's fixed, and Sir Moss will race it in the Le Mans Legends race before the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Badass, thy name is Sir Stirling Moss.
[partner id="jalopnik"]Following last year's crash, in which the gearbox seized on the warm-up lap, Sir Moss spun off and was clobbered by a Lotus. The Porsche was shipped to the UK's Maxted-Page & Prill for repairs, and we don't even want to guess what that cost.
Sir Moss has an affinity for old Porsches. Back in 1961, he nearly won the Targa Florio in a Porsche RS 60. His RS 61, one of only 14 built, scored 13 wins and 20 podium finishes in SCCA national competition.
It's powered by an original-spec 1,678 CC dual overhead cam air-cooled boxer four with twin Weber carbs. It's good for 180 horsepower at 7,800 RPM. A five-speed gearbox pairs with a limited slip diff, the brakes are finned alloy drums and the independent suspension uses trailing arms and torsion bar in the front and wishbones and coilovers in the rear.
Now, Moss will drive it at the Le Mans Legend, which precedes the 24-hour race at the 8.5-mile circuit on June 11. This year's Legend will feature 61 cars built between 1949 and 1965. Moss and co-driver Ian Nuthall will race against class competitors including a Porsche RS 60, Ferrari 206P, Lotus 15 and a Porsche 904-6 prototype.
Photos: Ned Lawler
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