If you’ve ever been on a Porsche forum, or to a Porsche meet, or anything regarding Porsches, you’ve probably heard the name, Mezger. People love to go on and on about how their cars have the “legendary Mezger engine.” I’ve seen so many vanity plates for 997 GT3s and Turbos just by driving around LA. The name has been thrown around so much that I think few people even know where it comes from. Let’s talk about Hans Mezger.
Mezger began working for Porsche in 1957 and his work ended up making Porsche what it is today. Don’t believe me? He was designed the 911’s (then called 901) original 2.0 liter flat 6 engine! Yeah, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Mezger’s greatest contribution came in the form of the Porsche 917. The flat 12 that brought Porsche its first victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans was designed by none other than Mezger.
His two part aluminum crank case design became the base of all the 911s with “Mezger” engines; that’s where the name comes from. The Mezger engine represents arguably the best of the best for the 911 in terms of performance and reliability. The original design for this particular engine originated from the 911 GT1, and it was then carried over to all the 996 and 997 GT and Turbo cars.
In it’s ultimate spec, Mezger’s 911 engine took the form of that found in the 911 GT3RS 4.0. Making 500 hp without forced induction is a strong feat even today, let alone back in 2012. The 3.8 liter version of this street engine ended up winning 13th overall in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (in street legal 997.2 GT3RS’ might I add). So long story short, Mezger’s a pretty cool guy with some incredible achievement under his belt. Thankfully it was Porsche that took him in and not Ferrari.
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