Porsche was able to bring innovation once again in racing by entering a track version of the 959 that had won the Paris-Dakar in the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans. Lower, wider and even more aggressive, the 961 was equipped with an all-wheel drive, something unheard of at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 2.85-litre 6-cylinder engine was supercharged and developed around 640hp, 200 more than the 959 Raid. The 6-speed transmission was also new. The body was adapted to the track with a large rear wing and additional air intakes for engine and transmission cooling. The 961 finished in 7th place overall, behind 6 Group C prototypes. A year later, the 961, this time with an even more powerful engine (680hp) returned to Le Mans but had to retire following an accident.