Porsche Showcases Top Five Funniest Race Car Nicknames

Not only have Porsche's most iconic race cars had impressive success on the track, but many of them had some hilarious nicknames. With such a storied history, the German automaker shared the five funniest callsigns from the days of old.

It would be impossible to talk about Porsche nicknames without starting with Moby Dick. The 935/78’s – still the most powerful race car based on the 911 – features a long nose and high tail, which were zany enough to earn the name of the famous Herman Melville novel. Allegedly, the race team’s mechanics came up with the idea after working tirelessly on the race car which had limited success.

One very contested topic within the Porsche circle is if the Pink Pig 917 racer is more iconic than Moby Dick. Regardless, the LeMans winning race car earned its butcher-inspired livery and name after receiving an enlarged and reworked chassis – the paint scheme outlines the different cuts of meat from a pig.

While the previous two examples are extremely iconic, the Porsche 718 W-RS Spyder nicknamed Grandmother is much less known about, earning its nickname for its long tenure in racing. The 718 was such a competitive package that it remained in use from 1961-1964, conquering big-name races such as the Targa Florio.

One of the most peculiar cars on the list has to be the Porsche 356 B 2000 GS Carrera GT – not the Carrera GT you’re probably thinking of. Known as the Triangular Scraper, this machine is essentially a 356 with a redesigned aluminum body. This car is very important as its name and aesthetic comes from the German automaker’s aspirations to go GT racing.

Last but certainly not least is the Porsche 904/8, which was affectionately known as the kangaroo. However, as it wasn’t a rocketship on track, the roo’ earned its name for its scary jumping driving behavior caused by an imbalance between the power unit and chassis. While some of these names are definitely sexier than others, but altogether paint a picture of how Porsche produced its staggering success at the race track.