When Porsche announced it would field an LMP1 racer at Le Mans, it turned a few heads. Now, the Le Mans veteran is turning a few more following the reveal of its liveried 919 LMP1 Hybrid.
The Porsche 919 is a new attempt aimed at utilizing the stringent efficiency rules applied to 2014 Le Mans prototypes. Porsche team leaders believed that the most economical cars would prevail in the World Endurance Championship this year, so they built one.
Tucked away underneath the carbon fiber body is a somewhat humble powertrain: a compact single-turbo 2.0L V4, capable of revving to 9,000rpm and producing 500hp. But that’s only the half of it. The 919 also packs a hybrid system featuring two types of energy recovery: thermal recovery from exhaust gasses and kinetic recovery from brake regeneration. The later is achieved via a motor that can recharge the system upon deceleration, but also engages temporary all-wheel-drive during acceleration. Nifty stuff.
Ex-F1 star Mark Webber will make his Le Mans return for Porsche in car number 20. Take a look here at one of his last Le Mans outings.
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[via Porsche]
