More than a year after announcing its plans to return to the top flight of sports car racing, Porsche has finally revealed its Le Mans race car.
The 919 Hybrid LMP1 Porsche is a petrol-electric hybrid developed around a 2.0 V4 single turbocharged petrol engine, which is supported by an electric motor mounted and a lithium-ion battery. The electric motor provides drive to the front wheels, making the car able to run as a four-wheel drive.
2014 Le Mans Porsche
Like the new F1 cars, the 919 Hybrid also has two energy recovery systems, including brake energy recuperation and an exhaust-mounted thermal energy recovery system.
In the run up to the reveal of the 919 Hybrid, Porsche confirmed its driver partnerships for both the Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Endurance Championship, with ex-F1 driver Mark Webber driving alongside Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley in the #20 car, while Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb and Neel Jani will drive the #14 machine.
