We did not get the Martini livery on the Porsche 919 Hybrid which would have been fantastic. But the new official livery features the words "Porsche Intelligent Performance" written all over its body. And that's also cool. For those who are waiting for the Martini livery, don't be so sad. Williams F1 is cooking something for you.
Porsche finally unveiled the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car in all its glory at the Geneva Motor Show and here's how it looks (more after the jump):
The 2.0-liter V4 petrol engine that revs up to 9,000 rpm and works along with an electric motor might be efficient but the powerunit will also need to be reliable for a 24 Hours race. The Nürburgring 24 Hours fans remember that a few years ago, the first Porsche Intelligent Performance race car fell a few hours short of winning the race. Let's hope that the experience gathered by Porsche with hybrid racers throughout the years will prevent that from happening.
Here's a more comprehensive representation of the hybrid powertrain's layout:
More details:
For a high speed track like Le Mans, aerodynamics are crucial. Ask Mark Webber about it..
A closer look at the rear end and the asymetric single exhaust pipe:
This is going to be one the most exciting motorsport seasons! Porsche at Le Mans and an upside down Formula 1 grid. Lovely.
Press release:
World premiere: 919 Hybrid for Le Mans
Porsche returns to the great motor sport stage. The sports car marque is sending a cutting edge technology platform, the new 919 Hybrid, to race in the top LMP1 category of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), which includes the renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans. On the race track and at the Geneva International Motor Show, the LMP1 prototype will be accompanied by the new Porsche 911 RSR, another world premiere in Geneva.
Technology transfer from race course to streets
Motor sport is as much a part of Porsche as the numeric sequence 911. The first sports car from Zuffenhausen was sent to race at Le Mans back in 1951, ie shortly after the company was founded.
Ever since, knowledge acquired in competition has benefited the company's production models. Developments such as dual ignition, disc brakes, the dual-clutch transmission and powerful hybrid drives were first proven out on the race course before they were introduced into street models. As a result, there is always a race car within every Porsche.
In 2014, Porsche is returning to the top class of endurance racing after an absence of 16 years. Consequently, the engineers had to develop the new Porsche 919 Hybrid from scratch. The new WEC regulations for LMP1 race cars gave them an unusual degree of freedom, while focusing on such technologies with great future potential such as hybridisation, engine downsizing and a systematic approach to lightweight design. Instead of pure power, the focus is now on clever ways to enhance fuel efficiency: only those with fuel-efficient cars are competitive. For a long time now, Porsche has called this ‘Porsche Intelligent Performance.’
The 919 Hybrid is the most complex race car that Porsche has ever put on wheels. It benefits from the know-how that Porsche acquired in producing the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid super sports car, as well as the hybrid versions of the Panamera Gran Turismo and all-wheel drive Cayenne. At the same time, the LMP1 racer – as a unique test laboratory that is subjected to the unrivalled innovative and competitive pressures of motor sport – has maximum relevance when it comes to the future of sports cars.
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