“The new LMDh category allows us to fight for overall victories with a hybrid system at the Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring classics – without breaking the bank.
The racing cars, which tip the scales at around 1,000 kilograms, are powered by a hybrid system with an output of 500 kW (680 hp). Porsche very much welcomed the introduction of the new class for hybrid prototypes when it was jointly announced by the organisers at ACO/WEC and IMSA. Both championships are hugely significant for the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer. From 2023, the LMDh cars will make up a new top class in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. After a lengthy evaluation phase, Porsche Motorsport received the order to build a vehicle based on future regulations. The Executive Board at Porsche AG has given the green light to the development of an LMDh prototype. IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar ChampionshipĮxecutive Board at Porsche AG approves development of a hybrid racing car Porsche aims to fight for overall victories with an LMDh prototype Stuttgart.George Feygin, Vice President, Legal and General Counsel.Glenn Garde, Vice President, After Sales.Angus Fitton, Vice President, Public Relations.Erika Burk, Vice President, Human Resources.Thierry Kartochian, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.Joe Lawrence, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer.Kjell Gruner, President and Chief Executive Officer To find out more about this car and 14 other concepts Porsche never released, check out the book Porsche Unseen from Delius Klasing. Nobody saw it until today, when Porsche unveiled it to the world. How awesome would it have been for Porsche to pull off the same exact thing 27 years later?Īlas, for the 919 Street concept was shuffled off to a shelf in the basement of Porsche’s design warehouse. The street-legal Dauer, with narrower tires, less aggressive aero, a leather interior, and a luggage compartment, won at Le Mans in 1994. Tuning company Dauer made a street-legal 962 race car in 1993 and Porsche jumped through the loophole in the FIA’s rulebook. The top class was shuffled out for a more street-oriented class with a homologation regulation requiring at least one street version be made. Back in the 1990s when the Group C category had its speed wings clipped, Porsche’s dominant 962 was no longer the winning strategy. Given that the FIA WEC has gotten rid of the LMP1 class in favor of a class it is calling Le Mans Hypercar, Porsche could have done a 962 gambit all over again. It’s possible that this car could have really been something, however. Could any of Porsche’s street-focused clientele really extract the most from this machine? Doubtful. It’s possible that because the race car was so intense that the street car was never green lit. Presumably the interior of the 919 street car would have been a bit on the tight side, but you’re willing to get up close and personal with your passenger for the treat of a mega Porsche, right? I know I would be. With a carbon chassis, over 900 horsepower delivered by a four cylinder engine paired to a hybrid electric motor, and the exact dimensions as the race car, this could have been a proper track day weapon for the well-heeled Porsche fanatic. Porsche built the design study you see here back in 2017 and kept it under wraps all these years. Yeah, you read that right.Īston Martin Valkyrie? Mercedes-AMG Project 1? Toyota GR Super Sport? Forget all of that, none of those supercars have straight up Le Mans cred yet, but Porsche’s 919 came, saw, and conquered. What we didn’t know, however, was that Porsche built a mockup of the 919 Hybrid Le Mans racer as a potential street-dominating production hypercar. Porsche came to the class to win it all, which it did and more.
#PORSCHE LE MANS PROTOTYPE 1 PROJECT DRIVER#
By any measure, that’s an impressive chassis, engine, and driver lineup combination.
#PORSCHE LE MANS PROTOTYPE 1 PROJECT DRIVERS#
From 33 races, the 919 Hybrid found its way to 17 race victories, three constructors championships, three drivers championships, and three Le Mans 24 overall wins. Porsche’s all-conquering 919 Hybrid won races, titles, and our hearts in the span of its four-season run in the top-flight LMP1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship.