Porsche have introduced the world to their World Endurance Championship competitor: the 919 Hybrid, as well as the new 911 RSR.
Porsche stunned audiences with their new 919 Hybrid. The car marks a return to the 24-hour World Endurance Championship for the marque. Get over the quad LED head lamps on each side and the fact that it looks like an assault gunship on wheels, and you can take time out to understand the driveline.
At the heart of the 919, Porsche revealed, is an all-new, turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-litre V4 engine. Yes, it’s not exactly what you had in mind, did you? The reason is, quite simply, efficiency, and the significant benefits from having a car which is as efficient as it is fast. Thus, the V4 revs to 9,000 RPM, while being supported by not one, but two ERS applications – one using the exhaust gases and the other on the front axle harnessing brake energy. The whole car weighs just 870 kg.
Two 919 Hybrids will be raced and behind the wheels will be a crew of sharpened track-attackers. Porsche had, earlier last year, signed up then Red Bull Racing F1 driver Mark Webber, to pilot their new challenger. With him are former F1 driver and multiple 24-hour race winner Romain Dumas, former F1 test driver Neel Jani, former F1 test driver Brendon Hartley, five-time Nurburgring champion Timo Bernhard, and multiple title holder Marc Lieb, who, among other things, did the hot lap at the ‘ring with the 918 Spyder.
Also on display was the 2014 911 RSR which will compete in the GT-Class. The car features further fine-tuned aerodynamics and an even lighter-weight design. The 4.0-litre flat-six is plonked in from the previous car, complete with all of its 470 horses.
