Porsche has claimed overall victory at LeMans 16 times, but not since 1998.
It’s already taken the checkered flag more than any other maker, but Porsche says it will try for one more, revealing plans to return to the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014.
The maker isn’t providing much detail, but says it will campaign an all-new LMP1 race car when it heads back out on the long Le Mans circuit. It will be Porsche’s first race there after its formal merger with Volkswagen AG. And it could bring out some intriguing new technology, insiders hint, considering the maker’s increasing interest in hybrid power.
But the decision to return to Le Mans means that Porsche will likely be going up against at least one other VW brand, Audi, which has been dominating the global endurance racing scene, in recent years, with its various diesel-powered monsters. Audi’s latest, the R18, overwhelmed the field yet again, this year, giving the Ingollstadt maker its 10th overall victory Le Mans.
Porsche's 918 RSR race car is using a hybrid powertrain to give it a track edge.
That puts it one ahead of Ferrari, but a shocking six victories behind Porsche – which last claimed the top rung on the podium way back in 1998, with a 911 GT1. That’s not to say Porsche has been entirely absent. It won the LMP2 class in 2008 and 2009 with the RS Spyder. But that’s not quite the same as an overall victory.
“Motorsport has always been an essential part of the Porsche brand, so for us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the premier league of endurance racing,” said CEO Matthias Muller.
While the new effort will focus on an LMP1 race car, it appears Porsche is still trying to figure out exactly what that means, in part due to changing regulations for the endurance event. But the maker’s motorsports chief, Hartmut Kristen hints that Porsche will continue its flirtation with alternative power, something it has been putting an increasing emphasis on lately.
At the Detroit Auto Show, last January, the maker drew a huge crowd for the unveiling of the 918 RSR, a hybrid racer that CEO Muller suggested will “explore the use of alternative power in extreme conditions.”
Though Porsche is already producing several relatively conventional hybrid models using electrical storage systems, the 918 RSR relies on a high-tech mechanical system. Its primary source of power is a 563 horsepower V8. But at the touch of a button, the driver can access the energy stored in a flywheel system mounted in what would otherwise be the passenger seat.
The advantage of this approach is that vast amounts of energy can be stored – or released – in a matter of milliseconds. Battery-based hybrids are much slower, which makes them less effective on the track. They’re also significantly heavier.
But for the moment, it’s all speculation, motorsports boss Kristen only suggesting, “We’re looking forward to developing new technologies and building on the success of the RS Spyder. We’ll start by researching the various concept alternatives for the new car; depending on the exact details of the 2014 regulations, one possible option would be to integrate our hybrid technology.”