PORSCHE 919 Hybrid - 2017

Cette collection est une adaptation de 24H Le Mans ® Le auto delle corsa più leggendaria al mondo Éditeur : Centauria Editore s.r.l.

PORSCHE 919 HYBRID

Launched in 2014 and fully competitive in 2015, the new LMP1 hybrid marked Porsche’s return to the category Premier Endurance. Thanks to the development in 2016, it gave the German brand three victories in a row at Le Mans.

Thanks to the success obtained in 2015 with the 919 Hybrid, Porsche achieved two objectives: returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans for victory and interrupting the hegemony of Audi which, with 13 victories in 15 editions achieved from 2000 to 2014, came dangerously close to the record of the Zuffenhausen firm of 16 successes since 1998.

A big success achieved through great effort because the car designed to debut under the new 2014 regulations initially showed room for improvement. The 2014 regulations continued the evolution started in 2011, when the FIA and the ACO decided to reduce the performance of prototypes by limiting the displacement and the number of cylinders, while authorizing the use of electrical systems by energy recovery.

Since 2014, this type of system was compulsory for official teams, they were obliged to develop the electrical part following a subsequent limitation of fuel consumption.

1.  The 2017 919 Hybrid was identical to the 2016 model: Porsche decided to leave the LMP1 category to focus on the GTE Pro category, and therefore did not plan its evolution.

2. In previous years, Porsche gave each car its own colour. In 2017, all 919 Hybrids in the 24 Hours carried the same livery.

The 919 Hybrid debuted in 2014 with a powertrain consisting of a 2.0 V4 turbo engine integrating an exhaust gas energy recovery system and a front electric motor/generator which engaged all-wheel drive when accelerating. This solution showed great potential, but the trim and aerodynamics were less than optimal.

1. Since 2014, the 919 used a lithium ion battery instead of super capacitors and other systems for storing recovered energy, an example followed by other manufacturers

2. The optimisations introduced on the 2016 model included new front and rear axles, and work on the engines to reduce the weight of the components.

As a result, for 2015 the manufacturer reduced the weight of many components, increasing the energy recovery capacity from 6 to 8 megajoules (the maximum set by the regulations) and the electric power from 250 to 400 bhp to compensate for the reduction in output from the petrol engine as a result of lower fuel consumption. The results were immediate: the 919 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Nico Hülkenberg, Earl Bamber and Nicky Tandy, and then, thanks to the victories of Mark Webber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, the 919 won the World Endurance Championship (WEC).

In 2016, the 919 Hybrid changed its appearance and improved its aerodynamics, propulsion system and tyres.

And the car proved its invincibility in the pre-championship tests at Paul Ricard, where the defending champions were the fastest team ahead of team-mates Neel Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb. They became the latest to emerge from the opening rounds of the season, winning the 6 Hours of Silverstone and finishing 2nd in Spa. At Le Mans, the trio took pole position with Neel Jani, but victory was not secured until the very end of the race when the No. 5 Toyota TS 060 broke down. For 2017, the final season in LMP1, Porsche focused on the GTE Pro category.

The brand had the satisfaction of winning Le Mans and the WEC championship for the third time in succession, taking advantage of Audi's withdrawal at the end of 2016. On the Sarthe circuit, in addition to Toyota, the 919 Hybrid defended itself against Jackie Chan's experienced Oreca team which, after the withdrawal of the No. 1 919, came close to the feat of a first LMP2 victory at Le Mans before it was beaten by the No. 2 of Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber.

B. Specifically for Le Mans, the car's aerodynamic body with less downforce than that adopted for previous and subsequent races in the World Sport Prototype (WEC) championship. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.

C. The 919 Hybrid, along with other legendary cars, took part in the 2016 edition of Porsche Sound Night, an annual event dedicated to the sounds of the legendary machines from Zuffenhausen. © IXO Collections SAS - Tous droits réservés.