Ahead of its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2014 today, the first images of the completed Porsche 919 hybrid racer have leaked online. Completed details about the endurance racer set to run in this year’s World Endurance Championship have yet to emerge, but key details about its engine as well as the full driver line-up are known.
Porsche have not competed at Le Mans since their overall win in 1998 with the 911 GT1-98. Attempts were made after failing to return in 1999 where a Porsche LMP car was created to race in the 2000 season. Porsche cancelled it citing that it would rather use the funds for the Cayenne SUV. However, despite missing Le Mans for over a decade, Porsche has been active in the GT3 and GT2 classes with the 911s.
Under the hood, it will feature a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection mated to two energy recuperation systems. The internal combustion engine will drive the rear wheels while the energy stored under braking and exhaust heat converted into electrical energy will be sent through an electric motor driving the front wheels.
As for drivers, six have been fielded. They include New Zealander Brendon Hartley (24) and long-standing Porsche works driver Marc Lieb (33) from Germany.. The rest are Timo Bernhard (DE, 32), Romain Dumas (FR, 36), Neel Jani (CH, 30) and the Australian Mark Webber (37).
