Porsche's return to Le Mans

So after being away from racing the 24 hours of Le Mans, for what seems far too long, Porsche is set to return on June 14 next with a 911 RSR and their new 919 hybrid (LMP1), which will be powered by a V4 hybrid setup. Porsche has had a long tradition of building four cylinder hybrid race cars, starting with the 550 Spyder RS in the mid-fifties, so it comes as no surprise that they chose to return with a V4.

The 919 hybrid is powered by a 2.0 liter 500 horsepower V4 with a hybrid electric drive that can achieve up to 9,000 rpm. It uses two different energy recovery systems, one that recovers thermal energy from exhaust gases via an electric generator driven by the exhaust flow, and the other which, converts kinetic energy into electric energy that can be sent to the front wheels at will. This is a technology borrowed from the Porsche 918 Spyder which is also used in F1 racing (aka KERS).

What is interesting about the 919's engine is that not only does it capture energy waste by using a conventional exhaust-driven turbo, but also uses the flow of exhaust gas for the energy recovery system mentioned earlier, which is a first.
To describe this further, the exhaust flow drives a spin generator to produce electricity to store in the KERS system's LiON battery. And in doing so, supplements the normal brake-recovery energy systems which should give the driver more chances to use the "GO" button. Let's just hope that the system is mechanically tough for the 24 hour long race.

Although the car's boxy shape, especially towards the rear, made some of Porsche's die-hard fans go "huh, ok" after careful inspection it does look pretty cool. And you totally understand the weird grey and white livery when seen from above. One can partially make out "Porsche Intelligent Performance" as this is one of the slogans used promote their return to racing.

Finally, Porsche has done a great job announcing their return to Le Mans. Their slogan reads: "Mission 2014. Our return" and they have created a wonderful web experience about it which I recommend you to see, by clicking here. If you're like me and can't wait to hear what the V4 with all of its hybrid systems sounds like, click here to watch a test video at the Paul Ricard circuit.

Please check back soon for more information about the 2014 Le Mans race. Let's see what Porsche's corporate cousin, the Audi's have in store for them, as they will use their bullet-proof V6 TDI diesel engine and Le Mans race supremacy to silence the newcomers!

Thanks for reading.

Source: Jalopnik
Photo credit:  Jalopnik, Porsche AG