Porsche showcases centrepiece of its Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid

For the first time Porsche is showing images of the centrepiece of its Le Mans winning Porsche 919 Hybrid.

Back in 2014, the company entered the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with the most innovative drive concept on the entire grid: a turbocharged four-cylinder combustion engine to drive the rear axle, an exhaust energy recovery system, the latest lithium-ion battery technology for energy storage to serve the e-machine on the front axle and an overall complex hybrid management. Porsche had set new standards in this technically most demanding world championship.

In 2015, in its second year of competing, the team was rewarded with successes: A one-two result at the Le Mans 24 Hours and the manufacturers' and drivers' World Championship titles. 

The 2.0-litre engine is highly remarkable for its compact design and it also became a trendsetter: the new four-cylinder turbo engine for the Porsche 718 Boxster picks up technology and know-how from the racing power pack.

Alexander Hitzinger, the Technical Director responsible for the 919, said, "Right from the beginning we had a brave concept, but it was also the right concept. This is paying off now."

For 2016, the regulations require a lower amount of energy from the fuel used per lap and have reduced the fuel flow for all the prototypes. For the Porsche race engine this results in a loss of eight percent of fuel and, therefore, output which now translates into a figure of less than 500bhp. Together with the electrical energy from the two recovery systems (brake energy from the front axle and exhaust energy), which serve the e-machine on the front axle, the Porsche 919 Hybrid's overall power system is now around 900bhp.