Porsche Is About To Annihilate Track Records With This Modified 919 Hybrid

Stuttgart's motorsport division has readied a tweaked version of its 919 for a world tour, and you can probably guess why...

Last year, Porsche shocked the motorsport world by pulling out of the World Endurance Championship, paving the way for a Formula E entry.

The move certainly wasn’t down to a lack of success: Stuttgart’s 919 Hybrid LMP1 machine won 17 of the 33 races it entered, bagged three contructors’ championships and was raced to victory three times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s a shame, then, to see it retired in its prime. But worry not - Porsche is planning a farewell tour.

There’s just one thing: it won’t be quite the same car Porsche competed with. As you can see from the teaser video above and the Spa testing footage below, there have been some significant changes which WEC regulations simply wouldn’t have allowed.

Remote video URL

See that rear wing? It’s completely new. It’s a different shape, and is mounted much further back than before. The front end has been completely reshaped too, losing its massive headlights in the process. There are almost certainly myriad changes under the skin, too.

Spot the difference...
Spot the difference...

So why is Porsche doing all this? The only logical explanation is that the firm will be using the car to hunt down outright track records the world over. With a former LMP1 that’s now unconstrained by regulations, we like Porsche’s chances.

Porsche Is About To Annihilate Track Records With This Modified 919 Hybrid

UPDATE: Porsche has already managed to break a record at Spa Francorchamps. The modified 919 set a 1:41.770 with Neel Jani at the wheel, beating Lewis Hamilton’s 2017 Belgian Grand Prix pole lap by 0.783sec.

We’ve also been given a few more details as to the car’s mechanical changes. First up, the V4 internal combustion component of the powertain: it’s been re-restricted, bumping the power from 500bhp to 710. The energy recovery systems have been uncorked too - these now output 434bhp, up from 395.

The next stop on its tour will be the Nordschleife, where it’ll be doing a “demo lap” before the start of the 24 Hours Nurburgring.

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Comments

DL🏁

fanboyism intensifies

04/09/2018 - 16:23 |
0 | 0
Noah Hammerstad

The legend lives!

04/09/2018 - 19:06 |
0 | 0
TheBagel

An LMP1 car just kicked an F1 car’s ass? Epic

04/09/2018 - 20:15 |
3 | 0
₩!Ź@ŔĐ Transit supervan

In reply to by TheBagel

Technically it’s not a lmp1 car . It does not adhere to lmp1 regulations. It’s an extremely expensive time attack car that’s based on a lmp1 car . It’s 12 seconds faster than the actual lmp1 legal porsche . This thing would not be able to do a full race distance. Plus fully legal 2018 f1 cars are more than likely going to take back this record at this years belgian gp since the gap is only 7 tenths and there has a been about a second improvement from 2017 to 2018 so far and if you let some of the restrictions loose on current f1 cars they’ll go much faster .

04/10/2018 - 02:54 |
3 | 0
TheBagel

If they’re going to the Nordschleife with that beauty to break records, they are going to absolutely rape Stefan Bellof’s record.

04/09/2018 - 20:17 |
0 | 0

Maybe not rape but carefully and respectfully shatter

04/09/2018 - 20:23 |
2 | 0
Jeff Sine

Gets on Forza 7. BRB can I beat that in a AMC PACER?

04/10/2018 - 02:38 |
1 | 0
Jeff Sine

After realizing that I can’t beat that time I looked up the average speed of the lap is 153.8763879335757

04/10/2018 - 03:01 |
0 | 0
ᴶᵘˢᵗᴬᴿᵃⁿᵈᵒá

Literally every other car manufacturer with a track record

04/10/2018 - 06:04 |
6 | 0
H5SKB4RU (Returned to CT)

Will they try a Nurburgring record?

04/19/2018 - 18:51 |
0 | 0