Porsche to make Le Mans comeback

01st July 2011

German giant Porsche is ready to make a racing return to Le Mans.Bosses have revealed that the brand will be entering the classic French endurance event in 2014, with its first factory-backed effort in nearly two decades.

“Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand,” said company president Matthias Muller. “So it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing.” The all-new LMP1 racer will be packed with eco-friendly technology, including the 
possible addition of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System already used successfully in its 911 GT3 R Hybrid machine.

However, it’s not known whether the newcomer will have a closed coupé or open cockpit bodystyle, as the car is only in 
the early stages of its design.

“We will begin with detailed research in order to evaluate the various concept alternatives for our new car,” said Porsche’s head of motorsport Hartmut Kristen. “It depends on how the regulations for 2014 look, but 
the integration of our hybrid 
technology is a possible option.”

Porsche is the most successful maker in Le Mans history, with 16 wins to its name, including six in a row between 1982 and 1987, with its 956 and 962 Group C racers. The works team’s last win came 
in 1998 when Allan McNish, Stephane Ortelli and Laurent Aiello triumphed in a 911 GT1.