2015 Porsche 919 Hybrid Pilots: N. Hülkenberg, E. Bamber, N. Tandy Team: Porsche Team Race: 1st overall (LMP1 class) at Le Mans in 2015 Spark - 43LM15 (resin)
Published 05/05/17
Since 1998 (with the GT1-98) there wasn’t a Porsche works car at Le Mans. After 14 years the brand startled the racing world announcing in 2012 that they would be back to the prototype business. By April 2014 the all-new Porsche 919 debuted at Silverstone. The big deal about the 919 is that it’s an hybrid. It has a 2 l V4 turbocharged gasoline engine with direct fuel injection and two energy recuperation systems. The first of these systems is a KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System, primarily an electromotive brake) on the front axle. The second one is via an exhaust gas energy recovery system. It is truly interesting because it allows the recovery of energy whenever the engine is running, while all other systems are only able to recover energy under braking. The 919 is the only LMP1 car currently able to do this.
The V4 engine powers the rear axle with over 500 hp, but the driver can tap onto the stored energy from the battery. With that, an additional 400 ponies are unleashed to the front axle. And as a result, the 919 temporarily becomes a four-wheel drive car with around 1000 hp!
The 919 debuted in 2014 at La Sarthe, with Porsche’s hopes high. But, the car only achieved a disappointing 11th place. Consequently, for 2015 Porsche revised the car and came back with a vengeance. Achieving a medium speed of 224.2 km/h and consuming 1896 liters of fuel, this 919 Hybrid #19 came in first place. With that, Porsche bagged 17 overall wins at Le Mans.
Okay, I’ll admit: my new favorite brand is Spark . The model is in truth gorgeous, and I’m utterly impressed with the fine details. However, you will pay the extra price for all that detail. So, unfortunately not a cheap model but without a doubt a special car and totally worth it.