Porsche 919 Evo Eyes All-Time Nürburgring Lap Record
What would happen if Porsche removed all restrictions from its 919 racer and hit the ‘Ring? Well, we’re about to find out.
Ever since Stefan Bellof piloted a Porsche 956 C to a Nürburgring all-time lap record of 6:11.13 back in 1983, most people thought it would never be eclipsed. After all, safety concerns and simple limitations of physics dictate that you can only go so fast around the world famous ‘Ring, right? Well, maybe not. Free from all of its pesky motorsports regulations, the Porsche 919 Evo tribute car is out to break records across the world. And it appears that it has the Nürburgring’s 35 year old mark in its sights.
The Porsche 919 Evo tribute car has already graced the infamous curves of Germany’s Green Hell once, back in April. But that was merely an exhibition run aside an old 956 racer. This time around, the 919 Evo took to the Nürburgring all by itself, able to scream around the track unabated. This, mere weeks after it broke the all-time lap record at Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps.
We certainly aren’t going to bet against it. Unlike the heavily restricted 919 racer, the Evo answers the question “what could this car really do at full tilt?” For starters, Porsche unleashed the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder from its fuel flow restrictions, bumping horsepower from 500 up to 720. Porsche hen cranked the recovery systems all the way up, increasing power from the front electric motor to 440 from 400.
Adjustments in aero help balance out this bump in power. A new, larger front diffuser and bigger rear wing feature drag reduction systems. Aerodynamic efficiency increases thanks to a hydraulically operated system between the front diffuser and rear wing main flap.
The turning vanes and floor underneath the car feature fixed height side skirts as well. Altogether, these improvements increase downforce by 53% and aerodynamic efficiency by 66% – to levels even higher than an F1 car produces. To manage this extra grip, Michelin had to develop an entirely new tire compound.
To cap things off, the Porsche 919 Evo went on a diet. Porsche ditched all unnecessary equipment, including the air conditioning, sensors and electronic devices, lights, pneumatic jack, and windshield wiper. That resulted in a weight savings of 86 pounds, bringing the Evo down to a svelte 1,872 pounds. Toss in a four-wheel brake-by-wire system, stronger wishbones, and tweaked power steering, and you’ve got one amazing ride. One that might have already broken a 35 year old record.
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