5 Things to Know about the Porsche 919
The Porsche 919 is a fascinating piece of kit packed with a ton of revolutionary technology. Here are 5 things that you need to know about Porsche's hybrid racing machine.
1. It Pays Homage to Porsche's History
The 919 is a truly revolutionary vehicle that represents a lot of firsts for Porsche. It's the first sports prototype the automaker has built since the RS Spyder, as well as the first one to be raced by Porsche (as a race team), and the first car built to compete in the top category of sports car racing since the 911 GT1-98 and LMP1-98. The 919 nomenclature itself is a nod to the 917 and the 918 - a successful 70's racer and a modern hybrid super street car.
2. The Drivetrain is Truly Revolutionary
Let's face it, a V-4 is not something you see every day. Especially not a turbocharged, direct injected, 500 horsepower one that can rev to 9,000 rpm. If that's not enough power (when is it ever?), the little engine that could is assisted by a generator driven by exhaust pressure that sends copious amounts of electricity to a battery pack. That, along with a generator that converts braking energy into power, produces an additional 400 horsepower to drive the front wheels. To top things off, the little V-4 is quite fuel efficient, making this one revolutionary drivetrain.
3. It's a Lot Different Than the Competition
Instead of copying or even borrowing ideas from the uber successful Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro, Porsche set out to create an entirely different beast when it designed the 919. The Audi makes use of a a turbo diesel V6, two front axle mounted electric motors, and an electric flywheel accumulator that sends energy back to the motors. Porsche's V-4 setup is as powerful, lighter, and more fuel efficient, giving it tons of advantages under newer Le Mans rules.
4. Success for the 919 Has Come Quickly
The 919 made its debut at the 2014 6 Hours of Silverstone, and grabbed a third place finish right off the bat. It was running right with the race leading Audi at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans when it suffered a broken anti-roll bar. The 919 would bounce back in 2015, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the last five races of the season.
5. It Represents the Future for Porsche
Porsche itself has called the 919 its "fastest mobile research lab," and for good reason. Racing has always been a test bed for future car technology, and the efficient, powerful, hybrid drivetrain in the 919 represents the future. We've already seen supercars like the 918 take full advantage of this technology, and you can bet that things are only going to get better in the future.
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