German car manufacturer, Porsche AG makes a welcome return to endurance racing and at Le Mans in 2014 with a new race car, the 919 Hybrid LMP1.
Two 919s will contest the FIA World Endurance Championship and the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
Porsche AG has finally confirmed that the 919 is powered by an unusual two-litre V4 petrol engine.
It had previously only been announced that the car, which first ran in June last year, was powered by petrol and was turbocharged.
Porsche confirmed that the stiff V4 engine can be bolted as a stressed member to the monocoque, something that cannot be done with an in-line four engine.
Additionally, torque is also plentiful from the turbocharged 16-valve 2.0 liter direct-injection 4-cylinder engine. Also, lower cylinder count will reduces weight and improve fuel efficiency.
The turbo V4 engine is responsible for driving the rear wheels only, while an electric system drives the front. Two energy recuperation systems, KERS and ERS, are installed on the car.
The KERS system harvests kinetic energy from the brakes while the ERS harvests energy from the turbochargers. The batteries on board are lithium-ion units supplied by U.S.-based A123 Systems.
However, the exhaust-driven energy-retrieval system developed by Porsche is distinct from that used by Audi and in Formula 1.
Rather than running off the turbocharger, the motor-generator unit on the Porsche is driven by a separate turbine in the exhaust system.
Two 919s will contest the FIA World Endurance Championship and the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
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| Porsche LMP1 (Photo: Porsche AG) |
Porsche AG has finally confirmed that the 919 is powered by an unusual two-litre V4 petrol engine.
It had previously only been announced that the car, which first ran in June last year, was powered by petrol and was turbocharged.
Porsche confirmed that the stiff V4 engine can be bolted as a stressed member to the monocoque, something that cannot be done with an in-line four engine.
Additionally, torque is also plentiful from the turbocharged 16-valve 2.0 liter direct-injection 4-cylinder engine. Also, lower cylinder count will reduces weight and improve fuel efficiency.
 |
| Porsche LMP1 (Photo: Porsche AG) |
The turbo V4 engine is responsible for driving the rear wheels only, while an electric system drives the front. Two energy recuperation systems, KERS and ERS, are installed on the car.
The KERS system harvests kinetic energy from the brakes while the ERS harvests energy from the turbochargers. The batteries on board are lithium-ion units supplied by U.S.-based A123 Systems.
However, the exhaust-driven energy-retrieval system developed by Porsche is distinct from that used by Audi and in Formula 1.
Rather than running off the turbocharger, the motor-generator unit on the Porsche is driven by a separate turbine in the exhaust system.
 |
| Porsche LMP1 (Photo: Porsche AG) |
 |
| Porsche LMP1 (Photo: Porsche AG) |
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| Porsche LMP1 (Photo: Porsche AG) |