After more than a decade’s absence from prototype racing competition, Porsche made its return to the LMP1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2014. It began with the introduction of the Porsche 919 Hybrid race car. And now, over two years later, the Porsche 919 Hybrid 4-cylinder engine is finally being unveiled to the public eye for the very first time.
Porsche just released the images seen here of the Porsche 919 Hybrid 4-cylinder engine — the heart of its Le Mans-winning LMP1 entry. Besides its turbo-charged 4-cylinder gasoline engine, which drives the rear axle, the 919 consists of other highly innovative key components:
- State-of-the-art lithium-ion battery technology with energy storage serving the front axle’s e-machine
- An exhaust energy recovery system, and
- Sophisticated hybrid management
Porsche is proud to point out that the Porsche 919 Hybrid 4-cylinder engine, contained in only two liters, is the most efficient combustion powerplant it has ever constructed. Substantiating this lofty assertion is the fact that, after only 2 years of competition, Porsche’s 919 LMP1 team finished both first and second at Le Mans last year — and then proceeded to clinch both the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ WEC World Championship titles.
No facile feats, these.
While the Porsche 919 Hybrid 4-cylinder engine is configured as a V-4, the contrasting new flat-four engine recently announced for the new Porsche 718 Boxster nonetheless shares similar traits. These common denominators include the interspace between the cylinders, the central direct fuel injection systems and the engines’ short strokes. Thus Porsche calls the 919 Hybrid 4-cylinder engine an innovative “trendsetter.”
In fact, Alexander Hitzinger, Technical Director for the 919, adds, “Right from the beginning we had a brave concept, but it was also the right concept. This is paying off now.”
Paying off, is right. One can’t argue with the fact that this “little engine that could” helped Porsche secure its 17th overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year — with only 500 hp at the time.
This year, however, the Porsche 919 Hybrid 4-cylinder engine will have an output of slightly less than 500 hp. This is attributed to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA – in English, the International Automobile Federation), which is the governing body of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO – in English, the Automobile Club of the West) that organizes the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
That is, the FIA revises its rules and regulations annually, and this year of course is no exception. Hence the slight decline in hp for the Porsche 919 Hybrid 4-cylinder engine to be in compliance with these regulation changes.
That’s why; here’s how:
The latest changes in the 2016 regulations for all prototypes demand that less energy must be generated by the fuel used per each lap. In addition, there is also a mandated reduction in the flow of fuel to combustion engines. For Porsche’s LMP1 919 Hybrid, this translates to a loss of 8% of fuel. This in turn decreases fuel-engine output to less than 500 hp.
Then there’s the electrical energy from the two recovery systems (i.e., brake energy from the front axle and exhaust energy), which serve the e-machine on the front axle. When the power from the fuel engine is coupled with the energy from these electrical-energy systems, the Porsche 919 Hybrid’s overall power output will be approximately 900 hp for the 2016 WEC season.
One main reason for Porsche’s “Mission 2014, Our Return” to the highest level of prototype auto racing was to capitalize on the innovative bleeding edge that the WEC rules and regulations potentially inspire in state-of-the-art automotive research and development. Porsche knows full well that these R&D developments can and will have a huge impact on molding and shaping the powertrains of future production sports cars.
To wit, the wide array of hybrid-drive concepts that the WEC encourages — from diesel and gasoline engines, to naturally aspirated or turbocharged engines, as well as various displacements and one or two energy recovery systems — will set the pace of, and carve out the path for, all future sports-car development to come.
To continue hurling along this pioneering trajectory, the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is about to get underway. The season begins with the kick-off of the Prologue on the Circuit Paul Ricard, in the South of France. In order to expand the race calendar this year, the Mexico City Circuit that opened for Formula 1 just last year has been added to the schedule this season.
The WEC races will be fielded by 32 race cars competing in four classes for six hours during each race, with the exception of the classic 24 Hours of Le Mans on the 8.47-mile-long Circuit de La Sarthe in June.
Those of you lucky enough to attend any of these races will be able to study exhibits of the Porsche 919 Hybrid 4-cylinder engine at these events. The Porsche 919 Hybrid 4-cylinder engine will also be on display at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
Here’s the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship calendar for your motorsport planning and pleasure:
Mar 25-26 — Prologue, Paul Ricard (FR)
Apr 17 — Six hours of Silverstone (GB)
May 7 — Six hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BE)
Jun 5 — Official test day in Le Mans (FR)
Jun 18-19 — 24 hours of Le Mans (FR)
Jul 24 — Six hours of Nürburgring (DE)
Sep 3 — Six hours of Mexico City (MX)
Sep 17 — Six hours of COTA (Austin, Texas/USA)
Oct 16 — Six hours of Fuji (JP)
Nov 6 — Six hours of Shanghai (CH)
Nov 19 — Six hours of Bahrain (BH)