The Porsche 919 Hybrid and 24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans: A Brief History

24 heures du mans, or 24 Hours of Le Mans for non-francophile readers, debuted in 1906 as a competitive outlet for “the passion of men who recognized that the invention of the automobile had the potential to revolutionize the 20th century.” According to the race’s official site, the race “combines performance and durability for 24 hours, but also about takes into account the development of new technologies (hybrid for example) linked to today’s environmental consciousness.” And Wikipedia notes that Le Mans is the world’s oldest endurance sports car race, which, obviously, adds to it’s mystique.

Although they previously claimed victory at the event sixteen times, Porsche abstained from the race for several years (during which time, Audi Sport Team dominated the field). In 2011, though, the German automaker prioritized re-entry into competitive, endurance racing. The company’s first goal was to design and engineer a brand new vehicle in preparation for the the 2014 iteration.

HYPE and Re-entering the Fray with the Porsche 919 Hybrid

In order to create a performance vehicle that could reestablish Porsche as an industry leader in the competitive racing world, the automaker enlisted the expertise of several renowned engineers. After nearly three years of planning, designing, and testing, the Porsche 919 Hybrid made it’s debut. Below, you can watch a few, short hype videos that Porsche produced for the vehicle’s roll out:

The first of the two videos provides a brief, layered image that demonstrates the internal layout of the 919’s combustion engine and hybrid drive. The second video opens with an explanation of Porsche’s motivation and desire to re-enter and win Le Mans.

The Porsche 919 Hybrid at Le Mans 2015 and 2016

A year and a half later, Porsche’s LMP-1 Team (SPOILER ALERT lol) won the 2015 Le Mans. Just days later, the automaker released another hype video in order to commemorate the historic finish:

This year’s rendition of 24 Hours of Le Mans will begin on June 18 and run through the following day. The FIA WEC season commenced on 17 April, though; in preparation for another season of racing, Porsche kicked the dust off the old hype machine with a short, promotional video:

Porsche at Le Mans Documentary

All of these videos, though, merely serve as prelude to the below, 53-minute documentary that Porsche produced in order to tell the story of their return to international endurance, sports car events. If you have an hour or so to burn, I highly recommend watching this in-depth account of the German car manufacturer’s journey from nascent, planning stages to the conclusion of the 2015 FIA WEC season. The endeavor, as you may well guess, isn’t as easy or as straightforward as my brief comments above might suggest:

Channel your Inner Racer at Prestige Imports

If these videos have you jonesing for the handling, speed, and performance of a Porsche vehicle, visit Prestige Imports at 9201 West Colfax Avenue and check out what we have in-stock. Conversely, you can call ahead to make an appointment; our number is (833) 825-5423.

If you’d like to watch the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, check out the broadcast schedule at Fox Sports.