by John Glynn | Jan 16, 2015 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
Pictures have just been released of the 2015 Porsche 919 LMP1 Hybrid, three of which will be raced at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours on June 13-14, with drivers including Formula 1’s Nico Hülkenberg.
Weissach rolled the car out onto the test track for various systems checks in December last year, but serious testing of Stuttgart’s WEC challenger kicks off in Abu Dhabi on January 18. More testing is scheduled before the opening round of the 2015 World Endurance Championship on April 12 at Silverstone.
Porsche’s 2015 LMP1 car is said to be “a comprehensive evolution of the successful car that made its debut in 2014. It features the same innovative drivetrain concept consisting of a 2-litre V4 turbocharged petrol engine, an electric motor powering the front wheels, and two energy recovery systems.”
What has been dropped? We don’t know. Details will emerge as the season progresses: it will also be interesting to see what pace the car runs when it gets to Silverstone, how hard it is on its tyres and whether Porsche applies any changes in approach to quali and race strategy.
2014 was a mixed bag for Porsche in the WEC, with some teething troubles on track and a serious crash for Mark Webber at Interlagos. The team did manage a win with the 919 – Dumas/Jani/Lieb (above) coming home first in Brazil – but only after Toyota had clinched the World Championship, following a virtually flawless season by Anthony Davidson and Sebastian Buemi. Here’s to better results for the car and our heroes in 2015.
edit: Daily Sportscar has done a quick analysis of 2014 919 vs 2015 model, also making the point that Porsche has gone to an 8mJ Hybrid system which requires more cooling. The initial changes are aerodynamic – at least Porsche has its own wind tunnel this year.
by John Glynn | Dec 21, 2014 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
Porsche has announced a series of changes to its motorsport programme for 2015. Next year’s schedule was set out at the annual Night of Champions, where Jaap van Lagen was awarded the Porsche Cup as the most successful private driver competing in a Porsche during 2014.
Van Lagen is in rarified company, as only the second Dutch driver in the trophy’s long history to win this prestigious award. The other Dutch champ was the great Gijs van Lennep, who claimed the first Porsche Cup from Ferry himself back in 1970. Jaap’s prize: a brand new 911 Carrera S. Well done that man!
This was a week with much to celebrate. Weissach enjoyed a successful roll-out of the 2015 Porsche 919 LMP1 Hybrid with Marc Lieb piloting. The first test is scheduled for January 18-22 in Abu Dhabi: hopefully will coincide with a trip I am taking there also.
Porsche Motorsport 2015
Great to see Earl Bamber get a works drive for 2015: another richly deserved step towards a very bright future. Bamber’s awesome performances in Supercup and as a works stand-in did the trick.
A pair of works RSRs will race in America, from the Daytona 24 season opener. Bamber will partner Fred Makowiecki and Jörg Bergmeister in car 911, while Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet and Marc Lieb share the sister 912. No mention yet of what super-quick Marco Holzer will be up to next year, but he was happy to tweet this pic of the boys decompressing with slot cars:
Taking Earl’s slot in Supercup is highly talented Italian teenager, Matteo Cairoli. I’m excited to see what Matteo can do in Supercup against the 2015 Porsche Juniors, Sven Müller and Connor de Phillippi. Also new to Supercup is incoming championship manager, thirty-three year-old Oliver Schwab. The former motorsport chief at Porsche China takes over from Jonas Krauss, who is leaving the company.
Every year, new names join the Porsche works squad and every year I expect to see someone lose out. While it has dropped two Juniors this year – farewell to Klaus Bachler and Alex Riberas – Porsche still maintains the biggest works driver lineup that I can remember, and more names will join for Le Mans, when Nico Hülkenberg (below) slides into the Porsche LMP1. We’re all keen to see who will partner the German, and how he will fare at La Sarthe. No one is keener than Porsche CEO, Matthias Müller.
“Motorsport is the soul and principle of this company,” said Herr Müller. “The best and most innovative technologies in our roadgoing sports cars come directly from motorsport.” A sentiment echoed by Wolfgang Hatz. “For Porsche, racing is more than an end in itself. On race tracks around the world, we test and develop technologies that are relevant for our sports car customers on the street.”
For all the chat about racing to develop road car technology, some of us go racing for one reason only: beating the rest. If we’re not winning, we’re losing, and we don’t like to lose! I’m not that bothered about how many cars Porsche sells, as long as each of these boys races their nuts off, and hopefully brings us to victory. The 2015 team looks like a potential winner to me, as it must be to beat the awesome Toyota squad. Roll on 2015!
by John Glynn | Nov 27, 2014 | Porsche People, Race and Rally
One of the Porsche F1 driver rumours previously reported on Ferdinand was confirmed this morning, when Porsche announced that Nico Hülkenberg would drive for its LMP1 squad at Le Mans 2015. While there is no further news on Jenson Button, it proves that the third LMP1 car is not set aside for works GT drivers.
“The Hulk” currently drives for Force India on Formula 1 (based just down the road from us in Silverstone) and enjoyed a solid start to the 2014 F1 season. Recently confirmed with Force India for 2015, the Porsche drive will give him something else to do next summer.
“Porsche and Le Mans: this combination probably attracts every race driver,” said Nico. “I’ve been a Porsche fan for a long time and have been watching their return to the LMP1 class closely. The desire grew to drive that car at Le Mans. I am very pleased the 2015 Formula One calendar allows for it and I’m grateful for Sahara Force India’s generosity in letting me go for it. Now it’s up to me to work hard to satisfy both commitments.”
Nico Hülkenberg Porsche Drive Le Mans 2015
When Nico takes the start of the 2015 Le Mans on June 13, he will be the first active F1 driver to race at Le Mans since 2009. While The Hulk is no stranger to Porsche (he previously tested the 997 Hybrid at the Nürburgring), Porsche is bedding him into racing the 919 at the 6 Hours of Spa on May 2.
Quotes from the Porsche race personnel read like every other press release – “this proves our 919 Hybrid is a worthy race seat etc” – but there is no doubt that Porsche has pulled in another exceptionally quick race driver who has dominated most of the championships he has raced in. After some really impressive F1 race drives in less than stellar machinery, Hülkenberg missed out on a works Ferrari seat by the barest of margins and has always qualified well: his pace should put down a challenging benchmark.
Also important is Hülkenberg’s long-term Dekra sponsorship and experience with F1’s new drivetrain technology. Very few people have raced the latest generation of F1 cars and ,while there is little outward similarity between the two series, driving quickly with hybrid power demands a specific approach. Nico’s intelligence and understanding of high-level hybrid racing could give his car a distinct advantage: who knows until we go racing.
While this deal is just for a driver, it may also be that Porsche could somehow explore connections to Force India’s technical know-how and commercial activities. Vijay Mallya knows how to make a buck or two and India has a proper F1 circuit doing nothing. Perhaps there’s an opportunity to bring WEC to that part of the world. I’m just throwing it out there.
by John Glynn | Nov 24, 2014 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
Porsche has just announced a third 919 entry for Le Mans 2015. Anyone who has been following the Jenson Button Porsche rumours will be completely unsurprised and hopefully excited by the news of a third LMP1 entry, as it clears the way for a certain could-be ex-F1 driver to join the Porsche Le Mans 2015 team for the 24-Hours and maybe more.
The additional chassis also allows a few of the GT drivers to step up to the big one for the Le Mans 24-Hour, and means Stuttgart will be mob-handed at La Sarthe next year. The pitlane will be a hive of Porsche activity with three Porsche 919 Hybrids and perhaps another eight Porsche 911 RSRs buzzing around the place if 2014 is anything to go by.
Porsche Le Mans 2015
Le Mans 2015 dates are 13-14 June for the main event, with the testing taking place two weeks prior, on Sunday May 31. Scrutineering will be on Sunday/Monday 7-8 June. The schedule allows the teams to set up camp inside the Le Mans circuit, and leave their arenas assembled until the 24-Hour race has finished.
Whoever ends up driving them, three 919 Hybrids racing in France is quite a draw for the fans. No doubt a few convoys will be leaving the UK headed for Le Mans. Could we see new dad Mr Tandy in an LMP1?
All text ©Ferdinand Magazine 2014 and may not be copied or reproduced
by John Glynn | Nov 19, 2014 | Classic Porsche Blog, Porsche News
Superb result on the school run this morning, as a Volkswagen XL1 hybrid swooped in at Orla’s school: moving on a public road right in front of my eyes. Dads love the ultimate school run challenge – what car to take to freak their kids’ friends out – so I’ve seen and employed some cool school run cars in my time, but this was the winner by miles.
330 miles in fact, as that’s what the XL1 can eke from one imperial gallon of diesel. The 795-kilogram carbon-fibre body is beautifully shaped and exceptionally aerodynamic: a drag coefficient of 0.186 is half that of the Porsche 918 Hybrid. The XL1’s low drag means that 62 mph can be maintained on a level road using only 8 horsepower.
Volkswagen XL1 Encounter
I’ve loved the Volkswagen L and XL concept cars since the first one was shown in 2009. They are absolute fantasy cars, so what full-on madness to see one on the road and in the carbon fibre. A tiny machine at less than 4 metres long, it still has more than enough space to do 90% of your motoring.
The styling is pure sports car, with the roof just over three feet off the ground. I could not resisting parking up for a chat with the driver, who turned out to be Volkswagen UK ‘s ‘hybridisation’ programme manager. He told me how only 32 examples are coming to the UK from the total production run of 200 vehicles: two will stay on the press and demo fleet while the rest are up for grabs. With names like Peter Gabriel on the customer enquiry list, I have no doubt that the XL1 will sell out pretty sharpish.
The hinged doors are light and easy to operate. Fit and finish across the body is sublime: Volkswagen actually developed and patented a new system for the manufacture of the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer parts on the car called the Resin Transfer Moulding process. A bare chassis weighs just 230 kilograms, the complete interior weighs only 80 kilograms.
Less than one-quarter of the car’s weight is iron or steel: just 184 kilograms. The car saves weight by using magnesium wheels, ceramic brakes and aluminum brake calipers, steering components and suspension.
Sitting in the XL1 is familiar Volkswagen territory, albeit the dash is reduced down to the (very smartly presented) barest essentials. Less familiar are the door mirrors: rear-facing cameras with iPhone 3G-sized screens embedded into the door panels. The seats are comfortable if a little flat and hard – light weight could mean sore arse in the long run – and anyone with bad knees won’t be buying this car: it is super low when getting in and out.
The XL1 has an 800cc two-cylinder common rail TDI diesel engine developing 48 PS, linked to an electric motor producing 27 PS. Total output of 75 PS is well enough in such a light car. XL1 has a seven-speed DSG gearbox. The electric motor can either work independently of the TDI engine or in tandem when accelerating.
Electric range is 50 kms, 0-60 is 11.9 seconds but the effect of seeing it on the road is where the real WOW happens. If I had the £98k required to put this car in my garage, I would be all over it immediately.
