Merry Christmas, Porsche motorsport fans. The company has today announced its return to the top tier of endurance racing, and these very early sketches signal an incoming lightweight, hybrid racer with just under 700hp.
“The Executive Board at Porsche AG has given the green light to the development of an LMDh prototype,” explains, um, Porsche. LMDh cars will form the highest class of the World Endurance Championship and the North American IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship from 2023, so there’s a bit of a wait.
The new category allows Porsche “to fight for overall victories with a hybrid system at the Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring classics without breaking the bank.” We’re told these cars are built on an upgraded LMP2 chassis, while the spec for the hybrid system, including the control electronics, is all standardized. Each racer will weigh around 1,000kg and feature aforementioned hybrid powertrains kicking out some 680hp.
“We hold a record with our 19 outright wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and we’ve climbed to the top podium step many times at major races in the USA,” explains Porsche’s Motorsport vice president Fritz Enzinger. “We can continue this tradition with an LMDh vehicle while at the same time keeping costs reasonable. There has been huge interest from other manufacturers.
“I hope we can pick up where we left off with the famous clashes against many other marques in the ’80s and ’90s. That would give the entire motor-racing scene a boost.”
Game, consider yourself on.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
