PorschePorscheGermany, 1931 > present43 models
4639 photos
29 videos
has finally revealed a car that it has been teasing for over a year. The 2014 Porsche LMP1 has finally hit Porsche's test track in Weissach at the hands of Porsche factory driver Timo Bernhard. Unfortunately, while we have now seen the car, Porsche has still not revealed what is powering the new LMP1. 

According to Porsche, bringing the car to the test track actually came several weeks earlier than the engineers had originally planned. The car has been developed from the ground up to take advantage of all of the ACO's 2014 LMP1 rules.

The car's shape is not a shock if you have ever seen a modern LMP1 car. The only images that Porsche released show the front of the car, but for the most part, it looks like similar to the current factory LMP1 cars, especially the Toyota. It has large center stability fin and bubble-like coupe canopy. At the moment, the only distinguishing feature is the nose, which has a large lower intake, two smaller intakes and a slot in the center.

“We are well on schedule. Our newly formed team has worked with utmost concentration on getting this highly complex vehicle on the track as soon as possible. This allows us a few additional weeks for more testing and further development. From 2014, the regulations are primarily based on efficiency. This makes the competition amongst engineers more interesting and presents us with completely new challenges," said Fritz Enzinger, head of the LMP1 program.

Porsche has been working on the LMP1 since mid-2011, and it has involved significant growth of Porsche's Motorsport Center in Weissach. There are 200 people developing, designing and assembling the car, and a dedicated team from Weissach will run the team next year. 

“I was involved in the development of the new car right from the outset. I’m very proud that I was the one to take our baby through its first paces today," said Bernhard.

Porsche has already tapped Bernhard and Romain Dumas as the development drivers for the car, and they will be the primary factory drivers next year. 

The big remaining question involving the Porsche LMP1 is what is powering the car and how will it compare to what AudiAudiGermany, 1909 > present83 models
8213 photos
27 videos
and ToyotaToyotaJapan, 1937 > present155 models
4570 photos
10 videos
have next season. It might be a few more months before we find out. Given Porsche's history at Le Mans, only a fool would count them out.