Porsche: Back on the big stages 🎥

The trailer announces the return of the successful brand with the LMDh prototype. And it recalls the times when Porsche customers also fought for victories with the factory.

With this anticipated decision, the Executive Board of Porsche AG has set in motion the development of an LMDh prototype. Following an extensive evaluation phase, Porsche Motorsport has been commissioned to build a vehicle based on the future regulations.

The LMDh cars will represent a new top class in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from 2023. Both championships are of great importance to the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer.

Reasonable costs
Porsche had already expressly welcomed the introduction of the new hybrid prototype class when it was jointly announced by the organizers ACO/WEC and IMSA. The racing sports cars, which weigh around 1,000 kilograms, are powered by a hybrid system with 500 kW (680 hp) of output.

Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG: "The new LMDh category enables us to compete for overall victories at the Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring classics with a hybrid drive - and at a reasonable cost. The project is highly attractive for Porsche. Endurance motorsport is part of our brand's DNA."

For the first time in more than 20 years, it will again be possible to compete for overall victories in the world's endurance races with vehicles of identical design. The new LMDh category focuses on high cost efficiency.

Only combustion engine and body from Porsche
The cars are based on a further developed LMP2 chassis. The hybrid system including the control electronics is standardized. Chassis from four different manufacturers are available.

The brands are free to choose the concept for the combustion engine and the design of the body within the framework of the regulations.

Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche AG: "In the medium term, Porsche is focusing on three different drive concepts: fully electric vehicles, efficient plug-in hybrids and emotional internal combustion engines. We want to present this triad equally in the development of state-of-the-art road vehicles and in motorsport."

Formula E, GT and LMDh
Porsche continues to use the all-electric drive as part of its factory commitment in the FIA Formula E. The highly efficient and emotional combustion engines in GT racing. And the LMDh class closes the gap for Porsche.

There, high-performance hybrid drives will compete against each other, as they are already installed in comparable form in numerous models of our brand. If the regulations offer scope for the use of synthetic fuels in the future, this would be an even greater incentive for Porsche in terms of sustainability.

Thanks for the trust
As Head of Motorsport, Fritz Enzinger is naturally delighted with the confidence that the Board of Management has in the motorsport strategy he and his team have devised.

Fritz Enzinger: "With 19 successes, we are record winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and have also stood at the top of the podium at the big races in the USA time and again. We can continue this tradition with an LMDh vehicle against a background of maximum cost efficiency. There is great interest from other manufacturers. I hope that we can continue the glorious battles of numerous brands in the 1980s and 1990s. That would give a big boost to motorsport as a whole."

porsche.com