2014 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, on the 8-mile “Circuit des 24 Heures” in the idyllic small town on the Sarthe, is the most famous endurance luxury car race in the world, marked by sportsmanship and quest for performance.

This race embodies tradition like no other. The circuit is one of the oldest in the world and the 24-hour race has been held there since 1923. Another special feature is that the proportion of the race where you are driving flat-out is 75%.

 

 

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the highpoint of the worldwide endurance racing season, and as such is at the summit of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s endurance pyramid! It is the race that all the teams from the five continents dream of winning. Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Ferrari, Jaguar, McLaren, and Porsche have all won in the past. The 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 14-15) is already looking like one for the history books, thanks to new rules, the expanded use of hybrid technology, and a major sibling rivalry.

 

 

The blue ribbon category is LM P1 (Le Mans Prototype 1). This class features vehicles with powerful racing engines and has always represented a test bench for new technologies. This is especially true in 2014 through the implementation of the new technical regulations from the ACO and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile.

 

 

The new rules for the WEC in 2014 are clearly efficiency-oriented and demand the deployment of the latest hybrid drive technology. The aim of the new rules for the next season is to considerably reduce fuel consumption among the participating vehicles. The effects of this focus on reduced fuel consumption can be seen in the restrictions on the maximum amount of fuel for each vehicle and race and also on short-term consumption. This aim means that optimum efficiency at maximum performance levels is required from LM P1 cars. It also means that this year, more than ever, the endurance cars will have many elements in common with Formula 1 cars.

 

 

Porsche is returning to top-tier competition at Le Mans this year after a 16-year absence. They are following the same principles which have remained unchanged for over 60 years: Even the smallest component must be subject to a constant review process. Every detail of the vehicle has to be continuously developed. Technology and power must be used intelligently to attain maximum efficiency.

 

 

With a record 16 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, Audi is the most dominant marquee of the modern era, not to mention the reigning champion. It’s about time these corporate siblings faced off.

 

 

Both carmakers will field hybrids, but each powertrain is markedly different. Audi will stick with the Audi R18 e-tron quattro and its battle-tested TDI turbodiesel V-6 and Energy Recovery System-Kinetic flywheel energy-storage system, which provides electric power to the front wheels for temporary all-wheel drive.

 

 

The Porsche 919 Hybrid will use a gasoline V-4, teamed with two forms of energy recovery. One recovers thermal energy from the exhaust, while a second system similar to the one used in the road-going 918 Spyder employs a front-axle mounted generator to recover kinetic energy during breaking.

 

 

Porsche representatives said, “The engineers were able to start with a blank state when it came to the construction of the new LMP1 car that was driven for the first time last June in Weissach. This allowed them to use many new technologies under the new technical rules for the class. These technologies will come to benefit our customers in our series-production vehicles in the future. Ultimately there is a race car at the heart of every Porsche.”

 

 

Audi has made its intentions clear in the following video. After a journey from Audi headquarters in Ingolstadt, past a vintage Porsche tractor and its waving driver, to Porsche’s hometown of Zuffenhausen, an Audi R18 e-tron quattro and its driver leave a very special “welcome back” message. Nothing says “bring it on” like doing donuts in your rival’s parking lot.