The 2017-spec Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 car was spied out in the open testing at the end of a GT car test day at Paul Ricard, reports Daily Sportscar. The car only took one or two laps according to those who saw it, but that was just enough to get a good look at one of the two contenders for the top LMP1 class in the World Endurance Championship.
The new World Endurance Championship season is close enough to smell when we start seeing Le Mans prototypes out in the open, and it can’t come soon enough.
In addition to huuuuuuuuge headlamps, the new car features larger front fenders and sidepods optimized for better cooling and airflow. Like the final-generation Audi R18, it appears to have no standalone side rear-view mirrors.
Le Mans prototypes run several different specifications for different races throughout the year, so no one is quite sure which spec this 919 is running. Daily Sportscar thinks that the large headlamps may indicate a car built for night racing, though, so perhaps this is the one for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
You can view the rest of Daily Sportscar’s round-up of spy shots here. We’ll see all the Le Mans prototypes out in the open next weekend at the WEC Prologue in Monza.