Porsche decided in May of 2011 to take part in the new World Endurance Championship (WEC) launching in 2012. To do so, the German marque birthed the 919 Hybrid fielded in LMP1 as of 2014. Fritz Enzinger helmed the project as its Technical Director and Andreas Seidl was in charge of the racing team. The 919's competition? Oh, just the Audi R18 e-tron quattros, Toyota TS040 Hybrids and TS050 Hybrids!

The Porsche 919 Hybrid was powered by a turbocharged 2-liter V4 gas engine and an electric engine-generator on the front axle. Two energy recovery systems recharged the batteries: one thanks to the exhaust gases and the other from the kinetic energy of the braking.

After a learning curve year punctuated with several podium finishes - the highlight winning the last round of the WEC in 2014, at São Paolo in Brazil with Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb and Neel Jani - the car quickly triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015, with a one-two no less. Fifteen more trophies would soon adorn Porsche's mantel, including two more victories at Le Mans, bringing the total to 19 at the 24 Hours between 1970 and 2017 (the race's win record). Add to that six World Endurance Champion titles (three Manufacturer, three Driver). Sadly, in 2017 Porsche announced the end of the car's career, but a version called the 919 Hybrid Evo was created as a tribute to the legendary 919 Hybrid.

Porsche 919 Hybrid stats:

600 race hours with 90 at night 

100,000+ race kilometers covered 

350+ tire changes

12,000+ laps completed 

Six world champion titles

14 wins at six-hour races 

Three wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans:

2015 with Earl Bamber, Nick Tandy and Nico Hulkenberg

2016 with Marc Lieb, Neel Jani and Romain Dumas

2017 with Timo Bernhard, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley 

VIDEO: YouTube - Porsche