Porsche LMP2 engine designer awarded

Porsche LMP2 at Laguna Seca

Porsche’s Thomas Laudenbach is the recipient of this year’s World Motorsport Symposium Awards for the Race Engine Designer of the Year, presented by the UK published Race Tech magazine. Laudenbach, the head of motorsport development/power train at Porsche AG, for development of direct fuel injection for the Porsche RS Spyder race car.

The power output of the successful championship-winning Porsche increased with the new engine from 476 to 503 hp (370 kW) at 10,000 revs per minute. Maximum torque rose from 370 Nm (273 ft. lbs.) at 7,500 revs to 385 Nm (284 ft. lbs.) at 8,500 revs.

But the most compelling feature of the Direct Fuel Injection version of the successful Porsche 3.4-liter V8 motor is its improved energy efficiency – an important element in endurance racing. Despite an improved power output, fuel consumption was significantly reduced.

Thomas Laudenbach

“After reaching a very high level with the previous engine we raced, we had to put considerable efforts into the development of the direct fuel injection unit in order to significantly improve performance and efficiency," said Laudenbach, the chief designer on the project. “In order to achieve revs of up to 11,000 with direct fuel injection technology it meant stepping into totally new territory."

This technology is also being used in the 2009 Porsche 911s, the newly-introduced Porsche Boxster and Cayman models, and the Porsche Cayenne. It was also after 1,000 miles at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta that the direct fuel injection engine in the Porsche RS Spyder driven by Patrick Long, Sascha Maassen and Emmanuel Collard took the American Le Mans Series’ Green Challenge award for the prototype racer that combined the best of performance and efficiency.