For four years, the Porsche 919 Hybrid competed in the LMP1 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Porsche, however, pulled the plug on the three-time Le Mans-winning racer following the 2017 season and instead focused its racing efforts elsewhere (such as Formula E). The 919 Evo, free of racing restrictions, set some records and made some headlines, but that wasn’t the end of Porsche design’s ambitions for the 919. Not only did Porsche designers work on a street iteration of the 919, but the team also envisioned an informal replacement for it—a preview, perhaps, of a future racer.
Dubbed the Vision 920, this low-slung Porsche explored a concept for an exotic supercar for the streets, or a racing vehicle for privateers. In other words, you’re looking at Porsche’s thinking about what a theoretical challenger to forthcoming vehicles such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the Toyota GR Super Sport might look like.
Porsche notes the Vision 920 shares its key mechanical bits with the LMP1 racer of yore, too, which we presume includes its trick nearly 1,000-hp gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. That said, the Vision 920 is only a model and not a running prototype, so any mechanical provisions are likely theoretical.
The Vision 920’s real story, then, is its design, which is absolutely breathtaking. Swollen fenders surround the cockpit, while a myriad of air ducts make this concept appear as though it’s racing down the Mulsanne Straight even at rest. But it’s the little details that really wow. We’re talking about the exposed inboard suspension featuring bright yellow springs fore of the cabin, and inboard brakes sporting equally bright yellow brake calipers peeking out through the car’s rear end.
Only time will tell if Porsche ever builds an informal successor to its 919 Hybrid race car. If one does arrive, though, we hope it steals the Vision 920’s style.
