WEC 2017: Porsche's new 919 Hybrid LMP1 due to run this week
The car with which Porsche will defend its World Endurance Championship titles next season is due to run for the first time this week
The latest upgrade of the 919 Hybrid LMP1 car is scheduled to be shaken down on the Weissach test track at Porsche's research and development facility.
That roll-out will be followed by the first proper test at the Spanish Aragon circuit next week.
The five-day run for the latest 919 will include both performance and endurance testing.
While not in the final specification in which it will race in 2017, Porsche LMP1 team principal Andreas Seidl revealed that "70 to 80% of the components will be hitting the road for the first time".
The car will run in its final 2017 specification when Porsche resumes testing after a Christmas break in early February.
Little apart from the monocoque will be retained from the 2016 challenger that claimed both the WEC drivers' and manufacturers' titles and won the Le Mans 24 Hours.
"Nearly everything is new around the monocoque and we will do two completely new aero kits [the maximum allowed for next season]," explained Seidl.
The 2017 car will be unveiled at Monza on March 23 ahead of the official pre-season WEC test at the Italian track.
Toyota is scheduled to run for the first time with the 2017 version of the TS050 in January.
Porsche announced on Saturday that it has signed Andre Lotterer from Audi for 2017, and promoted Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber to full-time LMP1 roles.
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