Porsche LMP 2000 Race Car Brings to Life After Twenty-Five Years

A journey back in time to 1999 begins with a launch at the Weissach Development Center test track. The LMP 2000 was initially designed to win at Le Mans. However, midway through development, the company decided to stop the project after the car was completed for budgetary reasons. After just 78 kilometers of testing, a tarpaulin was put on it and it remained parked for more than twenty years. Until the Porsche Heritage and Museum team brought the LMP 2000 back to life, along with a host of legends surrounding its existence. Twenty-five years later, many of those involved in the original program were reunited for the car’s most recent launch, with Allan McNish at the wheel, just as he was in 1999. “A project close to our hearts” is a phrase often heard when discussing the LMP 2000 at the Weissach Development Center. Having yet to complete a single race lap, the car has remained on the minds of its creators for the past twenty-five years. On the 25th anniversary of the original runs on 2 and 3 November 1999, the Porsche Heritage and Museum team made the car ready to be driven again. At the wheel was Allan McNish, the last person to drive the race car in 1999. As the 54-year-old pilot drove the first laps of the 2.88-kilometre test track, some members of the team that had been involved in the project, which was internally called ‘9R3’ a quarter of a century ago, joined in the excitement. Among those present were Norbert Singer, then Race Engineer, Head of Motorsport, Thomas Laudenbach, then Application Engineer, and Herbert Ampferer, former Head of Race Department. Also present were Armin Burger, Historical Motorsport Coordinator, Traugott Brecht, Historical Motorsport Technical Advisor, Timo Bernhard, Le Mans champion and Brand Ambassador, Steffen Wolf, Engineer for Engine Management Systems, and Alexander E. Klein, Head of Heritage Operations and Communications. For each of them, the LMP 2000 is more than just a car. It is a part of their personal Porsche story. What unites them all is the story of a project close to their hearts, a race car that had never competed, had no success stories to tell and had less than 80 km on the clock. The car was originally developed for the LMP900 Le Mans prototype class, meaning that according to the regulations for that category, it weighed no more than 900 kg. And the goal? Overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The statistics were as impressive as the car’s goal: over 600 PS from its naturally aspirated 5.5-litre V10. An emotional journey through time at the Weissach test track “It’s amazing! It feels like I’ve gone back 25 years,” says Le Mans winner McNish as he completes his first test drives in the reactivated LMP 2000. “The smiles on the faces of the people here are as impressive as the engine noise behind you on the long straight!” The Scottish racer, a Porsche factory driver, first got to drive the car on November 3, 1999, at the age of 29, in 8.6 degrees Celsius and 68% humidity. That day, despite tyres that were not suitable for the low temperature, he reached a top speed of 302 km/h and covered 60 km, setting a lap record during the run. The day before, Bob Wollek, who died in 2001, had completed his first few kilometres in the car. Together, they covered 78 km in two days in the LMP 2000. “Bob would definitely come to see this today,” says McNish. The 25th anniversary run is not only a technical achievement for the entire team, but also a tribute to everyone who invested their time, energy and passion in the development of the car. The LMP 2000 represented the essence of the company: the determination to constantly redefine what is feasible and the courage to hold on to great ideas despite resistance. The LMP 2000 was and remains a project close to our hearts and reflects the values ​​of Porsche. Unveiled, full of stories. Finally ready to tell. Source: Porsche

Added 9 Sept 2026