24 hours of Le Mans 2014

An exhaust gas powered turbine!?

Sounds very interesting, but seems a bit pointless considering there is already a turbo spinning its little head off.

Also there seems to be a very deliberate effort to use tech different to Audi. If you are going to have 2 group teams competing, best to test as much new tech as possible.
 
^ So some of the teams have driven their alternators off a 'turbocharger' so as not to draw mechanical power off the engine. I think you might also be able to do this if you run in a non-turbocharged class. Obviously running an alternator off a turbocharger you're relying on as a compressor would slow the turbo down, so running an auxiliary turbine makes sense to me.

But yes, it is quite different to what Audi have hinted they will be using. Have they actually announced what it will be yet?
 
I think this is last year's Audi or older, but it's such a cool picture I had to post it :p

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Porsche 919 livery "leaked". It's going top be at Geneva motor show according to this article: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/porsche-919-lmp1-leaked-in-le-mans-livery-77893.html

Speaking of Porsches, I was quite surprised to see on Top Gear last night that the 918 supercar didn't sound like it shared much with the 919 despite the 918 being a petrol hybrid. Same goes for Audi, I guess, because they've never released a big hyperdiesel.

Was looking for any news on the Toyota TS040 and stumbled across this Ferrari prototype, presumably for next year's return: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1089568_mystery-ferrari-race-car-prototype-spy-shots

If it is, they are getting started VERY early!

Toyota seem to be ramping up the publicity this year with teaser shots, a soundclip of the new engine running and now it looks like a teaser video: http://blog.toyota.co.uk/toyota-ts040-hybrid-teaser-video

There's some good stuff on the Audi on this site too: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/12/audi-r18-e-tron-quattro-racer-secondary-hybrid-diesel/

Mainly interested in that hybrid system. It's got it's normal flywheel hybrid system but the heat energy recovery is designed to power an electric turbocharger! Awesome!
 
That Ferrari looks interesting. If it is indeed a WEC car then it's a departure from the shapes we've seen from Audi, Porsche and Toyota. Plus it's missing the shark fin.

It's clearly not a road car though, the wing is too big and the sun band on the windscreen says the seat's too low for a road car.

Interesting times ahead
 
Considering the epic liveries they have had in the past, that Porsche livery is horrible.

And I wouldn't read much into that Ferrari shape. Its likely a test mule made from bolted together panels from other cars. There are hints of LaFerrari and Enzo in in. As with road car development (such as the P1 internals being developed in butchered 12C shells) they will be testing the internals in a body they have available.
 
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