--- title: "Porsche Finally Let Us See and Hear Its Secret Le Mans Racer Hit the Track" description: "Porsche didn't even acknowledge the existence of its canceled LMP 2000 race car until a few years ago. Now, the public gets to see it on track for the first time." date: "2024-11-05" modified: "2024-11-05" authors: - name: "Ronan Glon" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ronan-glon" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/porsche-finally-let-us-see-and-hear-its-secret-le-mans-racer-hit-the-track" categories: - "Culture" - "History" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Porsche News" - "Racing" tags: - "classic" - "Le Mans" - "Le Mans 24 Hours" - "porsche" - "race car" --- # Porsche Finally Let Us See and Hear Its Secret Le Mans Racer Hit the Track ![Porsche LMP 2000 on track during test.]() *\Porsche Museum via Instagram\* Porsche is more open about its canceled past projects than many of its peers and rivals. It [shed light on some of the supercars]() that could have taken the torch from [the 918 Spyder](), and it recently dusted off [the V10-powered LMP 2000 prototype]() it built for the 24 Hours of Le Mans about a quarter-century ago but never raced. Rather than simply posting a few pictures and calling it a good job well done, it got the car running and put it through its paces. And, holy hell, what a car! Developed to compete in the LMP900 category, it's a carbon fiber-bodied single-seater powered by a naturally aspirated V10 rated at over 600 horsepower. The engine's story is arguably as interesting as the car's: it's related to the 3.5-liter V10 that Porsche built for the Footworks Arrows [Formula 1]() team, though it displaces over 5.0 liters, and it spawned the [Carrera GT's]() 5.7-liter V10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BQ0XjJB9KY Two-time Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard explains that only two pilots were given the opportunity to drive the LMP 2000 during the development process: Allan McNish and Bob Wollek. Wollek died in a cycling accident in 2001, but McNish returned to the Weissach track in Germany to drive the prototype for the first time since 1999. Porsche also tracked down some of the mechanics who worked on the car all those years ago. "It was like I was 25 again. It's fantastic to drive it again, and it's fantastic to hear it again," McNish said after a few hot laps. He's got a point: the V10 sounds amazing, especially at full throttle. I'd argue the LMP 2000 sounds better than [the current crop of Le Mans prototypes](). It also seems to have the kind of acceleration and handling that would have given it a real chance of winning Le Mans in 2000 had it raced as planned, but it was canned before it could compete. Porsche reportedly wanted to focus on launching the [Cayenne](), which was a major project that required a substantial amount of money to finish, and some sources claim executives were worried about creating competition for Audi's Le Mans program. > [View this post on Instagram]() > [A post shared by Porsche Museum (@porsche.museum)]() What's next for the LMP 2000 now that it runs and drives? We don't know, but Porsche says there's more to come. *Got tips? Send ’em to [tips@thedrive.com]()* ## Author Ronan is a contributing writer for The Drive. He draws on over 15 years of experience to cover breaking industry news, cool one-off builds, and anything in between. He began writing for The Drive in 2021 and stepped into his current role in 2024. His obsession with cars started when a relative gave him a Majorette die-cast shortly after his first birthday. It hasn't flickered since. Ronan lives in France; He swapped Utah's Rocky Mountains, where he grew up, for the Alps. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker, and musician. He also restores classic European cars and mopeds, including a 1978 Citroen 2CV that he's rebuilding from the ground up. ### Author social links [Twitter]()