Ahead of their public launches at the Geneva Motor Show, Porsche released images of its 919 Hybrid LMP1 prototype alongside the 911 RSR (991), both of which are set to challenge for class victories and the overall title at this years 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The 911 RSR made its track debut at last years event taking the top two spots, then in North America earlier this year at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, where it captured GT honours under drivers Nick Tandy, Richard Lietz and Patrick Pilet. This year, the two entries will be driven by Jorg Bergmeister, Marco Holzer, Frederic Makowiecki, Pilet, Lietz and Tandy.

The two 919 Hybrids will make their racing debut this year at Le Mans, piloted by Brendon Hartley, Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and former Red Bull F1 driver Mark Webber.

It is the most comprehensive works program for Porsche to date, with the LMP1 challenger marking the return to the race's top class since the 911 GT1 in 1998.

At the heart of the 919 lies a brand new 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder in a V configuration, which is paired with an expelled exhaust generator and a hyrbid system similar to the one on the new 918 hypercar for upwards of 500 horsepower. Porsche hopes the new, lightweight package will be enough to dethrone Audi's R18, which has dominated the field and taken overall honours at Le Mans since 2011.

"Crucial in the development of the Le Mans prototype were the newly created and revolutionary racing rules for this class as they relate to energy efficiency," says Matthias Müller, Chairman of Porsche AG. "In 2014, it will not be the fastest car that wins the World Endurance Championship series and the 24 hours of Le Mans, rather it will be the car that goes the furthest with a defined amount of energy. And it is precisely this challenge that carmakers must overcome. The 919 Hybrid is our fastest mobile research laboratory and the most complex race car that Porsche has ever built."