On a sunny early-January day in the Black Forest a new era began in earnest for the king of sports car racing. The car that will carry the aspirations of the most successful marque in long-distance racing on both sides of the Atlantic was lowered onto its wheels. A new Porsche prototype set off on its first reconnaissance laps, just like so many of its illustrious forebears, at the Weissach test track 20 or so miles west of company headquarters in Zuffenhausen.

It was a significant moment in the history of a brand with 19 outright wins to its name at the Le Mans 24 Hours because this new LMDh car will give Porsche the chance to add not just to its Le Mans tally but also its Daytona 24 Hours one, where it’s currently 18 and counting. That hasn’t happened since the days of the 962 Group C and IMSA GTP car.

The Porsche prototype, which for the moment has neither a name nor number, is the first of a new breed of racing machine due on the grid next year. The arrival of the LMDh hybrids in both the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship looks sure to herald a golden era of sports car racing.