Porsche relives 24 Hours of Le Mans history

In honor of this past weekend’s LeMans 24 Hour Endurance race…

Porsche is returning to the prototype class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014. Since the announcement in December, it has been teasing its reintroduction on its YouTube and Facebook pages. Its latest relives the 1971 competition, which Porsche calls the race of records.

The 917 broke new ground in lightweight construction, helping it hit speeds of more than 240 mph. During the 1971 race, drivers Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep drove the car 397 laps, which was a distance record — at the time — of 3,315.2 miles.

The 2014 car will reportedly be run by the Porsche team based in Weissach, Germany, just as it was the last time Porsche won in 1998 with the 911 GT1-98.

Also check out Porsche’s microsite, which includes videos, images and stories from the brand’s history.