The new Porsche LMP1 gasoline hybrid prototype was rolled out on Wednesday at the carmaker’s Weissach test track at its research and development facility in Germany, by factory driver Timo Bernhard.

The preparation of the car, which has been built to the 2014 energy-based LMP1 rulebook for next year’s World Endurance Championship in Le Mans, was “several weeks” ahead of schedule, Porsche said.

“We are well on schedule,” said Fritz Enzinger, head of LMP1 at Porsche. “Our newly-formed team has worked with utmost concentration on getting this highly-complex vehicle on the track as soon as possible.”

“This allows us a few additional weeks for more testing and further development. From 2014, the regulations are primarily based on efficiency and present us with completely new challenges.”

Porsche has yet to reveal technical details or a name or type number for its new LMP1 coupe. It has only stated that it will be powered by a gasoline engine. Race rules require that all cars competing in the 24 Hours race next year must be powered by hybrid powertrains.

Bernhard, who won Le Mans in 2011 while on loan to Porsche sister marque Audi, said he was “very proud” at being the one to test the new prototype.

“Already the car feels great,” he said. “I look forward to testing the vehicle in the coming weeks and months with my friend and colleague Romain Dumas [the only other driver confirmed for Porsche’s 2014 WEC line-up so far].”

Porsche is no stranger to the podium at Le Mans, having won the event outright sixteen times since 1970.

LMP1 will impact road-car development

According to CEO Matthias Mueller, the LMP1 project will have an impact on the development of future Porsche road cars as well.

“They [the engineers] were able to apply many new technologies [in the LMP1] within the framework of the regulations that will also benefit the customers of our road-legal automobiles in the future. After all, there’s a race car in every Porsche,” Mueller said in a press release.