Porsche is planning a return to Le Mans in 2014 when it's completely new developed race car, the works-run LMP1 sports prototype, will take its first outing. With 16 outright victories under its belt, Porsche's historic success in Le Mans is unrivaled; however its last victory came way back in 1998 when the 911 GT1 was the overall winner. Held in the French town of Le Mans, in its current configuration the 'Circuit de la Sarthe' is made up in part by public roads and is just under 14km long.

Hailed as the ultimate test for man and machine, 75 percent of the course is spent at full throttle, top speeds of over 211mph are reached and more than 5,000km is covered in the allotted 24 hours.

"Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand," said Matthias Muller, President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG. "So for us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing." An endurance race like this is a pure test of technical excellence and reliability, something that Porsche is renowned for around the globe. Their return to the event is most welcome and this wonderful video looks back at the early years as we look forward to their return to the ultimate proving ground.