In 1996 Porsche, who had been idle in motorsports competitions as a works team since their withdrawal in 1988, announced their intention to come back to the Le Mans 24 hour endurance race with their latest Porsche 911 GT1. Although the styling of the GT1 retains some resemblance with their conventional 911, it is not the usual 911 but a highly advanced pure racing version. The low and sleek body shell was a product of numerous wind tunnel experiments.