LMDh/LMH main news topic (Convergence complete!)

WEC, Blancpain, Le Mans Series, Rolex and special events like the Le Mans 24h
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#61

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Bottom post of the previous page:

Time will tell. I feel like Le Mans (and the WEC) is having a down-spell at the moment...
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#62

Post by erwin greven »

Le Mans Hypercar Changes Approved By The FIA

Another step closer to convergence


The FIA has released a statement today confirming that the changes to the Le Mans Hypercar platform, which have been made to reduce cost and balance the cars with the LMDh formula to allow convergence have been approved.

The statement reads:

The FIA Endurance Commission has approved changes to the regulations of the upcoming Le Mans Hypercar category*, making it more cost-saving as well as aligning the performance levels with the recently-outlined specification of the LMDh platform.

During the recent FIA Endurance Commission meeting, the governing body of world motor sport has approved several changes to the technical ruleset of the Le Mans Hypercar category*, destined as the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship next season.

The changes focus on three key areas: power, weight and the control of the aerodynamic performance. The maximum power of Le Mans Hypercars has been brought down from the initially planned 585kW to 500kW. Along with the reduction in power, came a decrease in minimum weight of the cars, from 1100kg to 1030kg.

The changes will serve two main purposes: they will make the cars more cost-saving, both in terms of development and running costs, as well as allowing to achieve the convergence between the Le Mans Hypercar category and the Le Mans Daytona “h” platform, which basic technical details have recently been issued by the ACO and IMSA.

According to the recent announcement, the LMDh cars will be eligible in the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Following the decision of the FIA Endurance Commission*, the minimum weight, the maximum power and the aero performance will be identical for both Le Mans Hypercars and the LMDh class cars.


Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission President, said: “We need to consider the evolution of the economic environment and adopt cost-saving measures to support the efforts of the manufacturers. With the announcement of the ACO/IMSA outlining the basic details of the LMDh platform and the decision of the FIA Endurance Commission to modify the technical specification of the Le Mans Hypercar category, we are finally moving towards the convergence.

“Having both platforms eligible for the future top class in the FIA World Endurance Championship will allow more diversity in the technical approaches and thus attract more competitors. This is something that all parties involved – including the manufacturers committed to the Le Mans Hypercar category, the FIA and the ACO – have been working towards since the beginning. This is an important step for the future of endurance racing.”


Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, said: “ACO and IMSA have now laid solid foundations for convergence allowing the top class of competitors to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship and in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. LMDh (Le Mans Daytona “h”) and Le Mans Hypercar will be governed by convergent regulations to ensure similar performance characteristics. The technical teams at the FIA and the ACO have worked hard to adapt the LMH regulations and the result has been warmly welcomed by manufacturers. We must be proactive to build the future of Endurance. This announcement is further evidence of the constructive collaboration that is crucial to our discipline.”
http://www.dailysportscar.com/2020/05/1 ... e-fia.html
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#63

Post by erwin greven »

Glickenhaus Confirms Two LMH Cars for 2021

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus confirms intentions for a two-car WEC, 24H Le Mans entry next year…

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus has announced plans to contest the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship season with two of its SCG 007 Le Mans Hypercars.

While the American automaker was already known to be working towards a WEC debut in next year’s series, it wasn’t certain how many entries would be pursued.

Both of the cars will be run by the in-house factory SCG team which has been a regular competitor in the Nürburgring 24 for the last few years.


Company founder Jim Glickenhaus told Sportscar365 in April that the WEC’s move to a single-year calendar format, which resulted in a six-month delay to the LMH formula’s debut, made a full-season endeavor attainable.

The team’s initial aim of rolling out its car by September would have likely resulted in it missing the start of the season under the WEC’s now-discarded 2020-21 format.

While the 2021 calendar has not yet been released, SCG plans to join the grid from the first race in March before going on to tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time.

According to a program update issued on Thursday, SCG is “moving rapidly” towards its WEC and Le Mans goal, and has “finalized” the engineering of its chassis.

It reports that dyno testing of the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 Pipo Moteurs engine will begin next month, while track testing is still penciled in to start later this year.


SCG has also completed wind tunnel testing of the car with a 60 percent scale model.

The 007 Le Mans Hypercar is being developed by Italian firm Podium Advanced Technologies, which has also built the company’s Nürburgbring 24 GT cars.

“Ever since I listened to the 24 Hours of Le Mans on my ham radio as a young boy I’ve dreamed of building a car to compete at Le Mans,” said Glickenhaus. “I’m so happy that we are getting there.”


ACO president Pierre Fillon added: “This exciting announcement emphasizes the allure of our new top class.

“Incidentally, I should underline Glickenhaus’ great achievements both in building and promoting this machine.

“I would also like to thank Glickenhaus and all our manufacturers for their contribution to the discipline and their faith in our plans for the future of endurance racing.”

Toyota, which is also building a Le Mans Hypercar, tweeted that Glickenhaus’ confirmation is “fantastic to see” and that the manufacturer is “looking forward” to competing against the two-car effort in 2021.
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/gli ... 21-season/
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#64

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A small ray of light in the current environment.
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#65

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LMH Technical Reg Changes Formally Approved

WMSC approves recently-announced adjustments to LMH technical regulations…

Image

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the Le Mans Hypercar technical regulations that will align the formula with the upcoming LMDh platform.

Confirmed on Friday, the WMSC decision rubber-stamped a reduction in overall horsepower from 585 kW to 500 kW (785 to 670 hp) and a minimum weight reduction from 1100 kg to 1030 kg.

The changes were announced on May 11 by the FIA Endurance Commission, but at the time were still subject to WMSC ratification.

LMH power, weight and aerodynamic performance have all been reduced to match the cars’ outputs with the IMSA LMDh vehicles that will be eligible to compete alongside LMH in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2022.

The move is also designed to provide cost-savings to manufacturers undertaking LMH projects.

The WMSC, which met virtually rather than in-person, also agreed on the “general principles” of the LMH/LMDh convergence including a Balance of Performance system.

Furthermore, it reiterated that LMDh cars will continue to be based on the four LMP2 origin chassis, effectively ending Ginetta’s hopes of being added as a fifth constructor.

The global IMSA cars will carry a common rear axle hybrid system and a manufacturer-branded engine with manufacturer-stylized bodywork, while hybrids will be optional in LMH where companies are free to build their own chassis.

Toyota, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and ByKolles Racing Team have all committed to LMH, while Peugeot is still yet to confirm which of the two formulas it will pursue.
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#66

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Alpine to race LMP1 car at Le Mans in 2021

https://www.goodwood.com/grr/race/moder ... s-in-2021/

Take that new regs!

Meanwhile...

Peugeot Sport Confirm Le Mans Announcement For 2022 Programme

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2020/09/1 ... ramme.html
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#68

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LMDh Technical Regulations Confirmed by IMSA and ACO at Le Mans Press Conference

The next major step in the introduction of LMDh prototypes to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans was taken today on the eve of this weekend’s 88th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

During the annual pre-event press conference in Le Mans, France, IMSA President John Doonan joined Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) President Pierre Fillon and FIA Endurance Commission President Richard Mille as details of the new LMDh car that will compete for overall wins at Daytona, Le Mans, Sebring and many major endurance races all over the world were confirmed.

"Since the announcement of the IMSA and ACO convergence back at Daytona in January, and the opportunity for a competitor to enter the same car at both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, we have received and responded to many specific questions from prestigious automakers," Doonan said. "We’ve also had those same automakers very involved in the development of the LMDh regulations, and I think all of us are very encouraged and confident, that as we announce the final regulations today, it will bring more names to the table.

"Certainly, the top level of endurance sports car racing has now a very clear, tangible and very bright future. This is, quite frankly, very good news in this difficult global context."

IMSA Technical Director Matt Kurdock and ACO Technical Director Thierry Bouvet then unveiled the specific technical details for the new LMDh car, which will feature hybrid engine technology. The estimated cost of a complete LMDh car, without the engine, is one million Euro ($1.1-1.2 million).

Major automotive manufacturers will work together with one of four approved chassis constructors – Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic or ORECA – to develop their LMDh race cars. Between the manufacturer’s internal combustion engine and a spec hybrid powertrain system, each LMDh car will have a combined power output of 500 kilowatts (just over 670 horsepower).

Minimum weight will be 1,030 kilograms (just over 2,270 pounds), with a maximum width of two meters (roughly six-and-a-half feet), a maximum length of 5.1 meters (16.7 feet) and a common wheelbase for all cars of 3.15 meters (10.3 feet). Each LMDh car will have advance upper body styling, allowing each automotive manufacturer to bring their own identity and styling cues, while each LMDh will have a controlled underfloor.

Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering and Xtrac were introduced as hybrid powertrain suppliers for all LMDh cars.

"ACO and IMSA have led a collaborative effort along with the four chassis constructors and the three hybrid powertrain suppliers to come up with a common LMDh solution," Kurdock said. "The Bosch motor is integrated with the Xtrac gearbox, while the Williams Advanced Engineering battery will be integrated with the Bosch motor controller. This is all in a compact assembly, which installs from underneath the survival cell in an isolated compartment from the driver."

In January’s historic IMSA-ACO convergence announcement prior to the Rolex 24 At Daytona, it was announced that the LMDh regulations would take effect in 2022. Today’s announcement provides all manufacturers with the specific details they need to propose and develop LMDh programs, and it will be in the hands of the manufacturers to determine if programs can be launched by 2022 amid the global pandemic.

"I think this demonstrates effective work and collaboration between ACO and IMSA," Fillon said. "Actually, we should have announced this in June had we not had the health crisis."

"I think the efficiency of the process is a further reflection of the importance of this collaboration between IMSA and the ACO, and the future of endurance sports car racing," Doonan added. "To have the same car be able to run at Daytona and Le Mans is an expectation of all of our manufacturer partners, and can you only imagine how this is going to make our fans feel?"
https://www.imsa.com/news/2020/09/18/lm ... onference/
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#69

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IMSA reveals more LMDh technical regulations

As part of the annual press conference prior to the running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, IMSA revealed key details of its upcoming LMDh prototype formula. Although most of the technical regulations for LMDh have been finalized, a number of items were either reconfirmed or declared for the first time.

The stated power target for the class is a combined 670hp, with the similar-to-DPi internal combustion engine solutions meant to account for 630hp and the new kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) from Bosch and Williams Advanced Engineering responsible for 40 electric hp.

A new minimum weight of 2271 lbs/1030kg has been solidified, which takes the added weight of the KERS units into account. For the sake of comparison, the heaviest DPi at the recent Road Atlanta WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race weighed a minimum of 2083 lbs/945kg, or 188 lbs/85kg lower than LMDh, in DPi’s non-KERS trim.

Dimension limits for LMDh were also shared, and in a nod towards achieving greater parity between the upcoming LMDhs from chassis suppliers Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic, and ORECA, a standard wheelbase of 3150mm has been established. Maximum length (5100mm) and width (2000mm), and a 4:1 downforce/drag ratio was announced.

Custom bodywork styling options for LMDh have also been increased, with greater allowances for the carryover of road car nose and grille designs, more freedom with sidepod and rear fender shapes, and encouragement for more brand-specific individuality at the rear of the cars.

Suggested pricing for a rolling LMDh chassis (minus internal combustion engine) has been placed in the $1-1.2 million range, with each chassis “spine” expected to cost approximately $410,000. IMSA’s “Hybrid Powertrain System,” comprised of the spec KERS unit and new Xtrac gearbox, could account for up to $350,000. The rest of the necessary items — from electronics to radiators — needed to complete each LMDh bring the total sum to seven figures. Although the current prices vary between Acura, Cadillac and Mazda, a new rolling DPi chassis is said to cost somewhere between $850,000-$900,000.

With the timeline for LMDh expected to be subject to a deferred introduction, the next step for IMSA involves seeking commitments from the auto manufacturers who’ve taken an active role in LMDh’s technical working group.

A dozen or more major brands, including Acura, Audi+Lamborghini+Porsche from the Volkswagen Audi Group, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Ford, Hyundai, Lexus, Mazda, McLaren, and Renault+Nissan are believed to have expressed interest in the formula.
https://racer.com/2020/09/18/imsa-revea ... gulations/
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#70

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Audi looking to come back in 2023. Full circle.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2020/11/3 ... sport.html

It was just a matter of time.
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#71

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Cheeveer wrote: 3 years ago Audi looking to come back in 2023. Full circle.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2020/11/3 ... sport.html

It was just a matter of time.
Interesting that from the article it seems that Audi are throwing the towel in on Formula E. (DTM I can understand.)
Maybe Formula E is not the be all and end all they think it is . It surprises me though given the move to electric road cars we seem to be seeing in regulations etc.... ie no (sales of) ICE powered cars after 2030 in Europe.
The Dakar focus is interesting given the VW involvement previously. However Audi are talking of an EV Dakar programme.

Great news for them to announce a return to Sportscars in whatever form it takes. I must admit I have not really looked into LMDH that seriously to see what it involves. I must admit to believing it was just a fad and nothing serious. It seems I got that one wrong :haha:

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#72

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IMO, the thing is that Formula E is a glorified spec series.

It could be great if they opened it up more with development so manufacturers and their performance could come to the fore. But as it stands, it's a a bit of a crapshoot between them... So why be involved?

It's become a crowded space.
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#73

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MonteCristo wrote: 3 years agoIMO, the thing is that Formula E is a glorified spec series.
I agree except I'd replace your glorified with disliked......
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#74

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Porsche confirms IMSA, WEC LMDh programs

Porsche will reconvene its endurance racing battle with sister brand Audi in 2023 when the new LMDh prototype formula makes its debut.
https://racer.com/2020/12/15/porsche-co ... h-program/
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#75

Post by erwin greven »

jimclark wrote: 3 years ago
MonteCristo wrote: 3 years agoIMO, the thing is that Formula E is a glorified spec series.
I agree except I'd replace your glorified with disliked......
For the ones who do not like EV's.

Formula E is just a test bed for Electrical Engines. To stress the durability and reliability. And why is it popular for a lot of brands? Because the car industry knows that if you not start with the development of electrical engines now, you will be hopeless behind in 20-25 years when customers are buying EV's mostly.
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#76

Post by DoubleFart »

erwin greven wrote: 3 years ago
jimclark wrote: 3 years ago
MonteCristo wrote: 3 years agoIMO, the thing is that Formula E is a glorified spec series.
I agree except I'd replace your glorified with disliked......
For the ones who do not like EV's.

Formula E is just a test bed for Electrical Engines. To stress the durability and reliability. And why is it popular for a lot of brands? Because the car industry knows that if you not start with the development of electrical engines now, you will be hopeless behind in 20-25 years when customers are buying EV's mostly.
20-25 years? Ha. 10 years.

Legacy manufacturers are already a long way behind. I've worked in and around EVs for 6 years.
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