[WEC/IMSA] 2021 - 2024 Hypercars LMH/LMDh (all Hypercar cars untill now)

[Michkov]

Bottom post of the previous page:

We got official Ferrari pictures. They are calling it the 499P. I like the yellow in the livery, I hope they make it the distinguishing feature between the works cars.

[MonteCristo]

We got official Ferrari pictures. They are calling it the 499P. I like the yellow in the livery, I hope they make it the distinguishing feature between the works cars.

I'm not a Ferrari fan.

But...

[DoubleFart]

Their strategy is bad in a 2 hour race. How badly wrong can they get a 24 hour race...

[MonteCristo]

Their strategy is bad in a 2 hour race. How badly wrong can they get a 24 hour race...

Ferrari strategist: "It's just a longer F1 race, right? No biggie."



Crew: "They haven't come back around yet... You did call them in to refuel, right?"

Strategist:"Oooooohhhh. Lulz. We'll know for next time."

[MonteCristo]

[erwin greven]

Will be very interesting. Both the 499 and the 296 will debut next year. The first few months the 488 will be used though. No homologation yet for the 296.

[MonteCristo]

Iconic sportscar brand Pescarolo eyeing 2024 Le Mans return

The Pescarolo name could return to the top flight of endurance racing in 2024 if plans to field a customer Le Mans Hypercar by its new owner come to fruition.

Jocelyn Pedrono, who acquired the rights to the Pescarolo brand in 2016, has revealed an intention to bring back the famous French marque to the Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Endurance Championship with a customer car.

He clarified that legendary team founder and four-time Le Mans winner Henri Pescarolo is not involved in the project.

"Returning to endurance racing has always been the objective," Pedrono told Autosport's French edition. "I'm working to assemble the budget.

"I have an agreement in principle with two constructors in Hypercar. My heart leans more in one direction than the other, but I can't say anything for the moment.

"We're not talking just about buying a car, but also real technical support."

Pedrono wouldn't be drawn on which manufacturer was his target, but did add: "We are more looking at Hypercar [LMH], not so much LMDh."

That would suggest that Peugeot, whose 908 HDi FAP LMP1 car Pescarolo ran on a customer basis in 2009, and Ferrari could be among the candidates Pedrono has in mind for the revived squad.

Pescarolo last raced at Le Mans back in 2012 with the 03 chassis that was based on the ill-fated Aston Martin AMR-One, as well as a customer Dome S102.5 (below), with neither car making the finish.

https://www.autosport.com/wec/news/icon ... /10407278/

So Pescarolo, but not Pescarolo.

In any case, good luck to them. All the more reason for 2024 to be a massive year at Le Mans!

[Everso Biggyballies]

This is IMSA LMDH news so I guess here is the place to post it..... albeit this is 2023 news.

Matt Campbell to race for Porsche Penske in IMSA

Matt Campbell will drive for Porsche Penske Motorsport in the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship.

In announcing how its driver roster will line-up for both the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship as well as the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship, Porsche revealed that Campbell will team up with former Formula 1 driver Felipe Nasr in the #7 Porsche 963 LMDh prototype.

They will be joined by Michael Christensen as the third driver at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona.

Joining Campbell in IMSA is his 2022 class title-winning team-mate Jaminet, who will pair up with 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Nick Tandy.

Tandy, who was added to the roster in November, will steer the #6 963 with Jaminet, while the duo will be joined by Cameron at Daytona in January.

In the World Endurance Championship, Cameron and Christensen will be partnered with Frenchman Frederic Makowiecki in the #5 963, while Estre, Lotterer and Vanthoor will share the #6 963.

As well as announcing its driver line-ups for IMSA and WEC, Porsche revealed that Gianmaria Bruni, Romain Dumas, Richard Lietz and Thomas Preining would remain as factory drivers in 2023.

The 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship will commence with the 24 Hours of Daytona on January 28-29, while the 2023 WEC season will open at the 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 17.

https://www.speedcafe.com/2022/12/18/ma ... e-in-imsa/

[erwin greven]

[MonteCristo]

Something extra to hope for in 2024:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClOIUKeNF3w/

Yup, you’ve read that correctly: there is HOPE for a *V12 Hypercar* racing at Le Mans! During my time in the WEC paddock in Bahrain, I learned about a potential new entrant to the Hypercar class. Boutique manufacturer “De Tomaso” say they are working on what would be the first LMH-spec car, based on an actual road-going Hypercar!

The brand was founded in Italy in 1959 by Argentinian racing driver Alejandro de Tomaso. They are most famous for the “Pantera” (page 3)

Unfortunately, the company went bankrupt in 2012 and was dissolved in 2014. 5 years later, an investor, who dreamt of rebuilding the brand, acquired the naming rights and is now working on fulfilling that dream!

In January 2022, De Tomaso announced a “strategic partnership” with the German Capricorn Group – a renowned name in the world of motorsport!

One unique aspect about De Tomaso’s plans to build an LMH car is that it would be based on an actual road car!

This would be different to the Hypercars from Glickenhaus, Vanwall or Isotta Fraschini, who all intend to build the race car first and then derive a road car from it afterwards.

De Tomaso however already has their “P72” Hypercar that is scheduled to go in production next Summer. This highly exclusive (only 72 will be made) car will be available with a V8 or a V12 (customer‘s choice) - but it is the V12 that is now understood to form the base of the engine that will make its way into the race car!

De Tomaso plans to build the P72 road car, a track-day car called the P900 and the race car called the P900 LM, which is supposed to enter WEC with a two car factory program in 2024! Pictured above you can see concept photos of the P900 LM (pages 1 & 2) and of course its street-legal counterpart (pages 4-8).

The Hypercar class is already looking very promising. The new regs have attracted many manufacturers that will provide for an attractive, diverse and, most importantly, a full grid. But if there is one thing that is still missing, it would be a V12 powered car. Let’s hope this project actually comes to fruition! Since this isn’t a big manufacturer, we should always keep a bit of healthy scepticism! But just imagine…

More to follow!

Can't say I have much hope for it.

But it would be great to see (and hear!).

2024 should really be a perfect year, with some extra entries still coming in (Alpine, Lambo).

I fear that by 2025 some will start to drop off as development and budget runs out for particular programs. Hopefully not, but it's always the way it goes.

[erwin greven]

Isotta Fraschini Take Delivery Of First Hypercar Chassis

7 January 2023, 12:51 PM by Graham Goodwin

A significant step forward in the Isotta Fraschini Hypercar programmecame with the delivery on Wednesday to Michelotto from ARS Technology of the first complete chassis for the Tipo 6 Competizione.

The car is now being built up after the team, in partnership with Vector Sport, submitted an entry application for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/01/ ... assis.html

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Isotta Fraschini Take Delivery Of First Hypercar Chassis

7 January 2023, 12:51 PM by Graham Goodwin

A significant step forward in the Isotta Fraschini Hypercar programmecame with the delivery on Wednesday to Michelotto from ARS Technology of the first complete chassis for the Tipo 6 Competizione.

The car is now being built up after the team, in partnership with Vector Sport, submitted an entry application for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship.

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/01/ ... assis.html

Can't wait to see how that car ends up looking.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Rossi to test BMW LMDh prototype

Seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi is on course to test new employer BMW’s LMDh prototype.

BMW has stated that it is planning to give the 43-year-old Italian a test outing in the M Hybrid V8, probably some time toward the end of the year.

This follows the announcement from BMW just before Christmas that Rossi is joining its factory GT3 driver line-up for his second full season of car racing in 2023.

BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos said:

“We plan to give him the chance of a test.

“There is the plan to give him the chance to experience a nice car like the GTP [the class in which the M Hybrid will run in the IMSA SportsCar Championship].

“The GT3 is already a nice car, but a GTP for sure is a different level.”

Roos ruled out Rossi getting behind the wheel of the LMDh in the short term as BMW begins its maiden season with the car in the North American IMSA series.

“If it happens this year, definitely later in the year,” he explained.

“I think at the moment we all have enough work to do and enough things to sort to be best prepared [for the IMSA campaign].”

“The first goal for Valentino is to be part of our driver line-up in the GT3 programme,” he said.

“As he hasn’t ever driven a car like this [the M Hybrid], we first to have him in the car and see how he gets along with the car, how he feels in the car.

“There will be tests and we will see from there what next steps we can do, whether there is the possibility yes or no [for him to race the M Hybrid].”

Roos suggested that it remains “a bit too early” to speculate on what might be possible in the future (Re a race seat in the M Hybrid..

Rossi has made his desire known that he wants to one day compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours,..... but has yet to lay down a timeline for fulfilling that ambition beyond saying he doesn’t expect it to happen in 2023.

[MonteCristo]

Rossi has made his desire known that he wants to one day compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours,..... but has yet to lay down a timeline for fulfilling that ambition beyond saying he doesn’t expect it to happen in 2023.

Make it happen in 2024!

[Everso Biggyballies]

Rossi has made his desire known that he wants to one day compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours,..... but has yet to lay down a timeline for fulfilling that ambition beyond saying he doesn’t expect it to happen in 2023.

Make it happen in 2024!

[erwin greven]

Glickenhaus has sold its first 007 LMH for the road

31 Jan. 2023 by lmercier
Glickenhaus continues to prepare a road model of its 007 LMH.


Photo : Glickenhaus

While the Glickenhaus 007 LMH will return to competition in March at Sebring for the start of the WEC season, the American manufacturer has not put aside its plans to offer a road-going model.

The Glickenhaus 007 LMH road car, which is called the 007S, is a three-seater with a V8 engine developing around 1000 horsepower. The driver sits in the centre with two seats at the back. The first 007S model was sold. Only 24 cars will be built starting at $2.5 million.

HK Motorcars, the Glickenhaus distributor in the USA, will handle sales on the American continent. Approval is possible for other markets: Europe, Middle East, Asia.

Delivery will begin two years after the 24 orders are placed.

For the record, the WEC 007 LMH model was recently driven by its owner at Sebring.

With Vanwall Vandervell, Glickenhaus is the second manufacturer registered in the Hypercar category (LMH technical regulations) to offer a road-going version of its racing model.

https://en.endurance-info.com/auto/arti ... 7-lmh-road