In 2023 Cadillac wants to start with the Project GTP Hypercar in the North American IMSA sports car series and in the sports car world championship WEC. The Americans have now shown a first picture of the future opponents from Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche and Co.
The next manufacturer is presenting its challenger for the 100-year celebration of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. On Friday (July 8th), Cadillac published a picture of the rollout of the new LMDh prototype. With the new racing car, the Americans want to start in both the North American IMSA and WEC series. The action teams are Chip Ganassi Racing and Action Express Racing.
The manufacturer has to compete with numerous well-known brands. On Whit Monday (6.6.) BMW had already shown its LMDh racing car , shortly before Acura published two design photos of their LMDh prototype. Porsche has already carried out long-distance tests with its car .
Compared to the first fantasy renderings, the final LMDh race car is a classic prototype. The lines are now reminiscent of those of the competition - as with the Porsche 963, for example, the front is clean and cut straight. The racing department did not use the headlights during the rollout, but edges in the bodywork already give an idea of where they will be accommodated. Former Porsche driver Earl Bamber had the honor of the first outing.
V8 engine and 5.5 liter displacement
As befits an American, Cadillac's engineers have opted for a 5.5 liter V8 engine in the rear of the racing car. The prescribed hybrid system in the Cadillac provides additional thrust. As with the BMW, the chassis comes from Dallara. The Italians are one of four chassis suppliers for the LMDh cars, along with Multimatic, Oreca and Ligier. These are based on LMP2 regulations.
The previous choice of name for the new Cadillac is a bit confusing. With "Project GTP Hypercar" one quickly thinks of a car that is built according to the LMH hypercar regulations. But the Cadillac drives under the LMDh regulations. From next year, both hypercars and LMDh racing cars can compete together in the top class of the IMSA and WEC. Toyota, Ferrari, Peugeot and Glickenhaus, among others, are building a hypercar.
The monster at Le Mans
After 20 years, Cadillac is returning to Le Mans with the Project GTP Hypercar. The Americans have already given their new racing car a distinctive nickname: "le monstre" - an allusion to a racing caddy from 1950. From 2023, the Americans want to use the monster for overall victory in the 24-hour race fight at Le Mans. The head of program Laura Wontrop Klauser emphasizes this: "It's an honor to fight for overall victory in Le Mans with an American cult brand like Cadillac."
Most recently, Cadillac only competed in the IMSA and celebrated some successes there. In 2017, 2018 and 2021, the Americans won the racing series with the DPi-VR. From 2017 to 2020, Cadillac triumphed four times in a row at the legendary Daytona 24 Hours. The racing debut of the new Caddy is also scheduled to take place there in 2023. The manufacturer has thus raised the bar for its new project itself.
