The A-X Of Hypercar & GTP: Part 3, Lamborghini To Podium Engineering
It’s Part 3 of our amble through the Hypercar and GTP marketplace in what is becoming an exciting and extremely dynamic new top class era in sports prototype racing.
This section takes us from Lamborghini through to Podium Engineering with plenty of stories along the way once again.
You can catch up with the previous parts below:
Lamborghini
Currently the last of the major brands involved to commit to the Hypercar and GTP formulae.
The VAG-owned Italian supercar maker is set to join the fray in 2024 after a test programme from Summer 2023 with a single factory-entered LMDh car featuring a Ligier chassis. This is set to be powered by a Lamborghini-developed twin-turbo V8 and entered for a full season in the FIA WEC Hypercar class and into the GTP class for the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship’s Michelin Endurance Cup with Iron Lynx.
Lamborghini intends to double up at Le Mans in 2024 and again at the Rolex 24 in 2025 with two factory cars ahead of the release of cars for customers soon afterwards.
Lexus
Lexus has evaluated an LMDh project more than once for IMSA but has repeatedly opted to stay with the GTD (and GTD Pro) platform with the incoming new car to replace the current RC F GT3.
DSC understands too that Toyota in North America also at least considered a programme featuring a single GR010 LMH car, but this too was not progressed.
Ligier
Involved with the Peugeot 9X8 programme as a carbon fibre component supplier, the French chassis maker gained its first LMDh customer with Lamborghini, supplying the ‘spine’ for its 2024 contender.
Lola
The revived Lola marque has expressed interest in a role in the top class, though how and when that might happen is not yet clear.
It is unlikely to see a bespoke Lola chassis involved but rather the company might seek a route into the market where it can work with multiple OEMs through its developments in advanced tech and design capabilities.
Lotus
Indications were that Lotus might be collaborating with Alpine on a Hypercar programme, that proved to be a false rumour but the brand was in the mix when parent company Geely sat around the table for early industry meetings to determine the shape and direction of the Hypercar regulations. That interest is now defunct.
Maserati
Yet another Stellantis brand that is believed to have evaluated Hypercar. However, the Italian supercar maker decided to focus on a mix of Formula E and an incoming GT2-spec MC20 instead.
McLaren
The mystery package of the Hypercar market.
Firstly, what is known?
The brand has progressed an evaluation of an LMDh car to the concept stage, understood to be in conjunction with Oreca. However, there is no confirmation that Oreca would be the chassis partner should a programme emerge.
A variety of potential engine partners have been involved in discussions with Ford, BMW, Honda and Porsche all having racing heritage with the brand. Only Ford has specifically counted itself out of an engine supply arrangement.
The last public statement from McLaren CEO Zak Brown was that the earliest possible launch date for the programme was 2025. Silence since then, coupled with current problems for the brand’s F1 team, likely means that a programme from Mclaren is further delayed.
Whilst multiple teams have expressed their interest in running a programme for Mclaren to DSC, there’s little surprise that the frontrunner is United Autosports with its prototype racing track record, UK location and with Zak Brown as a co-owner.
Mecachrome
The French specialist engineering concern is believed to be involved with the design and development of the engine for the 2024 Alpine LMDh car. The engine has been in bench and dyno-testing for some time but Alpine has, as yet, released no details.
Mercedes-AMG
Despite numerous rumours of a racing version of Mercedes-AMG’s extraordinary, but troubled AMG One supercar, there is no sign of any racing programme from the brand aside from the well-established range of GT race cars based on the AMG GT (GT2, GT3 and GT4).
Meyer Shank Racing
See Acura
Michelin
Tyre supplier for both the IMSA GTP class and FIA WEC’s Hypercar class.
In WEC the teams have two dry weather choices: Soft Hot for average-wearing or ‘rubbered’ track surfaces, temperatures in excess of 15°C and Medium for abrasive track surfaces, demanding track configurations, temperatures in excess of 30°C.
IMSA allows only the Soft Hot. Both championships have a single wet weather tyre, with no intermediate option.
Michelotto
Previously involved in the Ferrari GT build programme, now the primary technical partner for the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 LMH. The cars are being built at a dedicated facility within Michelotto
Multimatic
The Canadian industry giant provides the ‘spine’ for the Porsche 963 (plus the now-defunct Audi) and has already delivered well over 20 such chassis for future customer orders, factory cars and spares.
At least one of the now-dead Bentley projects would also have involved the Multimatic chassis.
Multimatic was also heavily involved in the now-defunct Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH programme and builds the AMR Pro versions of the car, effectively, at least in part, a non-BoPped version of the Hypercar project
Nissan
Whilst no interest in Hypercar has been announced or confirmed by Nissan, DSC is aware that senior management was in contact with a number of teams and industry bodies up to and including last year to investigate the marketplace.
Whilst it seems that no programme is currently live, the timing and content of the contacts is intriguing. Might the brand be persuaded to return to the top class they left after their disastrous 2015 LMP1 adventure?
Oreca
The French motorsport industry giant undertook both LMDh and LMH concept commissions and is currently building LMDh ‘spines’ for both Acura and Alpine.
They are known too to have undertaken concept work for McLaren.
Pescarolo
See Peugeot
Peugeot
The return to the top class with the radical ‘no rear wing’ 9X8 saw Peugeot’s first entry into the FIA WEC after their last-minute withdrawal prior to the start of the championship in 2012.
The car was greeted with huge enthusiasm, for its unique style, but has struggled for reliability in its part-season in 2022 (the team ran the three races post-Le Mans) and at Sebring this year. The team has two full-season entries in the WEC.
A fix is en route for the next round to a continuing electronic gearbox actuator issue (a hydraulic system will replace it). But the clock is ticking for the effort to make the required strides forward against convincing-looking opposition.
There is interest in a privately entered 9X8 from the new (and entirely unconnected with Henri) Pescarolo effort.
Despite significant media attention on the effort, there is a near vertical climb ahead of them to find the funding required with the team behind the project hoping to net a major sponsor – known to DSC. That deal looks unlikely to come to fruition, and certainly not to the extent that the Pescarolo squad are hoping.
For now, file this one as ‘possible’ rather than ‘probable’.
Pipo Moteurs
The French engine specialists, multiple World Championship winners in WRC and World Rallycross provides the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V8 that powers the Glickenhaus 007 LMH, the engine based on the architecture used in their successful four-cylinder turbo motors.
Podium Engineering
The Italian concern is a long-term engineering partner to Glickenhaus and co-ordinated the design, and undertook the build of the SCG 007 Hypercars.
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