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Porsche has kicked off an intensive testing program in preparation for its Hypercar's debut in competition expected in January 2023.

Porsche's Hypercar is set to make it first appearance in competition at the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the traditional opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. The German constructor has opted for a high-capacity twin-turbo V8 designed to run on renewable fuels like the one created by TotalEnergies for the FIA World Endurance Championship starting this year. The power of the hybrid propulsion system backed by the internal combustion engine reaches around 500 Kw (around 680 hp). “We were spoiled for choice with the engine for our LMDh prototype, because the product range offers several promising baseline units,” explains Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “We decided on the V8-biturbo, which we feel offers the best combination of performance characteristics, weight and costs. The kick-off to the active test programme was an important step for the project.”

Porsche Motorsport Global LMDh Project Manager Urs Kuratle: "The rollout of the LMDh racing car was also the first track outing for Porsche Penske Motorsport. The squad worked well together right from the start. This shows a high level of professionalism in all areas. After all, the operational requirements for the safe running of a hybrid vehicle are very high. In the next outings we will focus on going deeper into the required processes and procedures. During these first test days at Weissach, the V8-biturbo impressed us in every respect. We’re convinced that we’ve chosen precisely the right unit."

The regulations for LMDh prototypes offer significant freedom in terms of displacement, design and number of cylinders, with maximum engine speed at 10,000 rpm and pass-by noise measurement capped at 110 decibels. The engine must weigh a minimum of 180 kg, including the air supply and exhaust system and peripheral cooling components.

Check out new photos of Porsche's Hypercar in test sessions at the Weissach circuit:

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24 Hours of Le Mans – Porsche's Hypercar enters active testing phase

The 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season kicks off this weekend with the 60th Rolex 24 at Daytona. In 2023, the race will see Le Mans Hypercar and Le Mans Daytona h prototypes do battle for the first time.

In 2023, endurance racing will begin a new exciting chapter when the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) and Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) prototypes take the track together for the first time. This new era will kick off officially next year at the Rolex 24 at Daytona as a result of the collaboration on technical regulations between the ACO, the FIA and the IMSA. Though Acura and Cadillac will go head to head at this weekend's 60th running of the race, the marques could be joined by Toyota, Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Peugeot, Audi and Glickenhaus in 2023.

The 100th 24 Hours of Le Mans next year already promises to be popular with these major manufacturers. Additionally, after the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona, constructors will be able to field the same car in any of the top endurance races in the world.

The 60th Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend includes 61 cars competing in five classes: seven in DPi, 10 in LMP2, nine in LMP3, 13 in GTD Pro and 22 in GTD.

In the DPi class, the #10 Acura ARX-05 entered by 2021 winner Konica Minolta will be defending its title. The car is set to be shared by Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Alexander Rossi and Will Stevens, and will face off with five Cadillac DPis and another ARX-05 fielded by Meyer Shank Racing.

In LMP2, you'll see FIA WEC and European Le Mans Series regulars like High Class Racing, United Autosports, Racing Team Nederland, G-Drive Racing by APR and DragonSpeed USA.

Corvette, Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Lamborghini and Lexus will hit the track in the GTD Pro class. Four Duqueine D08s and five Ligier JS P320s are entered in LMP3 and you'll see in GTD the same marques as in GTD Pro joined by McLaren and Acura.

<h3>Acura in pole position</h3>

The starting grid at the 60th Rolex 24 at Daytona was established after Sunday's qualifying, with the #10 Acura clinching the pole ahead of the #5 Cadillac DPi of JDC-Miller MotorSports. The #52 ORECA 07 fielded by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports earned pole position in LMP2, the #63 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 of TR3 Racing in GTD Pro, the #36 Ligier JS P320 entered by Andretti Autosport in LMP3 and the #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Winward Racing in GTD.

Competitors will return to the track on Thursday for the free practice and the start of the race will be given on Saturday at 13:40 ET U.S. time.

Click for the 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona <a href="https://www.imsa.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2022/01/12/2022_IWSC_Roar_PreEvent_EntryList.pdf">entry list</a>.

LMH and LMDh cars will hit the track at the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona

Team Peugeot TotalEnergies plans to put the Peugeot 9X8 on the grid during the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship season. The French marque’s designers have played a key role in creating what already promises to be an iconic machine.

In the words of twice 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Romain Dumas, LMP1 Hybrids were “owned just as much by systems engineers as they were by the drivers”. For their successors, however, it could well be the designers who will bask in the glory. In the past, performance was the primary concern, well before style and brand identity entered the equation. As a result, morphologically speaking, prototypes could barely be told apart. The introduction of Hypercar regulations has, however, offered more latitude for design considerations.

The 9X8, the Hypercar created for Peugeot’s re-entry into the endurance arena, is a real head-turner that oozes pure speed. The marque’s engineers and designers have worked closely together to produce a machine that marries style and technology. “To identify the theme for our future racing car, we first launched a competition between the designers,” explains Design Director Matthias Hossann. “We received a lot of submissions as this project aroused massive enthusiasm, with the prospect of one day seeing our creation compete against the world’s most prestigious brands on the most ‘mythical’ of tracks.” For the 9X8, the performance-driven engineers let the designers’ creative juices flow. “This car will stand as a milestone in the history of Endurance racing,” Hossann promises.

<h3>With or without a rear wing?</h3>

There is a broad consensus among observers and specialists that this Hypercar makes a clean break with previous generations of racing cars of every make. This impression is reinforced by the lack of a rear wing, giving the car a somewhat unique shape. 
The rear wing made its first appearance at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans. Since 1971, no car has won the race without one. Depriving the 9X8 of this aerodynamic appendage is an audacious move by Peugeot’s designers and engineers. “This configuration is permitted by the ACO/FIA Hypercar regulations,” Olivier Jansonnie, the Technical Director of Peugeot Sport’s WEC programme, points out. “Our calculations and wind tunnel work have confirmed the pertinence of our decision. Along with the developments and settings this option calls for, we expect it to be validated as we test at different circuits with differing characteristics.”

<h3>Making a mark after dark</h3>

Peugeot’s designers have also taken on board the fact that cars race into the night in the longer endurance events. “Our Peugeot Design team includes fans of the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” Hossann continues. “Having been there as spectators, they know that at night, trackside, the cars have few distinctive signs. Some cars can be recognised by the sound of their engines, but in many places, the cars’ visual presence is mostly limited to bright lines fading away into the night.” Considerable thought has therefore been given to the 9X8’s illuminated components for easy identification in daylight and at night. Peugeot’s “three claw” motif that appears on all the make’s production cars today was an obvious starting point. “We didn't have too much trouble putting them on the front of our 9X8 Hypercar, but putting them on the rear required a lot of work. We've integrated the three light claws in separate composite components creating gaps through which air is extracted. We can't wait to see their effect on the track.”

With its avant-garde design, feline posture, sleek lines with a sporty edge, and signature lights, the Peugeot 9X8 has what it takes to become a new crowd favourite at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To whet your appetite for the 9X8’s track début, enjoy these pictures taken by fashion and supercar photographer Agnieszka Doroszewicz.

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