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

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: