It’s no secret that many supercar producers will usually have a racing division. A few of them began out as racing groups and spawned a street automobile division to fund their racing program.
It’s thrilling, then, when a brand new season of worldwide GT and Prototype competitors begins, as all the time, with the superior spectacle that’s the 24 Hours of Daytona. What’s even higher is that with the entire regulation adjustments over the previous two years, the FIA and IMSA have agreed upon a worldwide customary for the vehicles, which means that those self same drivers and groups which might be racing at Daytona might very nicely be racing on the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
It additionally signifies that an entire vary of supercar producers have constructed a wholly new sequence of race vehicles, which is what we will likely be having a look at right now.
Aston Martin Racing
Whereas it’s not the latest automobile on the grid, the 2022 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 was designed to race within the FIA WEC earlier than the settlement between IMSA and the FIA to share guidelines and laws, and changed each the growing older Vantage V8 GTE and Vantage V12 GT3. It’s nonetheless one beast of a automobile, with the traditional lengthy, low British sports activities coupe styling married to a firebreathing 4.0L twin-turbo V8 beneath that lengthy hood. You may virtually all the time hear a Vantage GT3 coming down the straights because it seems like a World Battle 2 Spitfire on steroids, spitting flames and barking loudly from its exhausts throughout each up and down shifts.
Energy within the automobile has not been formally confirmed, however most groups that whisper about it within the corners of the pit lane converse to 580 or extra HP. As nicely, as a result of Aston Martin has been racing for thus lengthy, they’re identified to be fairly dependable race vehicles, albeit if one thing does go flawed, it has confirmed to be a little bit of a handful to actually get at something with all of the stiffening spars and bars within the physique over the engine. This would be the new Vantage GT3’s first IMSA race, nevertheless it’s not its first 24 hour race, because it competed within the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Spa.
BMW Motorsport
GTD
For 2023, BMW Motorsport will proceed to make use of its M4 GT3 automobile, which was first entered into the European-based FIA World Endurance Championship beneath the brand new guidelines and laws for the reason that begin of the 2022 season. In an period of race vehicles which might be principally mid-engined, BMW, together with two different groups, are steadfastly preserving with the front-engine, rear-drive format that has served them so nicely all through the many years. That engine is a peach, too, a 3.0L inline-six, the one 6-cylinder engine in all the IMSA and WEC entry lists, with two whopping nice variable-vane turbos slapped to it. Energy output is subtly hinted at being “as much as 590 HP,” but when the grapevine is to be believed, it’s lots nearer to 600 than something.
The M4 GT3 was additionally developed with the mindset of being relevant in fairly actually any racing sequence, to the purpose that with a couple of aerodynamic adjustments and a few inside work, the identical primary race automobile chassis can be used for the M4 DTM German touring automobile sequence. Take off a few of the aero, change out the ECU, and abruptly the M4 GT3 is the M4 GT4. By the design of 1 base chassis to have the ability to run in three totally different championships, BMW has already seen lots of buyer groups, together with many racing at Daytona, undertake their new, high of the road GT racing automobile.
GT Prototype
For 2023, after ready for each IMSA and FIA sequence to be on the identical ruleset, BMW has additionally launched the 2023 BMW M Hybrid V8, a Le Mans/Daytona hybrid (LMDh) Hypercar Prototype. Wanting like one thing straight out of science fiction, the lengthy, low, ultra-aerodynamic automobile is a technological tour de power. The beating coronary heart of the automobile is a 4.0L twin-turbo 90 diploma V8, which screams out 640 HP at 8,200 RPM to the rear wheels. Alongside that V8, a front-axle mounted electrical motor offers a lift between 10 to 35 HP, as the ability cap for the hypercar prototype class is 710 HP.
What’s fascinating about BMW’s method is that as an alternative of utilizing advanced engine administration to push as a lot energy from the V8 as attainable, then deliver it again slightly when the hybrid kicks in, they’re going with an always-on, always-ready mannequin. Because of this when the M Hybrid V8 comes out of a nook, it would have that additional entrance wheel energy for nook exit and all the way in which as much as high pace. That is very very like how the early-to-mid 2010s hybrid Le Mans vehicles operated, with a constant-deployment system that may be activated by driver command. It’s down on energy very barely in comparison with different hypercar prototypes, however by working with the legendary Dallara Racing firm, they’ve an ultra-lightweight, super-slippery form that they’re betting makes up for the ten to twenty HP deficit.
Corvette Racing
For the 2023 season, Corvette Racing has unveiled a brand new model of their GTE/GTLM C8, the Corvette Z06 C8.R GTD Professional. Whereas not a lot has modified all through the automobile, a entrance profile is the most important distinction between the outdated and the brand new automobile. The naming can be the most important distinction, because the “evolution” model of the C8.R has gained the Z06 moniker, which secures its ties to its road-going supercar brother. Whereas many argued that the bottom spec Corvette C8 was an excellent sports activities automobile however not a supercar, no-one can argue that the Z06, with its near-700 HP from a naturally aspirate 5.5L crossplane V8, just isn’t a supercar.
Corvette Racing will likely be working two vehicles on the 24 Hours of Daytona, with hopes to safe a fifth class win.
Scuderia Ferrari
Whereas there’s a lot within the press concerning the new Ferrari 499P LMDh Hypercar Prototype, it received’t be making an look till the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Whereas that could be a little bit of a methods off, Ferrari does have a GTD automobile within the form of the brand new 296 GT3, and what a automobile it’s. Changing the 488 GT3 Evo, Ferrari have taken the principles and laws of each the IMSA and FIA sequence, and very like in F1, has pushed them to the very limits of tolerance. The utmost V of the engine in a GTD/GT3 automobile within the new guidelines is 120 levels, so Ferrari made a 120 diploma, 3.0L twin-turbo V6. The utmost energy for the category is 600 HP, so Ferrari wasn’t cute about it because the 296 GT3 has 600 HP.
That engine has additionally been slammed forwards in opposition to the firewall and lowered to the minimal top required by the principles, to maintain the middle of gravity as little as attainable. The six-speed transaxle is slammed down low as nicely, to the purpose that the rear deck lid of the 296 GT3 is barely taller than the wheels and tires being pushed by it. The aerodynamics of the automobile, which make it appear like a hungry, indignant animal, hunched down over its wheels and snarling, are millimetrically inside the limits allowed for width, angles, and clearances. Put merely, with the 296 GT3, Ferrari got here to trace with an absolute weapon and isn’t messing round in any respect.
The 24 Hours of Daytona can be the automobile’s first race, so count on to see lots of monitoring pictures across the banked oval a part of the course of the modern little factor screaming by at it’s 8,000 RPM redline.
Lamborghini Squadra Corse
The 2023 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 is, other than a really lengthy identify to say, a rework and rethink of how the corporate from Sant’Agata Bolognese needs to take the Huracan racing. With the brand new guidelines and laws, this has allowed for the general form and aerodynamics of the GT3 automobile to be redone. Not majorly, thoughts you, however a brand new wing, a brand new shoulder line with small physique fins to information air to that wing, and a redo of the aspect air intakes to make them lower even higher via the air whereas additionally gulping down all of the cooling wind they will. This rethink was launched when the Lamborghini Huracan STO was in manufacturing.
Impressed by their top-tier, barely-road-legal Huracan, the GT3 EVO2 does the traditional Lamborghini transfer and takes every thing that the unique GT3 and GT3 Evo did, and turns each knob to 11. Go determine, as Squadra Corse can be liable for the completely bonkers Essenza SCV12 buyer monitor automobile. One of many few vehicles nonetheless growling an exhaust word from 10 cylinders, the automobile produces 590 HP and sometimes will spit flames from its very quick, very direct exhaust pipes. Whereas that’s just about par for the course, the factor that makes it an EVO2 other than the aerodynamics is that that is the primary automobile from Lamborghini to have independently actuated digital throttle our bodies. In impact, as an alternative of the ECU opening only one throttle physique to feed air to all 10 cylinders, every cylinder has its personal air consumption that’s adjusted a number of hundred occasions per second. This maximizes gas effectivity in addition to preserving a relentless air-fuel ratio in every cylinder, which can not sound like a lot in essence, however in actuality are two completely essential factors of failure in endurance racing.
Mercedes-AMG Racing
It ought to suprise precisely nobody that one of many mainstays of buyer GT racing, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, has a number of groups coming into one within the 24 Hours of Daytona. It speaks to the standard and ahead considering of the design of the automobile, launched in 2019, that for 2022/2023, all that basically wanted altering was a little bit of wing and the ECU of the automobile to satisfy the brand new laws. It’s nonetheless some of the dependable GT3 vehicles on the market, giving Porsche a run for its cash, and most retirements of the automobile are both from being crashed, being crashed into, or one thing affecting the automobile that’s not overly mechanical.
In actual fact, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, with is hilariously enormous 6.3L naturally aspirated V8 chucking out nicely over 550 HP, is usually utilized by many groups as their entry level into worldwide GT3 championship racing. The automobile is straightforward to work on, has a nicely developed assist program for elements and technical assist direct from the manufacturing unit, and is, in the long term, really fairly reasonably priced for buyer racing groups. That stated, it’s also a championship successful automobile, in addition to a single race winner at a few of the greatest names in racing, such because the Bathurst 12 Hour, the 24 Hours of Spa, and has all the time positioned extremely within the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Very similar to how one can hear an Aston Martin coming from a mile away as a result of it seems like a spitfire, the identical is true of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, because it seems like a P-51 Mustang had a child with a Messerschmitt Bf 109 because it roars by.
Porsche Motorsport
GTD
For the 2023 FIA WEC and IMSA GT Problem sequence, Porsche is bringing ahead the brand new 2023 Sort 992 911 GT3 R, each as a manufacturing unit works automobile and in addition bought to buyer racing groups. This new race automobile is a whole rethink of the earlier generations of the GT3 R in addition to the GTLM-class, mid-engined 911 RSR from the late 2010s. The most important change over the road-going Sort 992 911 is that the engine has been reworked inside and outside, with a lift in displacement to 4.2L from 4.0L, in addition to being positioned extra ahead (however nonetheless behind the rear axle) and canted ahead barely by 5.5 levels. That bump in displacement offers the automobile a roaring 560 HP from the naturally aspirated flat-six
What is essential with the brand new GT3 R is that with that engine canting and remodeling the physique aerodynamics, Porsche have made a good try and clear up the one mitigating problem they’ve had in endurance racing: rear tire put on. By having the ability to doubtlessly double or triple stint a set of tires with out shedding any of its legendary grip, the brand new GT3 R could possibly be the beginning of a brand new period for Porsche Motorsport
GT Prototype
As we have now stated repeatedly right here on Supercars.web, lots of the know-how and energy of recent day supercars is descended from motorsport. With Porsche, that’s half and parcel of how they function. The late Nineteen Nineties RS Spyder gave its engine to the Carrera GT. The 919 Hybrid was developed and designed in the identical constructing, by a few of the identical groups, that additionally designed and constructed the 918 Spyder. So when a brand new Porsche prototype for the Hypercar high class in endurance racing hits the monitor, individuals take discover.
Porsche skipped out on the 2022 season, the primary yr of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s new laws, ready for IMSA to additionally undertake the brand new laws, earlier than they revealed the brand new Sort 963 LMDh Prototype Hypercar. It’s a wild departure from virtually each sort of Porsche race automobile ever seen, beginning with the engine. A twin-turbo 4.6L V8 engine, primarily based closely on the 918 Spyder’s powerplant, will churn out 700 HP at over 8,000 RPM to the rear wheels solely. With the principles set to cap energy at 710 HP, together with hybrid techniques, Porsche have opted to make use of a entrance axle electrical motor that may produce as much as 40 HP, which the automobile’s laptop will interact when wanted or on driver command. To not go over the ability cap, when the hybrid engages, the V8 will limit itself again to 670 HP.
Whereas this will likely appear a bit unusual, it’s designed with classes discovered from the 919 Hybrid Prototype race automobile, utilizing the entrance axle solely throughout nook exit and preliminary acceleration to account for the gentle turbo lag. This would be the first true outing of the Sort 963 in a 24 hour race, so it’s thrilling to see what sort of street automobile will likely be introduced in 4 to six years time, primarily based on the know-how on this Prototype!