First On-Track Photos: Porsche Penske LMDh Takes Next Step in Testing
Porsche Motorsports has released on-track images of its 2023 LMDh prototype that will be raced by Porsche Penske Motorsport in the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next year.
That 2023 schedule is expected to included the sport's Big 3—the Rolex 24, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car's racing debut is scheduled for the Rolex in 2023.
The test was conducted at Porsche's Weissach Development Center in Germany.
The car sports a large-capacity twin-turbo V8 unit. The powerful engine is designed to run on renewable fuels, which Porsche says will mean a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. In race mode, Porsche says that the system output of the hybrid drive reaches around 500 kW (680 PS).
Porsche announced its commitment to the program in December, 2020.
“We were spoiled for choice with the engine for our LMDh prototype, because the product range offers several promising baseline units,” said 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.”
The engine regulations for the new LMDh class allow freedom in terms of displacement, design and number of cylinders. Maximum revs are 10,000 rpm, with a pass-by noise measurement capped at 110 decibels. Regulations call for a minimum engine weight of 396 pounds (180 kg), including the air supply and exhaust system as well as the peripheral cooling components.
Cars in the new class will be subject to balance of performance regulations established by the governing bodies.
