Cadillac on Wednesday gave a new look to its new LMDh (Le Mans Daytona Hybrid) race car and confirmed its debut for June 9th.
The race car is being built for the 2023 IMSA Sportscar Championship, specifically for the sport’s premier GTP (Grand Turing prototype) class.
Cadillac is currently competing in the Premier Daytona Prototype International (DPi) class at the Sportscar Championships, replacing the GTP class in 2023.
The GTP class is open to both the new LMDh division and the current Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) category, with plans to ensure a level playing field with the Balance of Performance Rules.
Significantly, LMDh cars will also qualify for the prestigious 24-hour Le Mans, which Cadillac will also compete for next year. It will return to the French Classic for Cadillac for the first time in 21 years.
For its LMDh car, temporarily called the LMDh-VR, Cadillac is working with two of its existing DPI partner teams: Chip Gunsy Racing and Action Express Racing. Chip Gunsy Racing was responsible for Ford GT’s Storybook GTE Pro-Class win at Le Mans in 2016, marking the 50th anniversary of Ford’s famous victory over Ferrari with the French Classic GT40.
Cadillac is using a chassis from Dallara, one of four companies providing chassis for LMDh. And as a rule, the car has to weigh a minimum of 1,030 kilograms (2,270 pounds) and its powertrain, a hybrid setup, can produce a maximum output of around 670 hp at any one time.
Cadillac has been fairly successful in the DPi, winning two championships, as well as winning four 24-hour Daytona races. However, its last Le Mans program, which ran from 2000-2002, failed. The automaker has gained more racing experience over the past two decades, but it will face more competition in 2023.
Alpine, Audi, BMW and Porsche are all committed to LMDh, while Ferrari, Glickenhaus, Peugeot and Toyota are all committed to LMH. Lamborghini also announced in May that it would join the LMDh fold in 2024.
The first race for the LMDh will be the Datona 2023 24 hours next January. The race is the opening round of the 2023 Sportscar Championship.