24 Hours of Le Mans: the Porsche LMDh enters the development phase
The 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans promises to be spectacular knowing that the flagship event of the FIA World Endurance Championship will celebrate its centenary next year. Thus, many car manufacturers have decided to return to the Sarthe in the queen category called “Hypercar” which brings together the LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) and LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h) prototypes. Porsche will be at the start of the most beautiful race in the world in 2023 with an LMDh whose development has just begun.
Porsche, Audi and Alpine in LMDh, Ferrari, Toyota, Peugeot in LMH, without forgetting to mention Cadillac (LMDh) and, most likely, the brands BMW (LMDh) and Acura (LMDh) which should be present at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2023 , these are the manufacturers who are preparing their arrival or their return to the FIA WEC with also the possibility of racing in North America in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Let’s be complete, the private team Glickenhaus Racing will be at Le Mans again in 2023. On the side of Porsche Motorsport, things are accelerating. After a first run in mid-January, the Porsche LMDh therefore enters the development phase.
Remember that in LMH, manufacturers or private teams master, to put it simply, the entire design of their prototype (engine, hybrid system, chassis, etc.), which is not the case in LMDh because, four Chassis suppliers have been validated by the ACO and the FIA: Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic and Oreca. Thus, Porsche Motorsport collaborates with Multimatic. Still in LMDh, the hybrid system will be common to all structures that have chosen this regulation.
Regarding the thermal engine of the Porsche LMDh, it is a biturbo V8 which, once associated with the electrical device, will develop 500 kW/680 hp. It should be noted that the thermal blocks of the LMH and LMDh will operate, from this year, thanks to biofuel.
As mentioned above, Audi will enter the FIA WEC in 2023 with an LMDh, unless the brand with the rings decides to give way to Porsche to, perhaps, focus on Formula 1. The Audi Sport LMDh, if it is confirmed, should therefore be powered by the same twin-turbo V8 as the Porsche LMDh.
Finally, it remains to be seen when Peugeot Sport will enter, for the first time this year, these two Peugeot 9X8 Hypercars (photo below) in the FIA WEC. Nothing says, to date, that the Lion will be present on the starting grid of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 (June 11 and 12).
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Photos: Porsche Motor and Peugeot Sport
