24h Le Mans
Cadillac, Vanwall, Porsche, Toyota, Ferrari, Peugeot and Glickenhaus will all aim for the top step on the overall podium at the Centenary on 10-11 June. Learn more about the cars, drivers and goals for each team in the Hypercar class.
Cadillac is making its big return to the 24 Hours this year. The American constructor has one Hypercar competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, but will field three in the Centenary.
Cadillac V-Series.R ⎮ Chassis: Dallara ⎮ Engine: Cadillac 5.5L V8 (680 hp before BoP) ⎮ Hybrid
The design of the Cadillac V-Series.R – imagined by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and the chassis supplier Dallara – was inspired by the Project GTP Hypercar unveiled in June 2022. The racing car incorporates signature Cadillac design elements like vertical lights and floating slats.
The Cadillac V-Series.R features an all-new Cadillac 5.5L DOHC V8 engine developed by GM's Performance and Racing Propulsion in Pontiac, Michigan. The energy recovery system was developed by Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering (now WAE) and Xtrac.
The development of the car kicked off on the track in July 2022, covering more than 20,000 km in the U.S. before taking the start in the Rolex 24 at Daytona earlier this year.
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The first Cadillacs seen at Le Mans were fielded by private competitors Briggs Cunningham, and Miles and Sam Collier in 1950. Both Series 61 coupés were powered by Cadillac 5.4-litre OHV V8 engines. The Collier brothers took the wheel of the #3 "Clumsy Pup," finishing 10th overall. Cunningham shared the #2 (nicknamed "Le Monstre" by French spectators) with Phil Walters and finished 11th overall despite an incident early in the race. That same year, Sydney Allard and Tom Cole Jr. claimed the third step on the overall podium with an Allard J2 powered by Cadillac.
Cadillac participated in the 24 Hours in 2000, 2001 and 2002 with its Northstar LMP equipped with a 4L turbo V8. In 2000, Franck Lagorce, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace drove Team Cadillac's #1 Cadillac Northstar LMP to 21st place overall, while Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli and Eric van de Poele finished 22nd in the #2 sister car.
In 2001, Taylor, Angelelli and Christophe Tinseau shared the Cadillac Northstar LMP01, finishing 15th. A second LMP01, driven by Éric Bernard, Emmanuel Collard and Marc Goossens, was forced to retire with mechanical troubles.
The following year, two Cadillac LMP02s were fielded for Angelelli, Tinseau and Taylor (9th overall) and Bernard, Collard and JJ Lehto (12th).
Cadillac has doubled down with its Hypercar project, competing in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The V-Series.S debuted in competition at the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The American Hypercar immediately proved to be fast, reliable and a contender for victory. In the FIA WEC, the #2 "Caddy" (entered in the full season) finished 4th at the 1000 Miles of Sebring and 6 Hours of Portimão, and 5th at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The American manufacturer will field three cars in the Centenary. Action Express Racing is entering the #311 after receiving an invitation as a result of the partnership between the ACO and the IMSA.
Cadillac Racing is currently ranked 4th in the FIA WEC Hypercar Manufacturers standings.
The participation of this illustrious British marque is thanks to Austrian team ByKOLLES who previously competed in the LMP1 class.
Vanwall Vandervell 680 ⎮ Chassis: Vanwall ⎮ Engine: Gibson naturally aspirated 4.5L V8 (700 hp before BoP) ⎮ Non-hybrid
Vanwall is a legacy marque seen in Formula 1 between 1954 and 1960, crowned F1 World Constructors champion in 1958. Austrian team ByKOLLES, an LMP1 competitor from 2009 and 2020, will support the entry and has developed the Vandervell 680 over the last two years during testing sessions with drivers Tom Dillmann and Esteban Guerrieri. The car perfectly corresponds to the philosophy of the Hypercar class with a design easily identifiable by fans.
Though Vanwall is certainly a smaller constructor than Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot or Toyota, it does have a legacy to uphold. Despite its newness and lack of kilometres, the Vanwall Vandervell 680 made it to the chequered flag at the 1000 Miles of Sebring without encountering any major problems. It was however forced to retire at the 6 Hours of Portimão (brake troubles) and at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (incident).
Floyd Vanwall Racing is currently ranked 6th in the FIA WEC Hypercar Manufacturers standings.
Drawn by the convergence between the FIA WEC and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Porsche has returned to the pinnacle of endurance racing to achieve new glory at Le Mans as well as the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.
Porsche 963⎮Chassis: Multimatic⎮Engine: Porsche 4.6L twin-turbo V8 (680 hp before BoP)⎮Hybrid
The Porsche 963's DNA goes back to the RS Spyder with which the German marque and the Penske team triumphed several times between 2005 and 2008. Its design was inspired by the 956 and 962 winners in the 1980s. A continuous, rear-mounted light strip echoes the distinctive feature of the latest 992-generation 911. The Porsche 963 is available for customer teams in its first year of competition.
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Porsche is extremely intent on bringing its win record to 20, and so to increase its chances has made the 963 available to customer teams. Hertz Team JOTA debuted the car at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in the FIA WEC this season. Given its history and track record, Porsche is probably the most eagerly awaited marque at the Centenary, with the #5, #6 and #72 sporting special liveries.
Porsche Penske Motorsport has entered the Porsche 963 in both the FIA WEC and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The car made its first appearance at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, suffering significant reliability problems despite having completed a rather grueling test programme beforehand.
In the FIA WEC, the team's 963s finished 5th and 6th at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, the #6 reached the third step on the podium at the 6 Hours of Portimão and the #5 made it to 4th at the TotalEnergies of Spa-Francorchamps.
Porsche Penske Motorsport is currently 3rd in the FIA Endurance Hypercar Manufacturers Championship standings.
Toyota is seeking a 6th consecutive win at the 24 Hours, but will need to overcome some tough competition to do so. The Japanese constructor is counting on its fine-tuned GR010 Hybrid to extend its reign in endurance racing.
Toyota GR010 Hybrid⎮Chassis: Toyota⎮Engine: 3.5L twin-turbo V6 (500 kw/680 hp before BoP)⎮Hybrid
For the Centenary and 2023 FIA WEC season, Toyota is fielding yet another updated version of the GR010 Hybrid originally unveiled in January 2021 to take on Cadillac, Porsche, Ferrari, Peugeot, Glickenhaus and Vanwaller. Modifications have been made to the powertrain to reduce weight and improve reliability, brake cooling has been fixed and under the bodywork the car has undergone a weight reduction adjustments.
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Winner at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, 6 Hours of Portimão and TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has upheld its reign so far in the 2023 FIA WEC season. The Japanese marque will count on experience gained since 2012 to take on fierce new competition in the Hypercar class, and is seeking a 6th win in a row at Le Mans.
Toyota is currently the leader in the FIA Endurance Hypercar Manufacturers Championship with a 33-point advantage on Ferrari.
Ferrari has returned to the head class of endurance racing, a comeback anticipated since 1973. The Italian marque boasts a long and outstanding history at the 24 Hours that includes nine overall wins. Ferrari AF Corse will hit the track keenly aware of this legacy.
Ferrari 499P⎮Chassis: Ferrari⎮Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6 (520 kw/707 hp before BoP)⎮Hybrid
The new Ferrari Hypercar entered in the 2023 FIA WEC is called the 499P as a nod to the Italian manufacturer's history. Previously, prototypes were often named with the letter "P" preceded by the number of the engine displacement. The 499P carries on the tradition.
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The post-WWII 24 Hours saw the emergence of a team which has since become iconic: Ferrari. Before making its mark in Formula 1, the Italian constructor racked up nine wins at Le Mans, including six consecutive between 1960 and 1965, and is returning to the race 50 years after its last participation in the head class. Ferrari has however remained loyal to the 24 Hours through its involvement in the GT class, earning four victories in LMGTE Pro (2012, 2014, 2019 and 2021) and seven FIA WEC Manufacturers titles. The marque will rely on the support of AF Corse for its return to endurance racing.
Ferrari AF Corse has enjoyed success already in the Hypercar class with the 499P scoring pole position at the 1000 Miles of Sebring and finishing 2nd at the 6 Hours of Portimão then 3rd at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Ferrari continues to gain experience and make progress in the head class, and though the marque understands Toyota is the big favourite to win, it definitely intends to put up a fight.
Ferrari is currently 2nd in the FIA Endurance Hypercar Manufacturers Championship standings.
This major French carmaker has already competed in endurance racing at at the 24 Hours. Its last win at the race dates back to 2009 with the 908 HDi FAP, a diesel LMP1 prototype.
Peugeot 9X8⎮Chassis: Peugeot⎮Engine: 2.6L twin-turbo V6 (520 kw/707 hp before BoP)⎮Hybrid
The Peugeot 9X8 is the successor to the Peugeot 905 and Peugeot 908, winners at Le Mans in 1992, 1993 and 2009, respectively. The Hypercar carries on the French marque's legacy in motorsport marked by high-performance models and a strong visual identity. With the 9X8, Peugeot has undertaken a true marque project around the concept of Neo-Performance, combining ultimate sportiness, technological know-how transferable to production models, efficiency and stylistic excellence. The Peugeot and Peugeot Sport design and engineering teams have worked closely together to explore new aerodynamic and styling solutions.
For the Centenary, the two 9X8s will be decorated in a paint scheme designed in collaboration with the artist J.Demsky.
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Peugeot took the start in three FIA WEC races in 2022 before entering its first full season. The French constructor conducted several testing sessions this past winter to render the 9X8 reliable, but the two 9X8s showed themselves to be a step below the competition early this season. The car's best result so far was 5th place for the #94 at the 6 Hours of Portimão, but the 24 Hours circuit's long straights should prove more favourable to the 9X8's concept.
Peugeot is currently 5th in the FIA Endurance Hypercar Manufacturers Championship standings.
American team Glickenhaus Racing has participated in the Hypercar class since 2021, earning two pole positions and three podiums in the FIA WEC. Though up against tough competition, screenwriter-director-producer James Glickenhaus has ensured his outfit is not counted out as a contender for victory at the Centenary.
Glickenhaus 007⎮Chassis: Glickenhaus⎮Engine: Pipo 3.5L V8 twin-turbo (697 hp before BoP)⎮Non-hybrid
It has been more than 50 years since a car manufacturered in the U.S. has won the 24 Hours. Glickenhaus Racing hopes to change all that with the 007. To build the car, the American constructor joined forces with some of the industry's most respected engineering partners. French manufacturer Pipo Moteurs developed a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V8 while Podium Advanced Technologie designed and developed the majority of the subsystems down to the monocoque. The Glickenhaus 007 has already taken the start in the 24 Hours twice, finishing 3rd last year.
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Now Glickenhaus is facing major opposition with the arrival of Porsche, Ferrari, Cadillac, Peugeot and Vanwall the Hypercar class. Forced to retire at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, the Glickenhaus soon got its mojo back, finishing 8th at the 6 Hours of Portimão and 13th at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Glickenhaus Racing's 007 has shown speed and above all, reliability. The American team really does have a chance to win the Centenary.
Glickenhaus is currently 6th in the FIA Endurance Hypercar Manufacturers Championship standings.
The FIA Endurance Hypercar Manufacturers classification ahead of the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans:
1. Toyota – 90 points
2. Ferrari – 57 points
3. Porsche – 42 points
4. Cadillac – 40 points
5. Peugeot – 19 points
6. Glickenhaus – 12 points
7. Vanwall – 6 points
Click for the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans ENTRY LIST.
