The V8 Engine Will be Used On LMDh Prototype in Various Sports Car Championship in 2024
Lamborghini is developing an all-new twin-turbo V8 engine for its LMDh prototype, which will compete in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA Sports Car Championship starting in 2024.
The first details of the combustion engine element of the car's hybrid powertrain were revealed on Monday, along with further teaser images of the Lamborghini LMDh, developed in partnership with French manufacturer Ligier Automotive.
The LMDh engine will be the first all-new design launched in 2013 by Lamborghini's Squadra Corse in-house motorsport division, as opposed to the production-based V10 engine that powers its Huracan GT3 and Super Trofeo one-make machinery.
The Italian manufacturer has revealed that the powerplant will be a 90-degree V8, but not capacity, although it is understood to be around 4 liters. It has a weight of 180 kg, the minimum specified in the rules.
The combined power output of the new V8 and the hybrid system jointly developed by Bosch, Williams and Xtrac was listed by Lamborghini at 500kW (670bhp), a mid-figure figure in the 480 to 520kW range in LMDh and Le Mans Hypercar regulations.
Lamborghini also confirmed the dimensions of the upcoming prototype with 2000mm in width, 5100mm in length and 3148mm in height which is on the class maximums allowed. Weight is listed as 1030 kg, the minimum allowed in LMDh.
More technical details of Lamborghini's yet-to-be-named contender aren't expected until photos of the car are released in the first quarter of 2023. This will take place before testing is scheduled to begin next spring.
Long-time Lamborghini factory GT drivers Mirko Bortolotti and Andrea Caldarelli have been announced as the first drivers of the LMDh programme and will spearhead the development of the car.
The teams that will run the new Lambo LMDh in WEC and IMSA have not yet announced, and it will compete in GTP and Hypercar respectively.
