It was only a few weeks ago that the Executive Board at Porsche AG green-lit the development of a new race car for competition in both the FIA World Endurance and the North American IMSA SportsCar Championships. And alongside even more recently announced that Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr would be serving as the works drivers for the forthcoming racer, Porsche has finally revealed the first images of what it’s calling the LMDh prototype.
Thus far only partially revealed in the traditional prototype camouflage livery, the LMHd also marks the first time in three decades that a single race platform will be eligible for competition across a myriad of high-profile motorsport events from multiple race series including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona. Constructed around an upgraded chassis from Porsche’s Le Mans racer, the LMP2, the LMDh prototype tips the scales at around 2,200lbs and is expected to put down roughly 500kW (or 680hp). The fact this single vehicle can compete in such a wide variety of races has allowed Porsche to invest a more substantial amount of money and resources into its development, rather than having to divide its racing budget across numerous factory efforts.
Porsche is slated to begin intensive testing of the prototype racer in January in preparation for its competition debut in 2023. And, just like with previous offerings from the Stuttgart firm, the technology developed for the race track will likely eventually trickle down to Porsche’s production hybrid and electric cars.
