The Cadillac V-LMDh will make its competition debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January. To build hype for the new race car, a video shows the aggressive-looking machine on the track. The design is a bit different from the earlier teasers for the competition machine (see them side by side below).
The version that's actually going racing has a flatter nose by removing the angled creases from the earlier renderings. A more prominent scoop is on the rear portion of the roof. The taillights have a more conventional design rather than the fin-like vertical lamps on the prior car.
The V-LMDh uses a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 with dual overhead camshafts and the racing category's common hybrid system. In contrast, Cadillac's competitors opt for engines with forced induction. Porsche uses a twin-turbo 4.6-liter V8. BMW has a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. Acura employs a 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 that revs to 10,000 rpm.
The Cadillac is among the first vehicles to receive homologation in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMDh class. To get the stamp of approval, the company had to deliver one to the series so that the governing body can make sure the body meets aerodynamic guidelines. The vehicle also underwent full disassembly to make sure all the parts complied with the documentation.
Cadillac began testing the V-LMDh on track in July. Since then, the car has covered around 11,800 miles (19,000 kilometers) of laps. This included a 24-hour development run around Sebring.
Chip Ganassi Racing and Action Express Racing will each race one Cadillac V-LMDh in the IMSA series. Ganassi will also run a second one at the Daytona event.
Separately, Ganassi will also campaign a single V-LMDh in the FIA World Endurance Championship. This will include racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans where Cadillac will try to have three cars competing in the event.
