Ferrari is returning to endurance racing next year with the 499P. The Le Mans Hypercar broke cover over the weekend, introducing the world to the sleek racer. It won’t make its official racing debut until next year, but the car did hit the track during its launch, which you can watch above.
The 499P debuted during this year’s Ferrari Finali Mondiali at the Imola Circuit, an end-of-year event for the company’s motorsport enthusiasts. The car cruises around the track with gusto, even though the driver isn’t pushing it to the limits. The Ferrari is powered by a mid-rear combustion engine and a front-mounted electric motor. Racing regulations limit the engine’s output to 680 horsepower, while the electric motor produces 272 hp (200 kW). However, the total combined output is limited to 680 hp.
Gallery: 2023 Ferrari 499P
The electrified engine connects with a seven-speed sequential transmission. Powering the electric motor is a 900-volt, F1-derived battery. Ferrari recharges it during deceleration and braking. The video above not only captures the 499P’s outing on the track, but it also captures the exhaust note. At the heart of the car is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, and it sounds potent and promising.
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A Ferrari 296 GT3 race car joins the 499P in its laps around Imola. The two are linked through their V6 engine’s 129-degree architecture, but they are not the same, according to Ferrari. The automaker chose the V6 because it was lightweight and compact.
The video also shows off the car’s new red livery in motion. Ferrari added yellow accents as a callback to the 312PB race car from 1972 and 1973. The Ferrari 499P will make its racing debut next March at the Sebring 1000 miles, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) inaugural race. When Ferrari hits the track, the two cars its campaigning will wear numbers 50 and 51. The automaker hasn’t announced drivers yet.
The race car has already undergone more than 7,500 miles (12,000 kilometers) of testing. We expect Ferrari to rack up a few more miles before making its racing debut, as the company should complete homologation before the end of the year. March is just around the corner.
