Tag: Cadillac racing

CADILLAC V-SERIES HYPERCARS AT LE MANS

In June, CADILLAC V-SERIES HYPERCARS AT LE MANS will be going for the overall win in the Hypercar Class at the world’s premier endurance race.

CADILLAC V-SERIES HYPERCARS AT LE MANS

“We are thrilled to return to the  Circuit de la Sarthe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the full Cadillac Racing team,” said Global Vice President of Cadillac Rory Harvey. “Over the last 20 years Cadillac Racing has built a legacy of winning on the track and we feel very privileged to return to Le Mans during this exciting new electrified era in racing.”

The three Cadillac V-Series.R race cars made their competition debut January. 28-29 in the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona, with the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R earning a podium finish. The No. 02 Cadillac V-Series.R placed fourth and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R finished fifth. They will join other competitors in the Hypercar class with revised car numbers for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and contest for the overall win.

  • The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R received an automatic entry based on its full-season participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook are the drivers.
  • The No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R is a full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entrant, where it races as the No. 01. Sébastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon will be the drivers.
  • The No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R is a full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entrant, where it races as the No. 31. Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken will be the drivers.

“Cadillac is excited to build on its racing legacy by competing against the very best internationally and at one of the world’s toughest races,” said GM sports car program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser. “We’re proud to be representing the United States and the Cadillac V-Series.R is a great continuation of our racing heritage.”

The guiding principles for convergence of the top categories of endurance racing in IMSA and the WEC were announced in 2020. Design and development of the new race car began immediately.

The Cadillac V-Series.R design – co-developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis constructor Dallara – was influenced by the Project GTP Hypercar that was unveiled in June 2022. The race car incorporates distinctive Cadillac design elements, such as vertical lighting and floating blades.

CADILLAC V-SERIES HYPERCARS AT LE MANS feature all-new Cadillac 5.5L DOHC V-8 engines developed by GM’s Performance and Racing Propulsion team based in Pontiac, MI. The spec energy recovery system was developed by Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering (now WAE) and Xtrac.

The Cadillac V-Series.R began on-track development in July 2022 and logged more than 12,400 miles (20,000 kilometers) on racetracks in the U.S. leading into the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The first Cadillacs raced at Le Mans were entered by privateers Briggs Cunningham and Miles and Sam Collier in 1950. Both of these Series 61 coupes were powered by the Cadillac 5.4-liter OHV V-8 engine.

CADILLAC V-SERIES HYPERCARS AT LE MANSMiles and Sam Collier co-drove the No. 3 “Petit Pataud” to a 10th place overall finish.

Briggs Cunningham shared the wheel of the No. 2 “Le Monstre” with Phil Walters and finished 11th overall despite an early off-course incident. Vintage Cadillac photos: Mike Matune.

That same year, Sydney Allard and Tom Cole Jr. finished 3rd overall in the Cadillac powered Allard J2. Most recently, Cadillac competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2000, 2001 and 2002 with its 4.0L turbocharged V8-powered Northstar LMP.

For more information about CADILLAC V-SERIES HYPERCARS AT LE MANS and Cadillac’s road-racing heritage, please visit https://www.cadillac.com/world-of-cadillac/racing/heritage

CADILLAC ELECTRIFIED V-LMDh RACECARS

Cadillac reveals the liveries for the three all-new CADILLAC ELECTRIFIED V-LMDh RACECARS that will make their competition debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona this month.

CADILLAC ELECTRIFIED V-LMDh RACECARSThe three distinctive designs represent the teams campaigning the all-new Cadillac V-LMDh, each with a different bold color from the Cadillac V-Series emblem.

“Cadillac is ready to compete against the very best in North America and internationally — including one of the world’s toughest races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Global Vice President of Cadillac Rory Harvey. “As Cadillac builds toward an all-electric future, the all-new V-LMDh furthers our dedication to exploring new advanced performance technologies.”

Cadillac Racing will be competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the No. 01 Cadillac Racing and No. 31 Whelen Engineering V-LMDh cars and in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the No. 2 Cadillac Racing V-LMDh. The three liveries share a V-Series graphic-and-color theme. Each car wears one of the primary colors of the V-Series logo, including No. 01 in gold, No. 2 in blue and red on the No. 31.

The CADILLAC ELECTRIFIED V-LMDh RACECARS are powered by Cadillac’s all-new LMC55R 5.5L DOHC V-8 that’s paired with the LMDh common hybrid system. Developed in-house, the naturally aspirated racing engine is rated up to 670 horsepower, per series specifications, and is backed by a seven-speed sequential gearbox.

Co-developed by Cadillac Racing, Cadillac Design and Dallara, the final Cadillac V-LMDh design was influenced by the Project GTP Hypercar that debuted last summer. It incorporates distinctive Cadillac design elements such as vertical lighting and floating blades.

“From an aesthetic point of view, the LMDh regulations allowed us to create a vision for the car that is clearly Cadillac,” said Chris Mikalauskas, lead exterior creative designer, Cadillac. “And that’s really exciting for fans and for people who are true enthusiasts, every car is unique.”

Each Cadillac Racing driver contributed to the V-LMDh’s development. Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook will co-drive the No. 2 Cadillac V-LMDh in FIA WEC competition, including the centenary Le Mans 24 Hours, and the Rolex 24 At Daytona, where the car will compete as No. 02. The No. 2 is in homage to the first Cadillac entry at Le Mans in 1950, Briggs Cunningham’s “Le Monstre”.

Additionally, Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande will drive the No. 01 Cadillac V-LMDh in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. They will be joined by six-time IndyCar champion and four-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Scott Dixon for the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

CADILLAC ELECTRIFIED V-LMDh RACECARSPipo Derani and Alexander Sims will drive the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-LMDh in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Throughout the season they will be joined by Jack Aitken.

Cadillac’s expanded 2023 racing program builds on a long history of racing success. In fact, Cadillac is the only high-volume luxury American manufacturer to compete at Le Mans for the overall win since 1969.

The brand has competed since 2017 at the forefront of American sports car racing in the Cadillac DPi-V.R. Before that, Cadillac Racing scored several wins in the Pirelli World Challenge. Recent highlights include:

  • Winning the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship three times: 2021, 2018 and 2017
  • Winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona four consecutive times: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017
  • Winning the Michelin North American Endurance Cup four consecutive times: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017
  • Earning five Pirelli World Challenge Manufacturer Championships (2015, 2014, 2013, 2007 and 2005) and five Driver Championships (2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2005).

This rich history influenced the Project GTP Hypercar, which debuted in June 2022 and previewed the all-new Cadillac V-LMDh prototype race car. It is Cadillac’s third-generation prototype race car and represents the start of the fifth generation of the brand’s storied V-Series.

Since 2004, V-Series has embodied Cadillac’s commitment to performance, on and off the track. When it comes to road-going models, the lineup has grown recently to include the 2023 Escalade-V. It joined the CT4-V and CT5-V, along with the track-capable CT4-V Blackwing1 and CT5-V Blackwing1.

The Rolex 24 At Daytona kicks off a packed racing season that will see the trio of race cars continue to compete around the world. Following Daytona, Cadillac Racing will compete at the 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 17 with the No. 2 car, with the No. 01 and 31 competing in the Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 18.

1Extremely limited availability

Check out video of 2023 CADILLAC ELECTRIFIED V-LMDh RACECARS @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAR3FBnFSeU

2023: CADILLAC GTP HYBRID HYPERCAR

Project GTP Hypercar previews the third-generation prototype racecar – 2023: CADILLAC GTP HYBRID HYPERCAR – from Cadillac.

2023: CADILLAC GTP HYBRID HYPERCAR

In 2023, Cadillac will contest the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Cadillac will be competing again on the world racing stage, and we are all thrilled to return to Le Mans after 20 years,” said Global Cadillac Vice President Rory Harvey. “By competing in both the 2023 IMSA and WEC championships, Cadillac Racing has the opportunity to demonstrate its capability, craftsmanship and technology.”

Co-developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and Dallara, the 2023: CADILLAC GTP HYBRID HYPERCAR incorporates key brand design characteristics. Elements of the brand’s heritage such as vertical lighting and floating blades are present throughout and connect the racecar to the future of Cadillac.

“The Project GTP Hypercar is a unique convergence of form and function and showcases Cadillac’s future performance aesthetic,” said Chris Mikalauskas, lead exterior creative designer, Cadillac. “We have plenty more to come, from the upcoming race car to amazing production vehicles.”

“Competing for the overall win at Le Mans with an iconic American brand like Cadillac is an honor,” said Laura Wontrop Klauser, GM sports car racing program manager. “The entire team is excited to continue building Cadillac’s racing legacy by competing against the very best internationally and in the world’s toughest race.”

2023: CADILLAC GTP HYBRID HYPERCARCadillac’s commitment to performance is embodied in the V-Series portfolio. Its recent expansion includes the CT4-V and CT5-V sedans, Escalade-V as well as the track-capable CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. The 2023: CADILLAC GTP HYBRID HYPERCAR will begin on-track testing this summer and first race at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2023.

Recent Cadillac Racing achievements include:

Winning the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship three times: 2021, 2018 and 2017

Winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona four times in a row: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017

Winning the Michelin North American Endurance Cup four times: 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017

Prior to competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Cadillac competed in the Pirelli World Challenge Championship, earning five Manufacturer’s Championships (2014, 2013, 2012, 2007, 2005), and five Driver’s Championships (2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2005).

Check out this video @ https://media.cadillac.com/media/us/en/cadillac/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2022/jun/0609-cadillac.html

For information about the latest luxury & performance Cadillacs, please visit https://www.cadillac.com/