They don’t all have the same shape and don’t make the same noise. Some are racy, with a devilish or futuristic look. Others are more classic, not so far from those that we come across from time to time, by chance, at the bend of a bend. Inside, their technical characteristics diverge a lot. Some have hybrid technology, others have more conventional, turbo or naturally aspirated engines, with power levels that vary greatly. Yet they will all have the same goal: to travel the greatest distance, as quickly as possible.
On the occasion of the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will take place on June 10 and 11, 2023, no less than 62 cars will be entered, according to the official list unveiled by the Automobile club de l’Ouest (ACO) at the end of the month of February*. At the rate of three people per crew, 186 pilots will follow one another at their steering wheels. Difficult, at first sight, to see clearly between the Hypercars, the LMP2s and the GTs. Hence the interest of this little guide, to better understand the three categories in contention and understand what is happening on the track.
They are the result of the technical revolution initiated in recent years, and the very reason for a sport in full revival. Hypercars, or LMh for Le Mans hypercar, are unequivocally the stars of the next 24 Hours of Le Mans. That’s good, because there will never have been so many to line up on the starting line.
The LMhs, introduced in 2021, are the worthy representatives of the first category to run in endurance. While their performance is slightly less than it may have been in the past, they are in short the fastest, most sophisticated and therefore most prestigious cars to run the famous event. They alone fight for victory overall, when the lower categories evolve in a dedicated ranking.
Their crews, of three pilots, are made up entirely of professionals. Although less well known than their Formula 1 counterparts – although many of them have competed there in the past – they are among the best on the planet.
• Strict rules, killer looks
Technically, LMhs meet strict specifications: the car must weigh at least 1,030 kg. For its engine, two options: the car can be hybrid or not. If the choice of electrification is made, the system can be installed both at the front and at the rear of the vehicle. With a major consequence: from a two-wheel drive the car can switch to a temporary four-wheel drive. Toyota, for example, is powered by two-wheel drive but shifts to four at around 120 mph, getting a boost up front through its energy recovery system. Another obligation to respect inside the hood: not to exceed 500 kW of power, which corresponds to approximately 700 horsepower. As for tires, only one manufacturer is authorized: Michelin.
Last point, aerodynamics. And there, this new category offers a very important freedom to the different manufacturers. Everyone is free to draw a racing beast, with contours respecting the image of their brand. Between the Toyota GR010 Hybrid, faithful to its prestigious predecessor, the UFO 9×8 aligned by Peugeot and the beastly 499P from Ferrari, it’s a feast for the eyes.
• LMDh ?
It’s a subtlety to be aware of: within Hypercars itself there is another category. These are the LMDhs for Le Mans Daytona hybrid. Long story short, these cars compete at the same level but are simpler and less expensive.
They are built on pre-existing chassis supplied by four different manufacturers: Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic or Oreca. Their designers are not starting from scratch, and therefore have to deal with even stricter rules. At the engine level, there are only two-wheel drive here, as for the hybridization system, it is standard in all LMDhs. Aerodynamically, however, the rule remains the same: teams can have fun.
The interest of this option is twofold: it further limits development moves, while allowing entrants to participate in other endurance races organized on the American continent. Among them, the 24 Hours of Daytona, Florida. Hence the name. Porsche, which has partnered with the American team Penske, has for example chosen this regulation to launch its 963.
To distinguish them once in competition, the Hypercars have their race number in red.
Just below the Hypercars are the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), lesser prototypes that nonetheless remain major players in endurance racing, both in their diversity and in the spectacle offered in recent years. This is the category where the greatest number are entered, and where the performances are such that everyone has a chance of winning.
• Oreca Ball 07
Technically, however, the cars are very similar. And for good reason, only four suppliers can produce a chassis and a bodywork… Except that, by force of circumstance, this year, it will be even simpler than that: all the teams entered in LMP2 – even the reserves – have chosen to work with the French manufacturer Oreca, which transforms this category, in fact, into a one-design race.
Thus, it is 24 Oreca 07 who will fight next June. To propel them, no choice: all are equipped with a Gibson V8 engine of 4.2 l, producing 600 horsepower. It is the only one authorized by the rules. A little lighter than their big sisters – 930 kg – they are also a bit slower. But the gap with the premier category, impressive in the days of LMP1, is less significant here.
Attention, work in progress! Last category present this year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) races for the last time this year. Unlike the prototype Hypercars and LMP2s, these cars weren’t created for motor racing in the first place. These are “competition” versions of so-called GTs, for Gran Turismo. Either dream vehicles, produced in few copies, which are also sporty and luxurious. Porsche, for example, fields a 911 RSR 19 based on its famous 911. We are certainly far from the car of Mr. Everyman, but the 911 is nevertheless one of the GTs that we meet most often in traffic .
Technically, the idea here is to keep the lines of the “normal” version of the car, as well as the place where its engine is located (even if the 911 precisely benefited from a derogation allowing it to migrate its flat -6 from a rear cantilever position to a central installation). If it is an atmospheric, it must not exceed 5,500 cm3 of displacement. For the turbos, it’s 4300 cc. Heavier, around 1,250 kg, they are also slower than the other categories. Developing 520 horsepower, they can still reach 300 km/h.
Next year, these cars will be replaced by GT3s: the spirit will be the same, but it will also save money. To recognize them on the track, their numbers will be in orange.
Small bonus for the end: since 2012 there is a new category, where each year only one competitor appears. This is stand number 56, devoted to CDNTs (Car Displaying New Technologies), i.e. cars presenting an innovation. It is here in particular that Nissan’s Delta Wing stood out, which had nothing to envy to Batman’s Batmobile.
*A list that can still evolve, any defections being replaced by reserve teams.
