Ferrari has finally announced the 499P, their Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) contender for the 2023 FIA world endurance championship.
Racehorse confirms the top WEC ‘hypercar’ candidate will have a hybrid powertrain, with design elements inspired by Formula 1 and GT racers.
499P uses hybrid 3.0 liter V6 engine, which shares a 120-degree architecture with the 296 GT3. It was fetched to satisfy the class output regulations 500kWand in the case of the 499P a tensioner in the car’s structure.
Along with the petrol engine, the vehicle’s limited power output of 200kW will come from a front-mounted electric motor.
The electric motor is powered by the Energy Recovery System (ERS) which is charged when the driver presses the gas.
Ferrari has used its knowledge from the turbo-hybrid era of Formula 1 to power the 900-volt battery, but claims the part was ‘purpose-built’ for this project.
As Adamant is a manufacturer involved in every part of the car, Ferrari chose to build the LMH instead of the Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) regulations that competitors like Porsche choose. That involves a hybrid powertrain to Williams Advanced Engineering and Bosch specifications, rather than a bespoke power unit.
“We have designed and built a completely new car that is exceptionally complex in every respect,” said Ferdinando Cannizzo, head of development for Ferrari GT racing cars.
The car drives all-wheel drive as the front engine turns and torque is delivered through a seven-speed sequential transmission, a feature absent from the LMDh’s competitors.
The body design of the 499P, directed by Flavio Manzoni, is characterized by features such as side covers and large wheel arches that provide aerodynamics and a double tailgate for improved downforce.
The car’s paint is of course red, with stripes and yellow trim in honor of the 312P, Ferrari’s 1972/73 world championship for Makes participants last seen on the track 50 years ago. five.
“499P sees us come back to compete for an outright win in the WEC series… We entered this challenge with humility, but a sense of history that has taken us to over 20 titles. world endurance and nine overall wins at 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said John Elkann, Ferrari Executive Chairman.
The name of the new model continues the naming tradition of previous Ferrari Le Mans; The ‘499’ refers to the displacement of each cylinder in the twin-turbo V6 and the ‘P’ stands for the prototype.
The Ferrari AF Corse team will compete in two 499Ps #50 and #51 in the 2023 World Endurance Championship, the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans combined tournament.
The hypercar’s first outing will take place at 1000 Miles of Sebring next March.
Next season, Ferrari’s 499P will go up against the likes of 9X8 of Peugeot in the top class of WEC.
