Porsche has been a strong name in endurance races in past years and starting with the 2023 season, the German sportscar maker will enter a new LMDh prototype to again fight for overall victory in the world’s greatest endurance races – Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring.

The racing car to be fielded in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be entered as the Porsche Penske Motorsport team. With a year to go before the first race at the 24 Hours of Daytona, an intensive test programme is now underway.

In selecting the combustion engine to complement the standard hybrid elements, as stipulated by the regulations, Porsche opted for a large-capacity twin-turbo V8 unit. The powerful engine is designed to run on renewable fuels(also a regulatory requirement), which means a significant reduction in CO₂ in the exhaust emissions. During the race, the system output of the hybrid drive will be able to reach around 500 kW (680 ps).

“We were spoiled for choice with the engine for our LMDh prototype, because the product range offers several promising baseline units,” explained Thomas Laudenbach, Vice-President Porsche Motorsport. “We decided on the V8-biturbo, which we feel offers the best combination of performance characteristics, weight and costs. The kick-off to the active test programme was an important step for the project.”

Added Urs Kuratle, Overall Project Manager LMDh at Porsche Motorsport: “The rollout of the LMDh racing car was also the first track outing for Porsche Penske Motorsport. The squad worked well together right from the start. This shows a high level of professionalism in all areas. After all, the operational requirements for the safe running of a hybrid vehicle are very high. In the next outings, we will focus on going deeper into the required processes and procedures. During these first test days at Weissach, the V8-biturbo impressed us in every respect. We’re convinced that we’ve chosen precisely the right unit.”

The engine regulations for the LMDh vehicle class allow a great deal of freedom in terms of displacement, design and number of cylinders. Maximum engine speed is 10,000 rpm, with the pass-by noise measurement capped at 110 decibels. The engine must weigh a minimum of 180 kgs, including the air supply and exhaust system as well as the peripheral cooling components. If used, this weight also incorporates the turbocharger/s including the charge air cooling.

In line with the regulations, the maximum output lies between 480 and 520 kW (653 to 707 ps). This range also allows adjustments to be made within the Balance of Performance (BoP) parameters, which are intended to ensure parity between all competing LMDh racing cars. The torque curve is also clearly defined; under racing conditions, the combined power output of the combustion engine and hybrid drive totals 500 kW (680 ps) at the half-shafts.

The standard components for the recuperation, storage and delivery of electrical energy are supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering (battery), Bosch (motor-generator unit and control electronics) and Xtrac (transmission).

Porsche and Penske are old partners in motorsport, with a proven track record of success. This partnership had a lasting impact from 2006 to 2008 on what was then the American Le Mans Series. Team Penske has made a name for itself with an almost unparalleled success story in motorsport. In the long list of victories to-date, however, the name Le Mans has been missing.

“I hope that we will finally be able to chalk up this success as of 2023 with Porsche Penske Motorsport. This would then mark Porsche’s 20th overall victory at La Sarthe – a dream come true,” said Fritz Enzinger, Head of Porsche Motorsport. The contract between Porsche and the American racing team, which was founded in 1966, will run for a number of years.

The prototypes will also be entered by Porsche customer teams in both championships as early as 2023. The partner teams will be given full support from the factory and whatever insights gained from efforts of the works team will also be shared with them.

“In the medium term, Porsche focuses on three different drive concepts: fully electric vehicles, efficient plug-in hybrids and emotional combustion engines. We want to represent this trilogy in both the development of our cutting-edge road cars and in motorsport. We use the all-electric drive to contest the FIA Formula E as part of our works commitment, and the highly efficient and emotional combustion unit in GT racing. Now, the LMDh class closes the gap for us. There, powerful hybrid drives – like the ones that are mounted in many of our brand’s models – go up against each other. If the regulations eventually allowed the use of synthetic fuels, then that would be an even greater incentive for me in terms of sustainability,” said Michael Steiner, Board Member for Research & Development at Porsche.

Porsche Mission R is ‘just a vision’ – but it is ready to race too

Nissan, the first Japanese carmaker to participate in the Formula E single-seater electric championship, will enter its fourth consecutive season which starts in Saudi Arabia this week. Collaborating with e.dams (Driot Associes Motor Sport), the Nissan e.dams team again has the services of Sebastien Buemi and rising star Maximilian Gunther.

Buemi and Guenther completed more than 350 laps between them and gathered significant amounts of data to further develop the fully electric racing cars. Running different simulations and exploring all new opportunities across the 5 test sessions in Spain, the team is preparing for the opening round at the Diriyah World UNESCO Heritage Site. During the two days, the cars will be racing on a tight and twisting street circuit with the added challenge of running after sunset.

Season 8, which will run until mid-August, will be the last of the current Formula E regulations, with the Gen2 cars unleashing more performance than ever before. The power allowance has been increased by 20 kW to 220 kW in Race Mode, and by 15 kW to 250 kW in Attack Mode. There will also be a new qualifying format featuring head-to-head runs and shorter free practice sessions will make life harder for drivers and teams – but will add even more excitement for the fans.

This season, the team will continue to link its presence in the championship to Nissan’s road EVs. In Diriyah, the drivers will race for the first time with a striking new livery specially designed for the new season. The design is an evolution of the team’s recognisable kimono-theme, with prominent bright red highlights that further assert Nissan’s mission to demonstrate the excitement and performance of its EV technology.

“After the pre-season test in Valencia, we are ready and excited to go racing again in Diriyah,” said Tommaso Volpe, Nissan’s Global Motorsports Director. “The cars get a power boost this season, adding yet more speed and spectacle to the competition. This is great for the fans but, of course, it also means that we will need to adapt the car setup to a higher power output while keeping a close eye on battery temperatures. In fact, one of the main challenges that we will encounter in Diriyah will be to accommodate to the track conditions, which can vary from very hot during the day to quite cool in the evening, adding another layer of complexity to the race.”

While some carmaker’s teams have left Formula E, Nissan has made a long-term commitment to the championship. It will be participating till the end of Season 12 which will take place in 2025/2026. The Gen3 era of the championship begins in Season 9 next year and will feature even more powerful and faster cars.

Formula E’s Gen2 EVO racing cars will run for the last time in Season 8 in 2022, with Gen3 being used in 2023

With the Chinese New Year coming soon, many families will be preparing to have their reunion dinners to celebrate. For some, it may have been a long time apart, given the restrictions we have had in the past year.

Some may travel far to hometowns around the country and it would be a good idea to ensure that their vehicles are ‘healthy’ and in a good running condition. For Mercedes-Benz owners, Cycle & Carriage has special offers to conduct safety checks at all their Autohaus service centres.

The ‘health check-up’, priced at RM88, covers 30 points that include the tyres, brakes, fluids, wiper, undercarriage, and systems check. In order words, technicians will look at all those areas which are vital to safe driving and if anything looks too worn out or could have problems, the owner will be informed. Better to know early than have a breakdown in some remote place far away from home or the destination.

As good stopping performance is vital for safety, the brakes should be tip-top condition. Should the vehicle’s brake pads or discs require replacing, Cycle & Carriage’s ‘Stop & Go promotion’ offers an 18% discount on related parts if purchased and changed at the Autohaus service centres.

It would also be customary to look good for the new year and that applies to the vehicle as well. For this, Cycle & Carriage offers to groom and prepare the vehicle to welcome the Year of the Tiger. The company’s professionals will provide grooming services such as the Vehicle Exterior Polish and Wax, Windscreen Polishing, Vehicle Interior Grooming and Wheel Detailing services so the inside and outside appear at their best.

For those who prefer a more hands-on approach with your car grooming experience, there are Mercedes-Benz Grooming products such as Car Shampoo, Wheel Cleaner, Interior Glass Cleaner and Window Cleaner Intensive available at the showroom. These can be purchased with an 18% discount during the festive season (until February 15, 2022).

It rains a lot these days, but it can also be very hot and on a long journey, having a cool cabin will make a big difference to how you feel when arriving at your destination for the reunion dinner. Therefore, it’s also a good idea to have the air-conditioning system checked. Cycle & Carriage offers two services and both have an 18% discount during the festive period. Customers can choose to have the fine-particle filters changed or retained.

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