Porsche Penske Motorsport’s new LMDh prototype has achieved a new milestone by acing its very first track test, on an international run.Every such test makes the LMDh prototype ready and willing to take on races, as the systems’ test shows Porsche what needs working and what’s perfect to go as is. Here’s what we know...
Porsche LMDh Prototype Put Through Its Paces
The LMDh prototype from Porsche Penske Motorsport successfully covered more than 2,000 kilometers on the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, Spain. The idea behind the track test was to tune the systems, figure out the tires, and also see how the Turbo V8 works in tandem with the hybrid elements in the car. The powerful twin-turbo V8 engine runs on renewable fuels, a step towards reducing carbon emissions, and manages around 680 PS or a little over 670 horsepower.
The main drivers were Brazil’s Felipe Nazr and USA’s Dane Cameron and both sang their praises.
This was Nazr’s first time in the LMDh, and he called it a “terrific experience.” He further said, “Although the car is brand new, we managed to cover a lot of kilometers. That was great and shouldn’t be underestimated.”
Meanwhile, Dane Cameron has been driving it for a fortnight already and feels the progress made in Barcelona is impressive. He said, “At this early development stage, it’s not about pushing to the very limit. On the contrary: our approach is very conservative. Based on this, my impression is extremely positive, because there is still an incredible amount of potential to further improve our new car.”
The Porsche LMDh Will Debut At The 24 Hours of Daytona
Porsche is working at top speed for its development program with the LMDh prototype and will continue testing it on more racetracks in Europe and North America. Homologation is likely this fall and the LMDh will debut in January 2023, at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Thomas Laudenbach, the Vice President Porsche Motorsport felt the test was an important milestone. Said he, “During our first laps on our test track in Weissach, it was critical to ensure that the basic functions of the LMDh prototype worked. In Spain, we saw the entire scope of development: endurance runs, setup work, and, very importantly, the optimization of the interaction between all partners involved in this project. I found it very impressive how quickly the employees from Porsche, Penske, Michelin, Multimatic, and others came together as a unit. I’d like to thank everyone for the part they played.”
Source: Porsche