Lamborghini Reveals SC63 LMDh, Signs Two Former F1 Drivers

Starting in 2024, Lamborghini will compete in top-level endurance racing in the highest classes of the IMSA Sports Car Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, GTP and hypercar, respectively.

On Thursday, against the backdrop of the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K., Lamborghini unveiled the SC63, which will compete in both series; SC stands for Lamborghini's Squadra Corse racing division, and 63 stands for Lamborghini's founding SC stands for Lamborghini's Squadra Corse racing division. [Like other LMH-regulated cars such as the Ferrari 499P and the Toyota GR010 Hybrid, this car is built under LMDh regulations and is eligible to compete in both the GTP and Hypercar classes. The Balance of Performance rule helps ensure a level playing field.

Lamborghini enters one car in each of the full seasons of the Sports Car Championship and the World Endurance Championship, competing in prestigious races such as the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Lamborghini has partnered with the Italian racing team Ironlinks in the LMDh program and will compete as Lamborghini Ironlinks. Lamborghini will also work with Prema Engineering, an Italian company that provides administrative, technical, and engineering support for motorsports.

Confirmed drivers include former Formula 1 drivers Romain Grosjean and Daniil Kvyat, and existing Lamborghini Squadra Corse drivers Andrea Caldarelli and Mirko Bortolotti. The other drivers will be decided later in 2023.

All LMDh race cars will be equipped with a hybrid powertrain using a standard transmission, battery, and motor-generator unit to keep costs down. Constructors are free to choose the internal combustion components of the powertrain, and Lamborghini has chosen a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-8 developed in-house exclusively for the LMDh program. The constructor can also choose the transmission gear ratios and the amount of slip of the mechanical differential.

Based on LMDh regulations, the powertrain can generate a maximum output of approximately 670 hp from both power sources. In addition, the vehicle weight, excluding fuel and driver, must be a minimum of 2,270 lbs.

In addition, the constructor must use a control chassis similar to the current LMP2 chassis, sourced from one of four suppliers: Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic, or Oreca. Lamborghini chose the Ligier chassis. Since Lamborghini was the first constructor to choose this chassis, it was able to collaborate with Ligier in finalizing the specifications. For example, it influenced the design of the push-rod front suspension, the overall weight distribution, and the ease of repair of key components.

The first race for the Lamborghini SC63 will be the 2024 Daytona 24-hour race next January. Also in 2024, France's Alpine will enter an LMDh car.