Lamborghini is ready to take on Le Mans. The Italian marque unveiled an LMDh prototype race car called the SC63 during the first day of the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Thursday. The futuristic speed machine is will compete in FIA’s World Endurance Championship as well as IMSA’s GTP class, marking the automaker’s entrance into top-flight racing.
LMDh cars share the same proportions, cockpit glasshouse, and a number of major aero elements due to technical regulations, but Lamborghini has still given the SC63 its own distinctive flair. The first thing you’ll notice, are the Y-shape headlights seen on a number of Raging Bulls, most recently the Revuelto. The wheel arches are similar to the hybrid’s as well. Keen-eyed enthusiasts will also notice NACA ducts just like those on the Countach, the brand’s defining model. The debut SC63 is also finished in Verde Mantis, which is just about the most Lamborghini colour out there.
The SC63 uses a monocoque chassis crafted by France’s Ligier, one of the series’s four approved suppliers, according to Road & Track. The functional elements—like the NACA ducts—are the work of Lamborghini’s Centro Stile department, though. Interestingly, Lamborghini’s parent company, Audi, planned to use a Multimatic chassis for its since-scrapped LMDh car.
Powering Lambo’s endurance racer is a brand-new twin-turbocharged V-8. The turbos are equipped outside the engine to provide better cooling and make maintenance easier. The mill will also be connected to a class-mandated hybrid system that includes a motor generator and a battery with an electronic control unit. The marque did not explicitly state how powerful the setup is, but regulations limit the maximum combined output to 670 hp.
The SC63 will race as part of the Iron Lynx team in 2024. Lamborghini and Iron Lynx plan to run the car for the full World Endurance Championship season, with two entries planned for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, the SC63’s participation in the IMSA season will be limited to the four-part Michelin Endurance Cup, which is comprised of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Sebring 12 Hours, Six Hours of the Glen and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
Lamborghini may be getting a late start on top-level racing, but we can’t imagine many motorsports fans will hold that against the marque. We’d be willing to bet that watching the Raging Bull take on Cadillac, Porsche, and most exciting of all, Ferrari at next year’s Le Mans turns out to be a blast, as well.
Previously published on Robb Report.
