Porsche was out testing its 2023 LMDh racer earlier this week, providing some of the clearest images yet of the complete car. The evaluation, conducted with partner Penske Racing, covered some 1,200 miles over a period of several days at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona.
Porsche says that the goal was to hone the interplay between the car's turbo V8, and its hybrid system, and figuring out the ideal tire setups for a number of race conditions. The 671-horsepower machine was only lightly camouflaged, perhaps more of an effort to make us think we were seeing something we shouldn't than actually trying to hide anything.
By now, the general shape of the LMDh car is already well known. We've seen both renderingsand partial teasers of the real deal. However, seeing it in action reveals some visual tidbits about the prototype. Its headlights, for example, utilize the quad element design seen in many modern Porsche road cars and cast a purple glow when illuminated. Presumably, this is to differentiate the car from its siblings when running similar liveries, as Porsche did with its 919 WEC cars. We also get a look at its brake lights, which resemble light sabers integrated into the trailing edge of the wing. Just as important as testing the car itself, this was a chance for individuals from Porsche, Penske and Michelin to work as a team. "Including our partners, more than 70 people were at the track," explained Urs Kuratle, Porsche's factory director of LMDh racing. "We’ve made major progress not only with the car but with the operational cooperation and processes within Porsche Penske Motorsport. But we still have a long way to go before we’re where we want to be.” Factory driver Dane Cameron, a California native, echoed sentiments about the long journey ahead. "At this early development stage, it’s not about pushing to the very limit," he said. "Our approach is very conservative... because there is still an incredible amount of potential to further improve our new car.” Cameron will be driving with Brazil's Felipe Nasr when the car makes its maiden voyage at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January 2023.