You don’t often hear of new ICE motors being developed by automakers as electrification begins to push them further into extinction however the twin-turbo V8 Porsche LMDh Prototype doesn’t seem to care and quite frankly we are glad that it doesn’t!
Fortunately for endurance racing and its current regulations, purely electric powertrains simply can’t compete with the extended periods of use similar to that of an ICE. As such, Porsche has developed a Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) prototype which is being prepared for competition use next year.
The prototype from Zuffenhausen has been spotted testing before, both in its home turf of Weissach as well as Barcelona. However, the twin-turbo V8 Porsche LMDh headed to an overcast and cool looking Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to set some blisteringly quick lap times – by the looks of things. While we don’t have any access to official numbers, this future FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitor could give some recent Formula 1 machinery a run for their money.
Not only does the 500 kW V8 comfortably put the power down on the straights but it looks hunkered down in the corners too, including the infamous Eau-Rouge/Raidillon sequence of racetrack. The power delivered from the eight cylinders comes with electric assistance and is believed to run on renewable fuel which reduces carbon emissions. The regulation limitations state that the V8 must weight 180 kilograms at least and unfortunately not rev any higher than 10,000 rpm.
With the twin-turbo V8 Porsche LMDh Prototype strutting its stuff on track, you’d expect to see a 918 replacement soon right? Well, unfortunately, Porsche has stated that a new flagship is not expected until 2025 and might even exist in the form of a pure EV. Our advice, just enjoy the swan song of the V8, because this sound is part of a dying breed.