Since the FIA announced new regulations which open the door to a ‘hypercar’ class in the World Endurance Championship for the years 2020-2024, many manufacturers have expressed interest. Lamborghini is the latest as its current CEO indicates that the company is evaluating whether an Italian entry would be possible.
During interviews given at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year, Domenicali was said to have confirmed that the company are looking at the regulations to see if they are of interest. This means that Lamborghini are yet to make a decision about whether to field a competitor, however, the signs look promising for the Italian brand.
Despite marketing itself as a performance brand, Lamborghini has never experienced a great deal of success in motorsport. Throughout the years, Lamborgini has dabbled in the world of Formula 1 but with little success. It currently runs a dedicated Squadra Corse team with single-make racing series at its core. However, Lamborghini merely supports its customers outside of officially sanctioned events.
The new hypercar class aims to capture the thrill of the GT1 and Group C eras. The cars will be based on a production hypercar design and manufacturer will need to produce at least 20 road-legal versions to comply with homologation. The competitors will see aerodynamic downforce and drag heavily restricted, however, engine choice will be completely free.
Competitors will be allowed a maximum power output of 740bhp with electric assistance limited to one electronic motor of 264bhp. Engine weights will be limited to 180 kg while batter and electric motors are limited to 70 kg and 50 kg respectively. The restrictions will prevent manufacturers throwing too much money into ultra-lightweight systems. Fuel consumption limits are also expected. With minimum weight restrictions of 1,100kg, hypercars will be 230 kg heavier than the LMP1 category.
So far, Aston Martin and Toyota have confirmed that they will field a competitor. Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus are expected to enter a new car, the SCG 007 while WEC regulars ByKolles Racing plan to re-engineer its ENSO CLM P1/01 LMP-1 to comply with the regulations. Koenigsegg are said to be considering an option, rumours have also been spreading which talk of interest from Ferrari and McLaren.
