Lamborghini’s LMDh endurance racer to debut new hybrid V8 drivetrain
Published on Sep 20, 2022 at 1:21 PM (UTC+4)
by Patrick Jackson
Last updated on Sep 20, 2022 at 1:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Lamborghini has given us a first glimpse at its new LMDh race car, which will debut the brand’s first hybrid drivetrain.
The company has just announced that the prototype racer will debut in the 2024 IMSA Endurance Cup and FIA World Endurance Championship.
Powering it will be a twin-turbocharged V8 engine paired with a hybrid electric system – the first of its kind in a raging bull.
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The V8 itself is the first racing engine fully developed by Lamborghini Squadra Corse, the brand’s motorsport division.
That means it likely won’t just be a reworked version of the V8 found under the hood of the Urus.
Lamborghini hasn’t said what displacement the engine will be, but that it will be a 90-degree V8.
The electric component, meanwhile, will be in the form of an Energy Recovery System.
The electric motor is provided by Bosch, the Power Management system by Williams, and the seven-speed gearbox by Xtrac.
All working together, it will deliver 681hp (500kW) in the LMDh racer – a number limited by racing regulations.
That will mean the Lamborghini LMDh will be able to hit a top speed of 340km/h (211mph).
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And thanks to a chassis developed with Ligier Automotive, it weighs a mere 1030kg.
But for now, we’ll have to wait to see what it looks like.
The shadowy teaser images you see here are all Lamborghini has shown of the LMDh so far.
What does this mean for future Lamborghini models?
It’s no surprise that much of the technology we see used in race cars trickles down into production models.
While that includes even everyday cars, supercars see the greatest benefits of this racing development.
Rumors are already spreading that the successor to the Huracán will feature a twin-turbo V8 hybrid powertrain.
That’s thanks to Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann saying back in January that it will feature “a completely new engine” that shares nothing in common with the Porsche-developed V8 in the Urus.
The engine being developed in-house by Lamborghini for the LMDh all but confirms that.
For now, the current Huracán is planning to bow out with its final iteration – the off-road-focused Sterrato – set to launch imminently.
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A car zealot from a young age, Patrick has put his childhood spent obsessing over motoring magazines and TV shows to good use over the past six years as a journalist. Fuelled by premium octane coffee, he’s contributed to Finder, DriveTribe, WhichCar, Vehicle History and Drive Section.
