ITLAY: Ferrari unveiled the new 499P LMH (Le Mans Hypercar), announcing its entry in the 2023 edition of the World Endurance Championship. The scarlet hue of Ferrari will be seen on the Le Mans grid after nearly 50 years.
The 499P was named after the individual cylinder capacity, and the prefix ‘P’ was for ‘Prototype’. The 499P’s V6 engine is a member of V6 engine family, which powers numerous street-legal sportscars.
Ferrari is set to make a historic return to the world of endurance racing
The 499P hypercar has a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis. It is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine. The engine is combined with a mid-rear power unit with an electric motor that powers the front axle. The engine churns out a total of 680BHP and is mated with a seven-speed sequential gearbox.
The hybrid hypercar has all-wheel drive. The carbon disc braking system harvests kinetic energy from the front axle under braking and stores it in the battery for redeployment whenever the driver needs the extra energy.
The 499P’s design was inspired by the iconic Daytona SP3. The hypercar’s red livery embraces the yellow accents as a gesture towards the 312PB, the Group 6 Prototype from 1971.
The 499P features the Ferrari trademark large louvres around the wheel arches to decrease pressure inside the wheel housings. The rear end of the car is distinguished by a horizontal twin rear wing.
Antonella Coletta, the boss of Ferrari racing, said that the 499P confirmed the historic team’s commitment to endurance racing. Ferrari is yet to announce the driver roster for the next year’s World Endurance Championship. Coletta claimed that the team will comprise drivers who are currently a part of GT racing family.
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