Cadillac made it clear that it was going to reinvest focus into its motorsports division and the luxury carmaker is preparing to do just that with the brand confirming that three of their Cadillac V-Series.Rs will be helping the brand make its return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race where they will do battle against rival Porsche and their entries.
Cadillac and Porsche, A Duel In The Works
Cadillac’s trio of entries will be competing in the Hypercar class and will also be conforming to IMSA’s rules and regulations for LMDh entries. Out of the three entries that will be representing Cadillac, two of them will drive under the Cadillac Racing banner with the team having a long history of racing success under their belts. The third entry (No. 311 Whelen Engineering) will be entered by Action Express.
Cadillac will also have an all-star team of drivers to help pilot all three with the No.2 V-Series.R being driven by Earl Bamber, Richard Westbrook and Alex Lynn. Meanwhile, the No.3 V-Series.R (a full season contender in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship series) will be driven by Sebastien Bourdeais, Scott Dixon and Regen van der Zande. Action Express and the No. 311 ( also a full season contender in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship series) will round things out with the team having Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken.
“Cadillac is excited to build on its racing legacy by competing against the very best internationally and at one of the world’s toughest races,” said GM sports car program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser. “We’re proud to be representing the United States and the Cadillac V-Series.R is a great continuation of our racing heritage.”
All three entries will be powered by an all-new Cadillac exclusive 5.5-liter DOHC V8 which was developed by GM’s Performance and Racing teams at their facility in Pontiac, Michigan. That’s in stark contrast to the Porsche 963 hybrid racer which uses a 4.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that makes 670 hp. Porsche is also the only other competitor that will be abiding with the LDMh rules so it will be very interesting to see which car emerges on top when the grueling race concludes.
Will Some Of This Track Ready Technology Make Its Way To Cadillac’s EVs?
While the answer to that question is not clear at this time, there is a good chance that some of this track derived technology could eventually make their way to future EV models. At the moment, most EV entries are focusing their efforts on the luxury and utility vehicle segments and as a result there’s not too many performance entries that put driving fun at the top of the priority list. In the case of Cadillac, some of these technologies could help the brand make its mark in the performance sub-segment especially in weight saving materials, beefier batteries that can cope with track day loads, and electric motors that can handle the increased demands of high speed performance.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.