Ferrari 499P endurance hypercar revealed

Ferrari has lastly unveiled the 499P, its Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) contender for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. 

The Prancing Horse confirmed its entrant for the highest WEC ‘hypercar’ class will home a hybrid powertrain, with design parts impressed by its Components 1 and GT racers. 

The 499P makes use of a hybrid 3.0-litre V6 engine, which shares its 120-degree structure with the 296 GT3. It’s been fettled to satisfy the category output rules of 500kW, and within the case of the 499P is a confused a part of the automobile’s construction.

Together with the petrol engine, 200kW of the automobile’s capped output will come from a front-mounted electrical motor. 

The electrical motor is powered by an Power Restoration System (ERS) that’s charged when the driving force lifts off the throttle.

Ferrari has used its data from Components 1’s turbo-hybrid period to tell the 900-volt battery, however claims the component was ‘purpose-built’ for this undertaking. 

Adamant it’s a producer concerned in each a part of the automobile, Ferrari opted for an LMH construct as a substitute of the Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) rules chosen by rivals resembling Porsche. That latter includes a spec hybrid powertrain by Williams Superior Engineering and Bosch, fairly than a bespoke energy unit. 

“Now we have designed and engineered a automobile that’s model new and notably advanced in each side,” stated Ferdinando Cannizzo, head of Ferrari GT observe automobile growth.

The automobile is all-wheel drive and torque is delivered by way of a seven-speed sequential transmission, a function not accessible to LMDh rivals. 

The physique design of the 499P, directed by Flavio Manzoni, is characterised by options resembling facet pods and huge wheel arches that present aerodynamic stream, and a double winged tail to enhance downforce. 

The automobile’s livery is in fact crimson, with yellow stripes and trimmings which pay tribute to the 312P, Ferrari’s 1972/73 World Championship for Makes entrant which final appeared on observe 50 years in the past. 

“The 499P sees us return to compete for outright victory within the WEC collection…We enter this problem with humility, however aware of a historical past that has taken us to over 20 world endurance titles and 9 total victories on the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” stated John Elkann, Ferrari government chairman. 

The brand new mannequin’s identify follows the naming custom of earlier Ferrari Le Mans autos; ‘499’ refers back to the capability of every cylinder within the V6 twin-turbocharged engine and the ‘P’ stands for prototype. 

The Ferrari AF Corse workforce will enter two 499Ps with the racing numbers #50 and #51 into the 2023 World Endurance Championship, which includes the well-known 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

The primary outing for the hypercar will probably be on the 1000 Miles of Sebring in March subsequent yr.  

Subsequent season, Ferrari’s 499P will probably be up towards the likes of Peugeot’s 9X8 within the WEC’s prime class.