Lamborghini's SC63 Comes Seventh in Debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring

Lamborghini's SC63Photo byLamborghini

The 12 Hours of Sebring saw Lamborghini's new SC63 prototype race car make its American debut. Lamborghini is the latest car to enter the new LMDh class. The SC63 will race alongside Porsche, BMW, Alpine, Cadillac, and Acura.

The LMDh class melds regulations for Le Mans and Daytona hybrid racecars. Makers will compete in the highest-level endurance racing against global competitors.

Photo byLamborghini

Lamborghini will compete with the Iron Lynx Racing Team for the remainder of the 2024 schedule. One more Lambo will get the nod and join the fleet for 2025.

When the LMDh concept came up, it was tempting for us. We are transitioning from ICE engines to hybrid cars. This is one reason it perfectly fits to do LMDh for testing ideas. We have to have a learning curve. - Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelman

Every LMDh team uses the same battery-electric hybrid system provided by Bosch. Teams employ their internal combustion engines and unique aerodynamic packages on top of one of four chassis options.

Chassis Choices

Teams look to partner with chassis suppliers Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic, or Oreca to develop their car aerodynamics. Lamborghini selected a chassis from Ligier.

You may recognize Ligier as an F1 team from decades before. Porsche partners with Multimatic and has adapted a twin-turbocharged V8 that first appeared on the 918 Spyder supercar.

The SC63 does not share any components or specs of any Lamborghini engine. The supercar employs an entirely new twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V8.

Photo byLamborghini

LMDh's regulations focus more on reliability rather than peak performance. The 671-hp motor employs sensors in the car's drive axles to monitor the prototype's performance.

Lamborghini arrived at Sebring with no hope of taking home a class win. The SC63 suffered a setback in August of 2023 when a crash sidelined the racer for one month.

During Sebring's practice sessions, drivers Romain Grosjean, Matteo Cairoli, and Andrea Caldarelli tamed the bumpy track. They dialed in race setups for the suspension and tires with an eye on smoothing out the rough tarmac on the course.

The strength of Lambo is that we are a tiny team. We need mileage, mileage, mileage, collecting data, and also for specific tracks. But the others are also refining their performance. This is motorsport, and this is what we want. We want the competition.- Chief Technical Officer Rouven Mohr

Mohr says Lamborghini's 1,000-horsepower Revuelto and hybrid Urus helped Iron Lynx drivers learn to modulate the V8 and Bosch's electric system.

The SC63 eventually climbed to seventh place in class at Sebring and finished the race on the same lap as the winning Acura. That's a big step up from the first season race at Qatar, where the car wound up five laps off the lead in 15th place.

Lamborghini is looking forward to competing in Imola this April. The 2024 World Endurance Championship moves on to IMSA's Watkins Glen race later in the summer.

Automobili Lamborghini - Official Website | Lamborghini.com

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Douglas Pilarski is an award-winning writer & journalist based on the West Coast. He writes about luxury goods, exotic cars, horology, tech, food, lifestyle, equestrian and rodeo, magazine features, and millionaire travel.

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