Formula One is viewed by many as the pinnacle of racing. The cars are fast, the drivers are celebrated and the champagne is always cold, but as glamorous as it sounds, F1 just isn’t exciting. The tracks are great and the racing is sometimes thrilling, but the biggest drawback is that the cars are too similar and don’t share any resemblance to the cars that are in the manufacturers showrooms. This is why video games like Forza and Gran Turismo are so popular – they give us a chance to see our favourite cars on real tracks. Well, the people in charge of the LeMans 24 Hours have listened and decided to add a new class to their event.
The 24 Hours of LeMans will feature a new class of vehicles for the 2020/2021 season. This new class will replace the LMP1 Series and will officially be called the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) class according to Motorsport.com. Here are 5 cars that could be participating in the new class.
#1: Aston Martin Valkyrie
Aston Martin has been very tight-lipped about their R55-million hypercar for a long time but they eventually revealed the numbers behind the Valkyrie. They revealed that the Cosworth 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine will actually produce 843kW of power, complemented by the cars 1030-kilogram weight allowing it to surpass the intended 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. This allows the lightweight Valkyrie to accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 2.5-seconds.
#2: Mercedes-AMG One
The One was co-developed by Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, so it should have a fair amount of advantage on the track against its less F1-savvy rivals. The One makes use of a petrol-electric hybrid engine that consists of a turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 that produces 558kW of power and an electric motor that produces an additional 120kW. The rest of the vehicle is all about being aerodynamic and lightweight, which is all you really need if you’re looking to build a road legal F1 car.
#3: McLaren Senna GTR
The Senna GTR aims to provide a visceral driving experience that’s just shy of a Formula 1 car. This is made possible through the wizardry within the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 which now produces 607kW of power compared to the measly 588kW found in the regular Senna. Throw 812Nm of torque into the mix and you’ve got a serious track weapon at your fingertips. McLaren is yet to release 0-100km/h figures, but if the regular Senna does it in 2.8-seconds then its safe to assume a figure around the 2.6-second mark. The GTR is equipped with sticky Pirelli slicks and powerful brakes to handle this pace. So powerful, in fact, that they’re capable of 3g of decelerating force which is around 20% more than the normal Senna.
#4: Bugatti Centodieci
The Centodieci is expected to be powered by the massive 8.0-litre quad turbo W16 engine found in the Chiron, except it will be tuned up to produce more than 1120kW of power and 1600Nm of torque. All of this power should be enough to rip the tyres into the pavement and accelerate the new Bugatti from 0-100km/h in just 2.4-seconds before reaching its expected top speed of 420km/h. The design of the Bugatti Centodieci is heavily inspired by the classic Bugatti EB 110 Super Sport. The most obvious reference to the classic model is the five circular cut outs that are seen behind the windows on the side.
#5: Lamborghini Sian
The Lamborghini Sian makes use of the 6.5-litre V12 engine that powers the Aventador SVJ along with a 48V electric motor to bring the total power output of the hybrid supercar to 611kW. Lamborghini says that the unique feature of their electric motor is that, instead of a conventional battery, it uses a lithium-ion supercapacitor that is three-times more powerful at the same weight. This is also the most likely powertrain to be featured in the Lamborghini Aventador’s successor.
