CT5-V Blackwing

Make
Cadillac
Segment
Sedan

Cadillac has shared striking new photos of its Le Mans hypercar entrant this week. The new LMDh racer was shaken down at Sebring International Raceway this week by drivers, which consisted of five days of hard testing. For those out of the loop, this new hypercar class has a set of regulations designed to ensure all of these cars achieve roughly the same pace. The FIA has targeted a 3:30.00 lap around Circuit de la Sarthe at Le Mans.

The cars must also produce no more than 670 hp from a hybridized engine while weighing no less than 2,270 lbs. The teams are also subject to an 80% drop in budget. The result should be incredibly close racing for motorsports fans to get excited about.

On to the Caddy. It is, as we know, powered by a hybrid 5.5-liter V8. This isn't some piddly CT5 Blackwing engine either. It's purpose-built racecar stuff that Caddy intends to drive hard. The engine is paired to a common hybrid system, which is apparently very complex.

"As we're growing this complex system, we were able to lean on their expertise as well as our team's expertise. Getting the full support of our suppliers was key in getting in good miles," said Cadillac Racing assistant program manager Kalvin Parker. We've heard the car's V8 bellow before, and driver Alex Lynn said the V8 sounds incredible despite its hybrid system, a comment you can't say about today's F1 cars.

For now, testing will continue. "Discovering the new Cadillac LMDh at Sebring was a very exciting experience," said driver Sebastien Bourdais. He concluded by saying "The car is not only beautiful but also a ton of fun to drive. It is still early days and we have not focused on the setup work, but the base is already very solid and I can't wait to get behind the wheel again soon."

These cars, fielded by major OEMs the world over, will compete in either the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or both. What we're looking to see is if someone can end Toyota's dominant streak at Le Mans of five straight wins at the 100th-anniversary race.