Cadillac participated in the first joint GTP class test with Porsche at Sebring International Raceway this week, with both manufacturers completing countless laps in their respective new prototypes at the central Florida circuit. On hand to film this early Cadillac GTP test was YouTube user Lanky Turtle – the same sharp-eyed race fan that caught the Corvette C8.R testing at Sebring under the cover of darkness way back in December of 2018.
Lanky Turtle’s video marks the first time we’ve heard the Cadillac GTP race car’s naturally aspirated, dual overhead camshaft 5.5L V8 engine in action. This is an all-new powerplant that sounds much different than the flat plane crank V8 that powers the Corvette C8.R, leading us to believe this engine does not have very much, if anything at all, in common with that engine. Together with the 67 horsepower GTP common hybrid system, the 5.5L DOHC V8 will produce roughly 680 horsepower in race guise, depending on Balance of Performance regulations. Power will be routed to the rear wheels through an Xtrac sequential gearbox, while energy for the electric motor comes from a spec battery supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering.
Like the Cadillac DPi-V.R that it will replace, the Cadillac GTP is based on the existing Dallara P217 LMP2 chassis and features custom road car-inspired bodywork penned by Cadillac designers. The test vehicle seen in this video features the bodywork that will appear on the car when it makes its competition debut at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona in January, but does not have headlights or taillights.
Driving for this initial test was performed by Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing driver Earl Bamber. Other Cadillac Racing drivers will have the opportunity to sample the new machinery in the coming months, with GM sportscar racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser saying the brand is now embarking on a rigorous testing regime ahead of the car’s appearance at Daytona in six months’ time.
“The first laps are the start of an aggressive testing schedule ahead of next year,” Wontrop Klauser said. “Our team is dedicated to continuing Cadillac Racing’s rich heritage of winning on the track.”
Check out the video embedded below.
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Comments
It sounds like a flat plane but with a wayy differently tuned exhaust than the one in the C8 R, kind of like it goes through a different routing at different RPM ranges. Sometimes it sounds like a cross plane.