A "standard body" prototype car (that has a limited ruleset for changes, etc.) built by Dallara, Multimatic, Ligier, and Oreca. All cars run the Bosch drive unit. So take whatever V8 config you have and it has to drive the same motor and hybrid battery. Teams are able to program how much they push / pull from the battery and when. Limited aero and weight tuning to keep teams competitive. The WEC and IMSA can see how much power each team makes - because they are logging the drive system. The class's technical regulations are designed to control performance outcomes, including setting minimum and maximum values for weight, power, and aerodynamic performance.

https://www.bosch-presse.de/pressportal/de/en/bosch-hybridsystem-erfolgreich-in-der-fia-world-endurance-championship-255936.html

 

The Porsche 963 is actually built to the LMDH ruleset, which is somewhat different from the Hypercar rules. Wikipedia has a rundown on both rulesets, if you're interested.

 

Thank you both for the 'splanations.

So let me make sure I understand. You build a kit car from a box of cookie-cutter pieces, most of which you can't modify. Your drivetrain, not just the actual performance, is monitored by the sanctioning body so if you have any more power than they want you to have they penalize you. I supposed you are allowed to paint your name on the side, though with all the other stickers it's hard to identity which car is which; even the numbers are barely legible on TV. Okay, I get it. At least the GT's are interesting. The prototypes? Nah.

 

Not a fair assessment at all. The only thing that’s truly cookie cutter is the gear box and hybrid system. Box is from Xtrac and hybrid traction system (motor, battery, controller) are supplied by Bosch. 4 constructors manufacture chassis for Le Mans-Daytona Hybrid (LMDh). Manufacturers (teams) can work with the chassis builders to develop their race cars on top of the base bones. Body work, aero, suspension setup and hardware, engines, and software are all defined by the team/manufacturer.

All race series have some sort of caps on energy/power as a form of BoP. Indycar, NASCAR, even GT3. There is so much setup and performance to engineer and tune within those rules.

You might be able to say this of the older LMP1, and by association LMP2 rules, but you cannot say that about LMDh.

For comparison, Le Mans Hypercar (LMH, a WEC only ruleset) is practically unlimited EXCEPT for specific output and energy consumption. Pretty much open to whatever the teams want to do. This is why there is such a huge gap between Ferrari and Toyota compared to Porsche and Cadillac (comparing the relative tops of each ruleset).

 

C'mon hypercar class boring? Basically keeping the Balance of Performance which is pretty normal. Allows Cadillac to have a N/A V8 and soon to be debuting AMR Valkyrie with its N/A V12 to compete with hybrid setups and does allow a pretty good variation of designs given the ever restrictive technical regulations.

 

I get balance of power. In fact, the existence of turbo engines means dial-a-power. But too much turbo means possible engine failure, which is what endurance racing is all about. How close can you cut it before something breaks. Trying to regulate that seems to defeat the premise of endurance racing. Plus the cars all look the same now. Yeah, boring to me at least.

 

Turbo has no influence on "dial a power". In this era of racing, top tier manufacturers have the knowhow to really find the fine margins to have a car to just pass the finish line regardless of powerplant. And that perspective goes beyond just the powerplant too. For prototype cars, aerodynamics is the reason why they can look similar but there are intricacies in their design that vary the teams like F1

 

The current cars have saved Wec and boosted Imsa for sure, but i do miss Lmp1
LMP1 was faster, complicated rules much like F1 - forcing the teams to innovate
It was way to costly and at the end the top class was dead, now there are almost to many teams

On the hybrid, LMH is a tad closer to Lmp1, driving the front wheels - usualy over 120km/h but it is track dependent
Lmdh is rear wheel only, there is no "Push to pass" function on either models

And energy, there is a cap on how much energy that the cars can use under a stint and it is up to the team to decide how much Ice/Ev they will use
Full course yellow usually spells problems, the balance between the systems get skewed

Wec has 4 different compunds and Imsa has 2 (?) also Imsa has a rule for how many tires you can use
This years Le Mans was the coldest in a long time so soft compund was barely used if ever

 

From the 60s to like the 90s, racing tech made huge jumps in performance from advances in technology. Progress in aero, suspension, tires, data acquisition & performance engineering, pit stops have all added to the performance of modern racecars. Engines are not the only important performance metric of a racing car. Since then its been mostly minor upgrades but I'd say hybridization is one of the bigger jumps to really aid the downsides of a ICE powerplant or a turbocharged ICE powerplant in racing.

 

From the 60s to like the 90s, racing tech made huge jumps in performance from advances in technology.

Indeed, that is the thing, isn't it? Everything is so much better and significantly more reliable. An endurance race isn't really about endurance and if necessary doing repairs during the race because something broke. It's about racing that just happens to run for 2 hrs 40 mins or 12 hrs or 24 hrs or whatever.