"Cadillac" and "racetrack" isn't the pair of words to strike a gearhead as immediately associative. The luxury brand under General Motors' corporate umbrella did not build its fame by blowing piston-worshipping minds with race legacy (be it track, quarter-mile strip, or street) or plain muscle-bound tenure (although it is no stranger to either).
However, the limousine-prone name is going back on a journey it hasn't enjoyed in over two decades: France, not for a tour of the Cote d'Azur, nor a buttoned-up top-tier world leaders convention, but for a more relaxed – although overflowing with adrenaline – leisure activity.
Le Mans. American carmakers have a soft spot for the mythical track because the star-spangled banner has seldom been raised at full mast during manufacturers' crowning ceremonies. And, as 2023 marks a milestone anniversary of the world's most famous motor racing event – 100 years since the first race – the call is stronger than ever.
Cadillac returns to the legendary track after a 21-year hiatus with the V-Series.R motorized bullets bearing the Cadillac crest. The ancestors' call is more powerful than ever in Cadillac. Its French-honoring emblem draws the otherwise discrete aristocrat to the noisy, engine oil-smelling, tire-smoking convention.
Photo: Cadillac
The Americans from the French-founded Motor Capital of the U.S.A. (that would be Detroit) are in no shortage of high ambitions: the overall win in the Hypercar class is the name of the game. Three Cadillac V-Series.R race cars got their track baptism one month ago and will defend the Cadillac honor on French soil in June.
The 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona race from January 28-29 saw a triple appearance of the race car, with a 3-4-5 finish. No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R secured a podium, followed by the No. 02 and No. 31 V-Series.R in the following two places.
Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, and Richard Westbrook share the wheel of one of the three V-Series.R racers to run at the 2023 Le Mans. The car No.2 Cadillac was granted an automatic entry due to its full-season participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Photo: Cadillac
The No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R is a full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entrant, and the trio of speed chasers aiming for the French checkered flag consists of Sébastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, and Scott Dixon.
The third entry is Cadillac No. 311 from Whelen Engineering. Sharing the hot actions of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with No. 3, the final V-Series.R to race Le Mans will be driven by Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims, and Jack Aitken.4
For this year's main event in France, Cadillac started the development of the V-Series.R in 2021. A joint effort from Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing, and chassis constructor Dallara, the race car was previewed by the Project GTP Hypercar, introduced in June 2022.
Photo: Cadillac
Unmistakable in spirit and form, the racer features styling elements that spell "Cadillac" (vertical lamps and floating blades) and is powered by an all-too-American, all-new 5.5L DOHC V8. The engine – factory code LMC55R – lends its 670-hp (679 PS) output to the LMDh common hybrid system and is coupled to a seven-speed sequential gearbox.
The result of GM's Performance and Racing Propulsion task force from Pontiac, Michigan, the powerplant first hit the track in July last year, clocking in excess of 12,400 miles (20,000 kilometers) of tests before the Daytona appearance.
Cadillac's previous Le Mans performances saw a three-year-run in 2000, 2001, and 2002, with the best finish in their last appearance – a nine place for one of the LMP02 cars that entered the race. The second team came 12th overall.
After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads. Full profile
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