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Ferrari 499P Hypercar Unleashed With Hybrid V6 Powertrain

Scheduled to make its racing debut next year in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship, the Ferrari 499P will compete in the Hypercar class. In addition to the Prancing Horse of Maranello, other automakers that have prepared hybrid-assisted endurance racers for this class are Toyota (GR010), Peugeot (9X8), Porsche (963), and Cadillac (V-LMDh).
Ferrari 499P Hypercar 10 photos
Photo: Ferrari
Ferrari 499P HypercarFerrari 499P HypercarFerrari 499P HypercarFerrari 499P HypercarFerrari 499P HypercarFerrari 499P HypercarFerrari 499P HypercarFerrari 499P HypercarFerrari 499P Hypercar
Undeniably aggressive yet purposeful in said aggressiveness, the 499P is named this way after the displacement of each cylinder of its twin-turbo V6. Speaking of which, the 3.0L V6 in question is derived from the 296 GT3 and road-going 296 series of hybrid-assisted V6 sports cars.

P stands for prototype, a nomenclature that Ferrari rolled out in the 1960s with the Mauro Forghieri-designed 250 P. This exquisite racing car also marks the Italian automaker’s return to the top flight of endurance racing after nearly 50 years. Then controlled by chief investor Fiat, the Prancing Horse was forced to abandon sports car racing after the conclusion of the 1973 championship, which saw the French at Matra besting the Scuderia.

The 499P “is an outcome of a vision proudly rooted in the past” according to Ferrari, “a vision that gave rise to the legend of today, enabling the company to achieve 22 world titles and 9 overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.” Given this rather pompous reminder of what made Ferrari a force to be reckoned with in the ‘60s and ‘70s, there is no denying the Scuderia intends to win Le Mans next year. Ferrari might even fancy the world title once again, especially given their recent blunders in Formula 1.

The livery of the 499P, which is going to be used at the 1000 Miles of Sebring, is a tribute to the 312 P that concluded the P series in 1973. Often referred to as 312 PB to avoid confusion with a different racecar, the 312 P was designed by Mauro Forghieri as well. The Italian engineer, who also worked on the 250 GTO, left the Maranello-based manufacturer in 1987.

Built to LMH regulations rather than the LMDh regulations chosen by Porsche, the 499P uses an energy recovery system that promises up to 200 kW (nearly 270 horsepower). The sequential transmission comes from Xtrac, whereas the 900-volt battery "was purpose built for the project."

Balance of Performance limits overall power to 500 kW on the nose for both LMH and LMDh racers, which converts to roughly 670 horsepower.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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