Cadillac goes bold with Project GTP Hypercar racer

Cadillac is going dramatic with a prototype of its third-generation endurance race car, the Project GTP Hypercar.

Introduced Thursday, it previews the race car Cadillac will use to contest the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Project GTP Hypercar, co-developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and Italian race car builder Dallara, incorporates some of the brand’s key design characteristics such as vertical lighting and floating blades.

It is powered by an all-new 5.5-liter double-overhead-camshaft V-8 engine that will be paired to IMSA’s common hybrid system.

“The Project GTP Hypercar is a unique convergence of form and function and showcases Cadillac’s future performance aesthetic,” said Chris Mikalauskas, lead exterior creative designer at Cadillac. “We have plenty more to come, from the upcoming race car to amazing production vehicles.”

Cadillac is recommitting to performance with an expanding V-Series lineup, including the CT4-V and CT5-V sport sedans, the 2023 Escalade-V SUV, which goes on sale in late summer, as well as the CT4-V Blackwing1 and CT5-V Blackwing1 engineered specifically for racetracks.

The Project GTP Hypercar is designed to be a showcase for Cadillac’s engineering capability, craftsmanship and technology.

“Cadillac will be competing again on the world racing stage, and we are all thrilled to return to Le Mans after 20 years,” Rory Harvey, Global Cadillac vice president, said in a statement.

Cadillac has been competing in the IMSA manufacturers championship since 2017 with the Dpi-VR race car.

The Project GTP Hypercar begins on-track testing this summer. Its first race will be the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.