Tech

Porsche completes its first LMDh track test in Spain

Enlarge / The new Porsche LMDh car, about to leave its garage at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain. (credit: Porsche) Porsche’s next race car is so new that it still doesn’t have an official name. It’s not even due to enter its first race for more than 11 months. But there are few things […]

Tech

Porsche’s new hybrid Le Mans car breaks cover as testing begins

Enlarge / The LMDh regulations cap the cars’ downforce: drag ratio, so designers don’t have to spend as much time worrying about aerodynamics and can use more road car styling cues. Not that you can really make that out on this wrapped prototype. (credit: Porsche) If there were any doubts about Porsche taking its return […]

Tech

Peugeot thinks its wingless 9X8 race car can win Le Mans

Enlarge / Peugeot’s 9X8 seen testing at Aragorn in Spain in late December 2021. (credit: Peugeot) With the introduction of the new Hypercar class, Peugeot will try to do something unheard of in more than 50 years—win the 24 Hours of Le Mans without a rear wing. The French automaker raised a few eyebrows when […]

Tech

What is LMDh and why are we so excited about sports car racing in 2023?

Enlarge / This sketch is all we’ve seen of Porsche’s forthcoming LMDh hybrid racer. But now we know that when it starts racing in 2023, it will be run by Team Penske. (credit: Porsche) In 2021, there is a real buzz building in the world of sports car racing. After many years of running incompatible […]

Tech

What’s it like to drive a Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport… in traffic?

With an MSRP of $3, 959, 900, the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport is the most expensive car we’ve ever tested at Ars. [credit: Jonathan Gitlin ] I’m not sure anything can adequately prepare you to drive a modern Bugatti. If the thought of more than a megawatt of power under your right foot isn’t daunting […]

Tech

The rumor is true: Rimac is taking over Bugatti with Porsche’s help

Enlarge / The Bugatti Chiron will be joined by new electrified models. (credit: Bugatti) For almost a year, a rumor has been circulating that Volkswagen Group plans to offload Bugatti to Croatian electric vehicle specialists Rimac. That rumor turns out to be true: on Monday Porsche and Rimac revealed that they are forming a new […]