Cadillac is heading back to prototype endurance racing

The  2017 Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac)

The 2017 Cadillac DPi-V.R (Cadillac)

After a 14-year absence Cadillac is reentering prototype endurance racing. The American manufacturer revealed Wednesday the 2017 Cadillac DPi-V.R racecar that will compete in the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series, Prototype (P) class.

The car will be raced by the teams from Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing in the 2017 IMSA season opener — the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29, 2017.

“Cadillac is proud to return to the pinnacle of prototype racing in North America after a 14-year absence,” said Johan de Nysschen, president of Cadillac. “Cadillac’s V-Performance production models — the ATS-V and CTS-V — are transforming our brand’s product substance, earning a place among the world’s elite high performance marques. The Cadillac DPi-V.R further strengthens our V-Performance portfolio, placing Cadillac into the highest series of sports car racing in North America.”

In a press release the company said the new DPi-V.R has been designed to contribute to the functional performance of the prototype using elements gleaned from the current lineup of Cadillac V-Performance models, especially the CTS-V supersedan.

“The DPi-V.R race car was an exciting new canvas for the Cadillac design and sculpting team,” said Andrew Smith, Global Cadillac Design executive director. “The studio embraced the opportunity to interpret the Cadillac form language, line work and graphic signature for this premier prototype racing application.  Every detail of the final design was selected to support the car’s on-track performance and unmistakable Cadillac presence.”

The design details giving the DPi-V.R car its distinctive Cadillac appearance and presence include the vertical lighting signature; the sheer, sculptural quality of the body and bold bodyside feature line; V-Performance wheels with Brembo brakes; V-Performance emblems; and a canopy graphic inspired by the Cadillac daylight opening. Even subtle cues such as the cooling vents and the air intake were designed in the studio, the latter in the trapezoidal shape of the Cadillac crest.

The DPi-V.R is equipped with the new Rear Camera Mirror first seen on the Cadillac CT6 Sedan and available on the Cadillac CTS, XT5 and Escalade for the 2017 model year.

The Cadillac DPi-V.R is propelled by a race-prepared, normally aspirated Cadillac 6.2 liter V-8 engine that shares inherent architecture with the engines of the third-generation Cadillac CTS-V (640 horsepower) and fifth-generation Cadillac Escalade (420 horsepower). The engine produces approximately 600 horsepower when tuned for racing as defined by IMSA-mandated air restrictors, with a maximum allowable RPM of 7,600. The engine transfers power to the rear wheels through an X-TRAC paddle-shift transmission.

Cadillac and its designers collaborated with key partners including chassis builder Dallara, teams from Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing and ECR Engines to prepare the 6.2-liter V-8-powered Cadillac DPi-V.R over the past year.

ROAD CAR COMPARISON

Detail Cadillac CTS-V Cadillac DPi-V.R
Engine Type 6.2L/376 cu in 6.2L/376 cu in
Induction Supercharged V-8 Naturally aspirated V-8
Fuel System Direct fuel injection Fuel injection
Horsepower 640 @ 6,400 RPM 600 @ 6,800 RPM (approx.)
Torque 630 lb.- ft. @ 3600 RPM Series spec based
Lubrication Semi-wet sump, 1.0 G Dry sump
Transmission 8-speed automatic with LC Transverse sequential
Brakes Brembo 4-wheel disc, 2-piece Brembo 4-wheel disc
Weight 4,141 lbs. (1,878 kg.) 2,050 lbs. (930 kg.)
Final Drive Electronically variable
limited slip
Viscous mechanical limited slip
Greg Engle

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