[woodcote]

   

The Le Mans Hypercar class replaced LMP1 at the start of 2021. The new class aims to reduce costs by nearly 80% and to attract a wide range of entries that can be either competition versions of existing hypercars or more traditional prototypes. Hybrid power is an option. At the first WEC round at Spa, two teams - Toyota and Alpine - had a close fight for the LMH class and race victory...

       

The WEC circuit visits the Portimao circuit this weekend and a third Hypercar will be making it's debut - the Glickenhaus SCG007...

   

Owned by American film producer James Glickenhaus, the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus company produces five low-volume and very exclusive road car models. Racing-spec versions of the SCG003 and SCG004 sports cars have competed in GT3 and GT4 guises.

The SCG007 is certainly the type of car the FIA want to attract with the new regulations. Currently, Alpine, Toyota and Glickenhaus are committed to 2021 - the Le Mans 24 hours is in August this year - with Peugeot and ByKolles scheduled to join in 2022 and Ferrari in 2023. A number of other manufacturers are sitting on the fence.

Another element in these new regulations is the dovetailing with the IMSA Le Mans Daytona Hybrid class, which will debut at the 2022 Daytona 24 hours. An agreement between the FIA, IMSA and ACO (who run Le Mans) will allow the LMDh cars to compete at WEC events and LMH cars to take part in the IMSA-Weathertech series. Manufacturers planning LMDh entries include Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche.

Unlike LMH, the LMDh cars will be built around spec chassis produced by Dallara, Multimatic, Ligier and Oreca - and must include hybrid power via a common rear axle system. These four chassis will also form the basis of the next generation of LMP2 cars, which will continue in both WEC and IMSA competition. Like the hybrid LMH, the LMDh will have a total combined output (engine + hybrid system) of 500 kW and a minimum weight of 1030kg. The Balance of Performance mechanism will include both types of car.

   

With all these changes and a converged WEC and IMSA top class, what do slot car companies need to consider? The most important thing is the width of the car and keeping to scale. This has been a criticism of the SRC Toyota, which is way too wide at 64mm. Currently, the maximum width for LMP1 and LMP2 cars is 1900mm - 59.4mm in 1/32 scale. Pre-2015 LMP cars could be 2000mm wide (62.5mm) and the good news for true-to-scale slot car fans is the two-metre width returns for the new LMH and LMDh regulations.

Acura, Alpine, Audi, BMW, ByKolles, Cadillac, Ferrari, Glickenhaus, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota - plus four car shapes and dozens of liveries in LMP2 - that should be a field-day for slot car companies who've been nervous dipping their toes into the Le Mans Prototype market.

Eurosport UK have live coverage of WEC races (plus qualifying) in 2021 - all the weekend track action is available on the WEC app via an event or season subscription.

[Savage GT]

The Glickenhaus SCG007 looks to be made to be a slot car, a nice round front section under the front wing area to hide a guide ! 

[Johnno]

 red numbers make the cars go faster do they??  think the manufacturer has too many tweens on the pay roll

[woodcote]

Red-Blue-Green-Orange... that's how it goes in the WEC. The colour for each of the classes indicated by the background of the number panels and the position lights (1st, 2nd & 3rd in class) on the sides. Here are the graphics for the other three classes - LMP2, LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am...

   

   

Red was certainly quickest today - although the gap between the Le Mans Hypercar class and LMP2 is not as vast as it has been between LMP1 and 2.

Brief highlights of the Portimão race here...



There's just the Monza 6 hours next month (18 July) before the big event - the 2021 Le Mans 24 hours - at the end of August.