BMW returns to Le Mans in 2024 with its new BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh prototype

It is news we were pleased to read, since BMW is returning to take part in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, after being out of competition for several years. And it will do so in 2024, when it will mark 25 years since its victory with the BMW V12 LMR. It will do so in a year in which it will compete against other manufacturers who have also decided to return to this iconic race.

The prototype that will mark this return is the BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh, which is already ready to compete in 2023 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In this series we will be able to see how the engineers of the Bavarian brand have worked to prepare this model, before making its debut at the world’s best-known endurance race.

The race car is currently being tested at the Italian Varano circuit, where it is being fine-tuned to compete in IMSA, where it will be prepared to reach the WEC and the French race the following year. The intentions of BMW are to achieve complete success at Le Mans, so the vehicle is expected to be ready to face a very demanding challenge.

So far, it is known that drivers Connor De Phillippi and Sheldon van der Linde have taken turns behind the wheel of the car during one day. Now, the German prototype will have to spend August completing tests at other European circuits, until the necessary adjustments are achieved for its debut in American competition next year.

From September onward, units of this model will travel to the United States, where testing will be completed and they will be ready to begin the 2023 season at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

The CEO of BMW M, Frank van Meel, has stated that participation in these two competitions “is a milestone for the project“. These two races will showcase all the brand’s advances in electrification and will also help achieve good results for future electric vehicles that emerge under the German brand.

The BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh features a hybrid powertrain whose main component is a 4.0-liter V8 engine producing 631 CV, combined with an electric unit. This allows it to run in electric mode at certain moments, such as when heading to the pits or when leaving them to rejoin the track.