Ferrari has revealed the hybrid supercar that will compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours and World Endurance Championship in 2023.
For the first time in 50 years, the famous Italian team will re-enter the highest level of motorsport with a car dubbed the 499P.
Ferrari dominated motorsports in the 1950s and 1960s, but difficulties in the early 1970s led Enzo Ferrari to focus solely on F1 from 1974 on.
It’s an era made famous by Steve McQueen’s “Le Mans,” and was recently portrayed in the 2019 movie “Ford vs Ferrari.”
Ferrari has not won at Le Mans, the most famous motorsport event, since 1965.
“The 499 P sees us embark on a path of innovation and growth faithful to our traditions,” said Ferrari President John Elkann.
The 499P’s dominant red color with yellow trim is reminiscent of the Ferraris that participated in their last motorsport race.
The 499P name follows a naming tradition that dates back to early Ferraris, combining the single-cylinder displacement of the car’s three-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, along with the letter ‘P’ for the prototype.
WEC’s decision to open the top class for supercars has drawn back a number of major manufacturers, with Peugeot, Porsche and Cadillac all joining Ferrari next year.
Ferrari’s 499P will be all-wheel drive, with a twin-turbo V6 and an electric block delivering 500kW of power.
