The Bavarian automaker’s new hybrid system for the 24 Hours of Le Mans will center on a DTM-spec four-liter V8 engine called the P66/3.
The company used an earlier version of the engine on its M4 racer back in 2017 and 2018. It produced 640 PS (631 hp / 471 kW) and received an additional 30 PS (30 hp / 22 kW) from an electric motor.
Designing a new engine from scratch was apparently too expensive and time consuming, so the engineering crew considered recycling a DTM-spec inline-four or a GTE-spec 4.4-liter V8 setup. In the end, the former was decided against because of its limited resource and the latter due to the excess weight.
The company ended up building the P66/3 with modified cylinder block and head assembly, dual turbos and direct injection. The cylinders are installed at a 90-degree camber angle and equipped with four valves each. The mill uses a dry sump system and revs up to 8,200 RPM.
In turn, the electric motor stems from the Formula-E racing series. It can assist the main engine or drive the wheels in all-electric mode – the latter can be useful on the pit lane, for example.
BMW plans to begin tests later this month and ultimately bring the prototype to the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. The company points out that it has no intention of participating in the entire season start to end, but the Le Mans race is indeed in the plans.
