Lamborghini SC63 LMDh car unveiled ahead of 2024 WEC, IMSA debut

The covers came off a car to be known as the Lamborghini SC63 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Thursday.

Its nomenclature combines the SC used on a trio of specials developed by the Lamborghini Squadra Corse motorsport department and the racing number used successfully by teams running its Huracan GT3, which is taken from the year of the establishment of the Italian marque, 1963.

The Italian Iron Lynx team that will field factory Lamborghini LMDhs on the global stage and in North America is running Huracan GT3 EVO2s numbered #63 in both IMSA and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup in 2023.

The SC63 has been developed in partnership with French constructor Ligier Automotive around its next-generation LMP2 design.

More technical details of the bespoke engine developed for the car have been revealed.

The twin-turbo V8 is 3.8 litres in capacity with the turbos mounted either side of the engine rather than inside the vee.

Lamborghini SC63 LMDh

Photo by: Lamborghini S.p.A.

Lamborghini’s SC63 exploits the freedoms in the LMDh rulebook that allow a manufacturer to impart its design code on the car.

Mitja Borkert, the marque’s head of design at its Centro Stile styling department, explained that the brief was “to create a car that is immediately recognisable as [a] Lamborghini”.

“We have implemented our own brand styling cues throughout the car," he said.

“Integrated into the side panel of the body you can see a NACA duct that was inspired by the air intake of the Countach.”

The car was unveiled in Lamborghini’s traditional Verde Mantis racing green in which the Iron Lynx cars will race next year.

The SC63 revealed at Goodwood was a show car.

Lamborghini’s test programme with the first development chassis is due to start at the beginning of next month.

No further drivers were added on the launch of the car to a roster that already includes Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli, Romain Grosjean and Daniil Kyvat.

Iron Lynx and sister team Prema will field one SC63 in the Hypercar class of the WEC for a full programme next year and another in GTP in the North American Endurance Cup IMSA rounds.

It is planned that the North American entry will join its sister car at the Le Mans 24 Hours blue riband WEC round in June, which means Lamborghini will require a total of six drivers.

Lamborghini has repeatedly stressed that it is unlikely to be ready for the season-opening Daytona 24 Hours next January.

That means the SC63 is set for a debut at the opening round of the WEC at the Losail circuit in Qatar on 2 March, two weeks before it races in IMSA for the first time at the Sebring 12 Hours.

Lamborghini Squadra Corse boss Giorgio Sanna said: “This year marks not only the 60th anniversary of our brand but also the 10th anniversary of Squadra Corse, Lamborghini’s motorsport division.

“Over the past decade, we have achieved great results.

“Now we are ready for what is our biggest step into the future of motorsport, measuring ourselves against the best manufacturers in the world.”