GTP. Grand Touring Prototype. A name not used nor seen in the International Motor Sports Association since the fire spitting monsters that raced between 1981 to 1993 in the top class of American Motorsport. The series would see many huge brand names and even more prominent drivers throughout its life, cars like the famous Porsche 962 or the notably invincible Toyota Eagle MKIII, drivers like Derek Bell and the great Hurley Haywood, and over the last 3 years I have become a huge fan of this era of motorsport. This is relevant because it was announced in early 2022 that there would be a major shift in the performance of the top level of motorsport around the entire world. The World Endurance Championship and IMSA would both get new top level divisions, and the name for the new top level of IMSA racing? GTP. We all watched the cars get unveiled, watched the slew of testing videos (a la Cadillac pulling out of pits in electric then switching to ICE power). The first two rounds of racing at Daytona and Sebring were amazing to watch, and the next course that IMSA would tackle would be the streets of Long Beach.
With the GTP regulations being as open as they are, it is delightful to see such variation in both design and engine types used in these machines. In fact, the only thing that has to be the exact same amongst all of these cars is the hybrid battery pack and the maximum power limit of 670 horsepower. The Cadillac Hypercar is certainly the most popular GTP hypercar, with its 5.5 liter, ear-shattering V8 that sounds like a Nascar tearing up the Long Beach streets. It uses the same Dallara chassis as the BMW M Hybrid V8, which uses an old championship-winning DTM motor, which has added twin turbochargers for increased efficiency. Acura worked closely with chassis supplier Oreca, where Honda Perfomance Developments placed an Indycar-derived twin turbo V6, the highest revving car in the field second to the Cadillac. Finally, my personal favorite, the Porsche uses what is essentially an endurance tuned Porsche 918 Spyder (or a stroked out RS Spyder) engine with two turbos placed atop the valley of the engine, and the chassis is supplied by the very successful Multimatic team, who also developed the Ford GTLM.
Predictably, the weekend was amazing. Finally getting to hear (and feel, frankly) the sounds of these cars fly around the streets of Long Beach is a memory that will stick for a long time. Like I said above, the Cadillac is known for its thundering roar, and I was still not prepared for just how unbelievable it sounds in real life. The standout for me was the BMW, which sounded very vacuum cleaner-esque in video but carried a lovely tone in the flesh. The Acura has a very familiar Indycar note, something I love because it reminds me of the turbo F1 cars of the 80’s. And then the Porsche, which has an incredible turbo spool off throttle, but under load sounds like a jet flying down a runway. Throw in the sights and sounds of a packed field of GTD cars (lookin at you, Corvette), and you have a truly unforgettable weekend.
And of course, here are some race sounds:
I mean did you hear that Cadillac? The next few years of motorsport in America look very promising and I very much look forward to next years Long Beach GP!
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