Racing fans are often resistant to the idea of bringing engine electrification technologies to motorsports. A major complaint from enthusiasts is the loss of the thrilling roar of internal combustion engines. However, there is a compromise: hybrid powertrains can offer the best of both worlds. Some even argue that they sound better than traditional internal combustion engines, particularly in the case of the Cadillac V-Series.R.
The Cadillac V-Series.R has arguably the most recognizable enginenote on the IMSA and FIA WEC circuit, according to a video released by the luxury marque. When leaving the pits, the V-Series.R hypercar has a distinct electric whine as it relies on its electric motors for propulsion from a standstill. After that, the whine abruptly deepens into a gut-rattling roar as the naturally aspirated ICE engine kicks in to take over as the race car thunders down Pit Road.
Other competitors in the GTP division in IMSA and the FIA WEC can’t get that kind of scream out of their race cars. The BMW M Hybrid V8, Porsche 963, and Acura ARX-06 all feature turbocharged engines, and while they sound unique in their own sense, they just can’t compete with the throaty snarl of the naturally aspirated V-Series.R.
“The one thing that we could do that none of the other platforms could do was give it the sound that you hear today,” says Vince Tiaga, Sports Car Racing Regulations Performance Engineer for Cadillac Racing. “I think it blends the two different technologies. You have this EV motor, that sound as it starts to leave the pit, and then it switches over and the goosebumps start from the top of the neck and go all the way down, and it really is something that I don’t think that any of the other cars in the class are able to do.”
Every part of that naturally aspirated V8 engine is pored over in the weeks before a race, and each powerhouse is closely monitored throughout the event, whether it’s a six-hour sprint like the Glen or a 24-hour endurance event like Le Mans.
Check out the short video explaining why the Cadillac V-Series.R sounds so much different than other race cars in is division below.
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