BMW’s M Division Details The Inner Workings Of Its Hybrid V8 Turbo Engine For LMDh Racing

Ever invested in continuing its tradition of high-level competition in motorsports, BMW’s M division is just about to enter a new phase of testing. At its core, it’ll be pushing the limits of a new hybrid V8 developed specifically for the IMSA GTP class. The German automaker has just released a number of important details about how this powertrain works and where it came from.

For the 2023 season of the Weathertech SportsCar Championship, BMW needed to build a compliant LMDh hybrid drive system. It already has a turbocharged V8, dubbed the P63, that it uses for the M8 GTE but after deliberation, that motor proved heavier than BMW was aiming for.

On the other end of the spectrum, the P48 four-cylinder engine from the M4 DTM was considered as well but might have had serious durability problems. Instead, BMW got inspiration from an older M4 DTM used in 2017 and 2018. That car used a naturally aspirated V8, internally called the P66/1. After some serious modification, the new engine, codenamed P66/3, was born.

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That modification began with what BMW calls the P66/2 and it included the addition of turbochargers along with a modified crank drive. After ensuring that the new engine could increase performance while maintaining a stable temperature, BMW moved on to electrification which resulted in the P66/3.

That process wasn’t as simple as words make it seem though. Ulrich Schulz, head of drivetrain design at BMW M Motorsport, praised the team saying “converting the normally-aspirated P66/1 engine into a bi-turbo and then working with the electric drivetrain colleagues to turn it into a hybrid drive system was very complex.

Thanks to the expertise, the great collaboration and the high level of motivation of all departments, we managed to complete the fire-up of the complete drive unit just a few weeks ago. We now feel that nothing is standing in the way of testing.”

This new 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 adds its electrification through a supplementary electric drive and as a package it produces 640 hp (477 kW) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. After firing it up for the first time just a few weeks ago the engine is ready for full-scale, full-speed testing in the real car on a racetrack.