The engine (or increasingly the electric motor) is the heart of an automobile, and we are finally getting to see the mill powering the BMW M Hybrid V8 competing in the LMDh endurance racing class. It goes by the internal designation P66/3.

If you're really curious about the specs, each cylinder has a bore of 93 millimeters and a stroke of 73.6 millimeters. The cylinder spacing is 102 millimeters.

The engine is based on the P66/1 naturally aspirated V8 from the 2017 and 2018 M4 DTM racer. The team developed it in phases starting by creating the P66/2 that added a pair of turbochargers to the mill. The P66/3 integrated the hybrid system into the powerplant.

BMW isn't offering as many details about the electrified portion of the powertrain. It consists of the motor, inverter, and high-voltage battery. A separator clutch between the hybrid and combustion portions allows for fully electric driving.

The P66/3 engine is a fully load-bearing component in the BMW M Hybrid V8. It doesn't require a separate subframe in the Dallara chassis.

The BMW M Hybrid V8 will make its competition debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona which will run from January 28 to 29, 2023. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will campaign two cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The BMW will have quite a bit of competition in its class. Acura, Cadillac, and Porsche will also have entries at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Ferrari will possibly have a car there, too. Lamborghini will have one for 2024.

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