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Ed Higginbotham
Ed Higginbotham Associate Editor
12/1/16 7:39 a.m.
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Cadillac revealed the all-new 2017 Cadillac DPi-V.R race car yesterday and announced that it will compete in IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series Prototype (P) class in 2017.

The 2017 Cadillac DPi-V.R will first be driven competitively at the 2017 IMSA season opener—the Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 28-29, 2017—by Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing.

The all-new Cadillac …

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Rusted_Busted_Spit
Rusted_Busted_Spit GRM+ Memberand UberDork
12/1/16 9:22 a.m.

It looks good and hopefully it has a better career than the last Caddy Proytotype car.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
12/1/16 9:38 a.m.

Look at those big gaping fender vents, driving behind this car will be interesting unless the track is very clean...

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
12/1/16 9:52 a.m.
GameboyRMH wrote: Look at those big gaping fender vents, driving behind this car will be interesting unless the track is very clean...

Those open fender tops are pretty much standard now. Yeah, I wonder how much debris they throw about. Let me ask some friends who would know.

Personally, I'm always happy to see more manufacturers get into racing. Lately Cadillac has had a big presence in Pirelli World Challenge--with big paddock displays. Welcome back to prototypes, too.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
12/1/16 10:11 a.m.

Jordan Taylor just posted this on Instagram:

How cool is this!? Jeff Gordon will be driving alongside Ricky, Max, and I at the 2017 Rolex 24 in the new Cadillac DPi-V.R! #Cadillac #KonicaMinolta #Rolex24

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
12/1/16 10:14 a.m.
trigun7469
trigun7469 Dork
12/1/16 1:56 p.m.

looks really cool, but it sounds as though there will only be about 5-6 prototypes total fighting for the win.

wae
wae Dork
12/1/16 2:49 p.m.
David S. Wallens wrote:
GameboyRMH wrote: Look at those big gaping fender vents, driving behind this car will be interesting unless the track is very clean...
Those open fender tops are pretty much standard now. Yeah, I wonder how much debris they throw about. Let me ask some friends who would know. Personally, I'm always happy to see more manufacturers get into racing. Lately Cadillac has had a big presence in Pirelli World Challenge--with big paddock displays. Welcome back to prototypes, too.

I thought I read that this just replaces the Corvette DP though so it's the same manufacturer just a different badge.

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
12/1/16 3:03 p.m.
David S. Wallens wrote:
GameboyRMH wrote: Look at those big gaping fender vents, driving behind this car will be interesting unless the track is very clean...
Those open fender tops are pretty much standard now. Yeah, I wonder how much debris they throw about. Let me ask some friends who would know.

IIRC, they're in the rules. Helps prevent aerodynamically assisted inadvertent inversions.

stafford1500
stafford1500 GRM+ Memberand Reader
12/1/16 3:48 p.m.
Keith Tanner wrote:
David S. Wallens wrote:
GameboyRMH wrote: Look at those big gaping fender vents, driving behind this car will be interesting unless the track is very clean...
Those open fender tops are pretty much standard now. Yeah, I wonder how much debris they throw about. Let me ask some friends who would know.
IIRC, they're in the rules. Helps prevent aerodynamically assisted inadvertent inversions.

Indeed. No one wants to relive the Porsche and Mercedes blow overs from the mid-nineties.
Also the correct placement of the over tire vents can gain some downforce.

markwemple
markwemple UltraDork
12/1/16 4:37 p.m.

Funny how they waited until Audi left. Likely coincidence but.....

mazdeuce
mazdeuce UltimaDork
12/1/16 5:10 p.m.

Different prototypes. These are the DP cars, yes? Basically a spec tube frame, body within certain parameters, variety of power trains but don't go too fast or they make your restrictor tiny. Audi was playing a much different game.

fasted58
fasted58 UltimaDork
12/1/16 5:31 p.m.

Saw these race back in their day.

Glad Caddy is back in the game.

Kreb
Kreb GRM+ Memberand UltraDork
12/1/16 6:06 p.m.

My hope is that this is a sign that Caddy will build the GM mid-engined supercar and leave Chevy to the front-engined ones.

mazdeuce
mazdeuce UltimaDork
12/1/16 6:12 p.m.
Kreb wrote: My hope is that this is a sign that Caddy will build the GM mid-engined supercar and leave Chevy to the front-engined ones.


I was thinking the same thing.

kazoospec
kazoospec SuperDork
12/1/16 6:29 p.m.

Latest is that Jeff Gordon will be part of the driver team at Daytona. Guess Caddy's really are built primarily for retirees.

alfadriver
alfadriver MegaDork
12/1/16 6:41 p.m.
markwemple wrote: Funny how they waited until Audi left. Likely coincidence but.....

Audi never was at Daytona.

Will
Will UltraDork
12/1/16 6:54 p.m.

Call Chilli Palmer. It's the Cadillac of prototypes.

Seriously, though. I hope Caddy does well with it.

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
12/1/16 11:23 p.m.
stafford1500 wrote: Also the correct placement of the over tire vents can gain some downforce.

Do they actually gain downforce, or just reduce lift from venting the high-pressure in the top of the wheel wells? Or is reducing lift the same thing as gaining downforce?

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
12/1/16 11:34 p.m.

It's all just a continuum.

Rusted_Busted_Spit
Rusted_Busted_Spit GRM+ Memberand UberDork
12/2/16 9:24 a.m.

In reply to markwemple:

They raced against Audi in ALMS years ago but did not do very well.

Fitzauto
Fitzauto Dork
12/2/16 9:32 a.m.

I am probably a bit too excited for this.

Mike
Mike GRM+ Memberand Dork
12/3/16 6:44 a.m.

It looks like it has one of these near the rear wheels. Why is that?

mazdeuce
mazdeuce UltimaDork
12/3/16 6:58 a.m.

All the numbers in endurance racing are light up now so that the cars can be identified at night.

STM317
STM317 HalfDork
12/3/16 9:09 a.m.

The number panels are used to display the real time position the car is in within their class. I think the color of the number is different for each class too. So, all of the DP cars might have red numbers while GT cars have white numbers, etc.

It took me awhile to figure the system out the first time I saw it in person, but it does make it much easier for spectators to follow the action when you've got tons of very different cars mixed up on track at the same time, especially in endurance races that extend into darkness.

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