Details are beginning to emerge of how the next generation of LMP3s will likely be evolved from the current generation of cars.

With over 150 cars sold and most still in action in an increasing number of racing Series and Championships, the switch from one generation to the next is set to require significant transitional arrangements.

DSC understands that the four approved chassis suppliers for the second generation cars have seen a significant change to the initial proposal, in part enforced by the late realisation that the current generation of Nissan V8 engine standard for the class is no longer in production.

That has seen the cost of the ‘kits’ to upgrade a current car to 2020 spec revised to decouple the powertrain aspect of the changes.

Multiple sources have confirmed to DSC that the basic aero and safety upgrade, including the soon to be mandatory internal side head restraint bar, will be priced at 25k Euro, a price point which initially included a power hike for the current powerplant.

Instead newly produced cars will be equipped with a newer generation of Nissan V8, likely still with c.40 bhp more power than the current 5 litre 420 bhp unit.

With so many cars in circulation the current proposal is that upgraded cars will only be fitted with the new engine when their current powerplants are out of running hours, in the meantime the powertrains will see new internals for the XTrac gearboxes with a ‘Balance of Performance’ applied between new 2020 cars and the existing engine spec interim upgrades for a single season.

After that, and when the supply chain catches up with demand for the new engines the LMP3 cars should see a significant upturn in pace with revised aero and a powertrain with a substantially enhanced power output.

In all the revisions for existing cars look set to total c.80K Euro for an upgrade to full 2020 specification, referenced to DSC by one current LMP3 team as a sensible ongoing investment in a platform that, if a team purchased a new car today, would currently have no less than seven seasons of assured competition available with two seasons remaining of the current homologation and a five year homologation to follow for the new, and revised/ upgraded ‘2020’ cars.

The current cars are cost-capped at 206k Euro with the price cap for new cars from 2020, set to be marketed by Ligier, Norma, Ginetta and Adess, as yet unannounced but set to see a modest increase.