The 2023 American motorsports season kicks off this weekend with the 24 Hours of Daytona, the opening round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship schedule and the premier endurance event this side of the Atlantic. In the grueling race, Acura, Cadillac, Porsche and BMW will battle in the top class for overall victory, with around 50 other cars competing among four lower classes for their own shot at a trophy. Along with the action, several car manufacturers are here in Daytona Beach, Florida, showing off their latest sports cars. We’ve rounded up all the must-see vehicles at this year’s 24 Hours of Daytona below.
A new Corvette racing car
The Chevrolet Corvette is already participating in this year’s 24 Hours of Daytona in the form of the Corvette C8.R GTD, but the bow tie brand is also taking the opportunity to show off an updated version of the race car. Dubbed the Corvette Z06 GT3.R and first unveiled in 2021, the new track missile meets the FIA’s GT3 technical regulations and will make its debut at next year’s 24 Hours of Daytona.
Power comes from a flat-crank DOHC 5.5-liter V-8 that shares more than 70 percent of its components with the engine in the road-legal Z06, which originates on the same production line in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Z06 GT3.R also gets a stronger crash structure and revised cooling, aerodynamics and suspension. The racing car’s bodywork also mimics that of the standard Z06.
Acura Integra Type S
We already drove a prototype version of the 2024 Acura Integra Type S in Japan last year, but the high-performance Acura will make its North American debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Although it will still wear a dazzling camouflage wrap, the Type S will serve as the lead vehicle at the start of the race, along with the rear displayed in the paddock at Daytona International Speedway.
The Integra Type S will be officially revealed this summer, but we already know that it will use a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with more than 300 horsepower, mated to a six-speed manual transmission and the power through a limited- slip differential will result.
BMW M3 CS
BMW just unveiled the M3 CS, a more rugged version of the venerable sports sedan, earlier this week. Now the M3 CS makes its first public appearance at the 24 Hours of Daytona, where BMW competes in the top GTP class with the M Hybrid V8 and in the lower GTD with the M4 GT3. The M3 CS brings an extra 40 horsepower over the 503 ponies in the M3 competition while also shedding about 75 pounds. Other highlights of the limited-production M3 include Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 high-performance tires, a no-cost option, and the airy Signal Green paint.
The breed, of course!
The biggest attraction of all is the race itself. The 2023 season sees new regulations for the top class racing cars, which will be renamed GTP. Acura and Cadillac return, while BMW and Porsche have now developed their own entries, and nine GTP cars will challenge for top honors. Behind them are four more classes: LMP2 and LMP3 use prototype racing cars while GTD Pro and GTD use touring cars. The racetrack also has several big names in the world of motorsport, from six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and two-time champion Josef Newgarden to former F1 driver Romain Grosjean and reigning Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric. The race kicks off tomorrow at 1:40pm ET and ends at the same time on Sunday, with coverage on NBC and USA Network and streaming on Peacock.
