The Grid project

May 28

A love letter to the lemans group c era

The Grid Project began as a single passion project car and quickly expanded into a full lineup of vehicles—ultimately shaping the conversation around a new LeMans Extreme Hypercar (LMXh) class. In response to major regulatory shifts by the FIA, WEC, IMSA, and ACO—who introduced more flexible, cost-effective LMH and LMDh classes—The Grid Project explored pushing the boundaries even further. By envisioning a third hypercar tier, The Grid Project set its sights on redefining endurance racing and creating a safer, more dynamic future for the sport.

The ‘x’ factor

EXPLORATION: Exploring new technologies around drivetrains, materials, and layouts.
EXTREMES: Experimenting with new fuels, power sources, materials, and testing technologies that can then be passed down to commercially available road cars.
EXPERIMENTATION: Pushing vehicles and technology to the extreme in all aspects - be it performance, weight, safety, etc.

hit the road

Over the span of just three weeks per vehicle—from initial concept to final 3D render—The Grid Project team designed and refined 16 race cars, complete with powertrain, drivetrain, and ergonomic considerations. Working across Detroit, Dallas, and Prague in Gravity Sketch’s virtual studio, experts incorporated real-world track data and industry insights to shape performance dynamics.

Each vehicle also featured eye-catching liveries: two teams per car produced 34 unique designs tied to genuine and conceptual partnerships, all adhering to a comprehensive set of technical and regulatory guidelines. The culmination of this fast-paced, globally coordinated effort was unveiled at the 2023 AROUND Conference, where David “Nemo” Neal and Nyko DePeyer delivered a keynote address celebrating The Grid Project’s innovative approach to automotive design.

Under the LMX series, each team operates under a strict budget cap. While the technical regulations are deliberately open to encourage innovation, this financial limit compels teams to strategically allocate funds. Common spec parts—such as steering components and EV controllers—are available to help manage expenses, though their use is not mandatory. This approach allows teams to either invest heavily in areas like advanced drivetrains or focus on emerging lightweight materials, with trade-offs defining each vehicle’s final performance characteristics. To further contain costs, teams can collectively develop or procure certain parts, such as brakes, thereby sharing R&D expenses and staying within budget.
Beyond race-day performance, the LMX platform aims to foster technologies that trickle down to consumer vehicles. Though there are no formal homologation requirements for this new class, many teams have expressed interest in producing a road-legal version of their LMX cars to help fund private development. By balancing fiscal constraints and targeted innovation, the series encourages original ideas while maintaining a level playing field.
Safety acts as the second great equalizer in the LMX series. If a team chooses to push the performance envelope, they must also commit to continuous advances in driver and vehicle safety. Notably, all safety-related innovations count against the overall budget cap, reinforcing the priority of protecting drivers without sacrificing fair competition. However, the series also offers “Safety Credits,” allowing teams to exceed their budget caps if the additional funds exclusively target safety research, development, testing, and implementation.
Any breakthrough achieved under the Safety Credit system becomes open-source to the entire field. This policy promotes fairness by preventing teams from disguising performance gains as safety improvements. It also fosters a collaborative culture, where heightened safety standards benefit everyone involved—pushing the boundaries of endurance racing while keeping both innovation and well-being at the forefront.
Max Vehicle Width*: 2100mm (86.68 inches)
Max Vehicle Length*: 5500mm (216.54 inches)
Max Wheelbase: 3150mm (124.02 inches)
Max front overhang*: 1400mm (55.12 inches)
Max rear overhang*: 1800mm (70.87 inches)
Max Height: 1300mm (Excluding communication antennae) measured front the ground plane. (55.19 inches)
Minimum Headlight Height (Centerline of beam): 250mm (9.85 inches)(recommended is 400mm [15.75inches])
Driver Position: Central or offset, as seen fit. No need for a token passenger position as in many other LM classes.
Minimum Dry Weight: 900KG (1984.16 lbs)
* minor consideration allowed for dynamic aero parts
Powertrain: LMXh breaks new ground by removing strict power-output limitations, instead encouraging teams to explore diverse powertrain solutions—such as biofuels, next-generation battery systems, and hydrogen fuel sources—all with a focus on sustainability and a path toward carbon neutrality.
Tires: Must use Michelin provided tire in one of the following 3 sizes:
Note, the dimensions below are Narrow to widest:
- 29/71-18 (290/43 R18) Good for fronts
- 31/71-18 (310/40 R18) Easiest to use on all 4 corners
- 34/71-18 (340/37 R18) Good for rears, super wide