IndyCar finally announces revolutionary 2028 car, will bid goodbye to DW12 after 16 years

IndyCar has announced the arrival of its highly anticipated new car, with an upgraded chassis and engine. In 2028, the American open-wheel series will bid goodbye to the Dallara DW-12 (or the IR-12) chassis, which has been in use on all cars since its introduction in 2012.

The new 2028 car will aim to blend the performance and aesthetic requirements to please both teams and fans. The main highlight of the new chassis would be an 85 to 100 pound reduction in weight, which, if it were on the current car, would offset the extra weight of the current hybrid power units.

The current cars are powered by 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engines with hybrid technology. To improve torque and power for the 2028 car, IndyCar will upgrade it to a 2.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 internal combustion engine.

The gearbox will also shed around 25 pounds to make the car more nimble. It will share some components with the Indy NXT car to ease the development work and processes of teams involved in the junior series.

Amid the ongoing race weekend at Road America, series president Doug Boles made a formal statement to announce the news and pay tribute to the DW12, which has been serving the series since 2012.

"The time has come for a new NTT IndyCar Series chassis," he said via IndyCar. "The DW12 served the series so well, as it provided a combination of phenomenal, wheel-to-wheel racing and critical enhancements to safety. But recent significant updates to the car – from the aeroscreen to the hybrid power unit – have helped advance the need for a completely new car." "We are pleased by what our engineers and Dallara have collaboratively designed and believe it will appeal to the fans and paddock while also upholding our standards of safety and enhancing IndyCar’s on-track competition well into the future."

The low-voltage hybrid technology introduced in mid-2024 will remain in play, with developments focused on adding more horsepower. On the safety side, the 2028 car will have an integrated aeroscreen, unlike the retrofitted one in use.

IndyCar's new 2028 car announcement hints at Honda's future with the series

Honda was contemplating an exit from IndyCar in December 2023. The rising costs in the open-wheel series seemingly troubled the Honda Racing Corporation. Being only one of two engine manufacturers alongside Chevrolet, Honda had the pressure to supply around half of the 27-car grid with power units.

The Japanese corporation, however, was interested in introducing a hybrid-powered engine in the series to keep up with the developments in the racing world. To retain Honda, the series went ahead with the new engine, which is currently in use.

However, the drivers and fans are still divided over its effectiveness and that of the hybrid assist. Pato O'Ward was the most vocal in his criticism of the hybrid PUs. Even the fans have failed to see its worth.

Nonetheless, the project revitalized Honda's interest in the series, as revealed by IndyCar's engine development lead Darren Sansum earlier this year. With the series retaining the hybrid technology despite unresolved doubts about its virtue, it seems like a move to extend Honda's contract as a manufacturer, which could cease after 2026, as it stands.

Edited by Tushar Bahl