When I first wrote this page, the top prototype class in iRacing had four cars. Today it has six. The Ferrari 499P came first, the BMW turned into the Evo, and on 9 September 2026 the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH landed with a V12 and no hybrid.
So this is a rewrite, checked against iRacing's own car pages and release notes on 8 October 2026. Where something is my opinion, I say so.
The short answer
Buy the Porsche 963 if you only buy one. That is my pick, for reasons I give below.
Buy the Ferrari 499P or the Aston Martin Valkyrie if you want something that is built to a different rulebook from the rest.
Do not pick by lap time. iRacing balances these cars and moves that balance in most builds, so the fastest car this month may not be the fastest next season.
The six cars at a glance
| Car | Rules | Engine | Hybrid | What iRacing says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche 963 GTP | LMDh | 4.6 litre twin-turbo V8 | Spec 50 kW | Over 670 hp, 1,030 kg |
| BMW M Hybrid V8 Evo | LMDh | 4.0 litre V8 | Spec 50 kW | About 640 hp from the engine alone |
| Cadillac V-Series.R GTP | LMDh | 5.5 litre V8 | Spec 50 kW | Biggest engine of the GTP cars |
| Acura ARX-06 GTP | LMDh | 2.4 litre twin-turbo V6 | Spec 50 kW | Over 670 hp, 1,030 kg |
| Ferrari 499P | LMH | Twin-turbo V6 | Yes, capped at 100 kW | 671 hp, 1,120 kg, seven-speed |
| Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH | LMH | 6.5 litre V12 | None | 670 hp |
The numbers come from each car's page on iracing.com. The pages do not give a weight for the BMW, the Cadillac or the Valkyrie, so I left those out instead of guessing.
What is a GTP car?
GTP stands for Grand Touring Prototype, the name IMSA brought back for its top class in 2023.
Four of the six are LMDh cars: the Porsche 963, the BMW M Hybrid V8 Evo, the Cadillac V-Series.R and the Acura ARX-06. iRacing describes them as sharing a 1,030 kg weight and a spec 50 kW hybrid system. The manufacturer brings the engine and the bodywork.
The other two are Le Mans Hypercars, LMH. Ferrari and Aston Martin built those cars from the ground up, and you can see how free that rulebook is from the result. One has a hybrid twin-turbo V6. The other has a 6.5 litre V12 and no electric motor.
One detail matters here. In its release notes iRacing writes "GTP Class & Ferrari 499P" when it lists which cars a rule applies to. So inside the sim the Ferrari sits next to the GTP class, not inside it. I could not confirm from a public page which of the two LMH cars are eligible for each official series this season. Check the car list on the series page in the iRacing app before you pay.
How much do they cost?
iRacing's support site puts a licence for an additional car at a one-time $11.95. That is the price for each of these six.
There is one freebie of sorts. The BMW M Hybrid V8 became the Evo in the 2026 Season 3 build. The release notes call it a free and automatic update, and the Evo is now the only version. If you owned the old car, you own the new one.
The hybrid system since 2025
iRacing overhauled the hybrid system for all its hybrid cars in the 2025 Season 4 build. The release notes describe it as a change to how the power unit code is built, with the goal of more realism.
For the Ferrari the same notes are specific: hybrid deployment is limited to 100 kW, and deployment in high speed corners is switched off.
The Valkyrie skips the whole topic. iRacing's car page says it does without a hybrid system. If you want a top prototype with nothing electric to think about, this is the one. I explain the rest in my iRacing hybrid system guide.
No ABS in any of them
GTP cars in iRacing have no anti-lock brakes. The 2026 Season 3 release notes say it in so many words when they describe the rule set that turns driver aids off: GTP has no ABS to disable, so only traction control goes.
Coming from GT3, this is the first thing to adjust. A GT3 car lets you stamp on the pedal. A prototype without ABS locks a front wheel and flat-spots the tyre. Brake hard at the start, then bleed the pressure off as the downforce drops away.
1. Porsche 963 GTP, my first buy
iRacing lists a 4.6 litre twin-turbo V8 with over 670 hp, 1,030 kg and the spec 50 kW hybrid.
Why first? This is my opinion, not a lap time. It is an LMDh car, so it is in the GTP class with no asterisk. It has been in the sim long enough that you will find plenty of setups and onboards for it. For a first prototype, that reference material is worth more than a tenth of BoP.
2. Ferrari 499P, the Le Mans winner
Image: iRacing, Steam
The 499P arrived in the 2025 Season 1 build. iRacing quotes 671 hp, 1,120 kg and a seven-speed sequential, and reminds you that the real car won Le Mans in 2023 and again in 2024.
It is 90 kg heavier than the LMDh cars on iRacing's own numbers, and its hybrid is capped at 100 kW with no deployment in fast corners. So it is a different car to learn, not a reskin of the others.
I wrote about this car when it was first shown in Le Mans Ultimate. Buy it for the badge and the Le Mans story. Check series eligibility first.
3. Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH, the new one
New in the 2026 Season 4 build. iRacing lists a 6.5 litre naturally aspirated V12 with 670 hp and no hybrid system. Its support site lists a seven-speed gearbox.
It shipped ready for rain, with dry and wet tyres, and AI drivers can race it from day one. The first patch on 1 October 2026 already adjusted its cockpit camera and pit limiter warnings, so expect it to keep moving for a few builds.
I rank it third because it is the most unusual car here and the newest. New cars in iRacing get the most changes in their first seasons. If you hate relearning a car after a patch, wait one season.
4. Cadillac V-Series.R GTP, the big V8
A 5.5 litre V8. iRacing calls it the largest engine of the cars in the GTP class, which still holds among the four LMDh cars. The Valkyrie's V12 is bigger, but that car is an LMH.
iRacing also notes its first IMSA win, the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring. If you choose a car with your ears, you will choose this one or the Aston.
5. BMW M Hybrid V8 Evo, the updated one
iRacing says the Evo makes about 640 hp from its four litre engine alone, before the electric motor adds its part. The Evo brought new aero work and new headlights, and the paint templates changed with it.
It is fifth on my list only because nothing sets it apart on paper from the Porsche. If you are a BMW fan, ignore my order and buy it.
6. Acura ARX-06 GTP, the small engine
A 2.4 litre twin-turbo V6, the smallest engine here, with over 670 hp and 1,030 kg on iRacing's page.
It is the car iRacing has touched most often in the notes I read. Its weight went up slightly for Balance of Performance in the 2025 Season 4 build. The 2026 Season 3 build fixed a bug where wheel damage could not be fully repaired. The 2026 Season 4 build adjusted its Balance of Performance again.
Last place on my list is not a verdict on its pace. An Acura won the GTP class in the opening round of the 2026 IMSA Esports Global Championship at Road Atlanta, per iRacing's race report.
Where do you race them?
The home of the class is the IMSA iRacing Series, a multiclass series with prototypes and GT cars on track together. My IMSA iRacing Series guide covers the licence, the race length and how to survive the traffic.
Two things changed in 2026 that you should know:
- Rule sets. Under the IMSA rule set, fuel and tyres are done at the same time. Under the default rule set, tyres go on after fuelling. You can see which one is active in the Rules tab of the session.
- Starts. The 2026 Season 4 release notes say multiclass starts with a pace car for each class roll out to official series beginning with the IMSA iRacing Series, pending a test in Week 13.
If you do not want to build setups, read how fixed and open series differ. If you do, start from my setup archive and read up on tech inspection. For the wider picture, see my iRacing car list.
My verdict
One car to cover the class: Porsche 963. A Le Mans winner: Ferrari 499P. A V12 with no hybrid: Aston Martin Valkyrie. A big V8: Cadillac. A fresh update for free if you owned the old one: BMW. The small turbo V6: Acura.
The order is mine. The balance between them is iRacing's, and it changes. Buy the car you want to drive for a full season.
FAQ
How many GTP cars are in iRacing?
Four cars carry the GTP name or run to LMDh rules: Porsche 963, BMW M Hybrid V8 Evo, Cadillac V-Series.R and Acura ARX-06. Add the two Le Mans Hypercars, the Ferrari 499P and the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH, and there are six top prototypes on 8 October 2026.
What is the best GTP car in iRacing for beginners?
My pick is the Porsche 963. It is a full member of the GTP class and it has been in the sim long enough to have a lot of setups and onboard laps to learn from. That is an opinion, not a lap time ranking.
How much do iRacing GTP cars cost?
$11.95 each, one time. That is the price iRacing's support site gives for a licence for an additional car.
Do iRacing GTP cars have ABS?
No. iRacing's 2026 Season 3 release notes state that GTP does not have anti-lock brakes. The cars do have traction control. Brake discipline matters more here than in GT3.
Is the Ferrari 499P a GTP car?
It is a Le Mans Hypercar, LMH. iRacing's release notes name it next to the GTP class, not inside it, so check the eligible cars on the series page before you buy it for a specific series.
Is the Aston Martin Valkyrie in iRacing?
Yes. The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH arrived in the 2026 Season 4 build on 9 September 2026, with a 6.5 litre V12, 670 hp, no hybrid system, rain tyres and AI support.
Did the BMW M Hybrid V8 Evo cost anything for existing owners?
No. The Evo update in the 2026 Season 3 build was free and automatic, and it is now the only version of the car.