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Endurance racing thrives on stories of triumph and heartbreak, often in the same breath. Nowhere was that more vividly displayed than at the 2024 12 Hours of Sebring, where the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R came within a whisker of a famous victory.

With Sébastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, and Scott Dixon sharing the cockpit, Cadillac led deep into the Floridian dusk, only to be denied in the final minutes by an inspired late charge from Acura.

The V-Series.R is Cadillac’s flagship prototype, built to compete under IMSA’s GTP and the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar rules.

At its core lies a 5.5-litre V8, married to hybrid technology, producing around 670 horsepower. Its shape is unmistakable – sharp vertical lights, crisp bodywork creases, and Cadillac’s signature crest embedded on the nose.

The Scalextric Cadillac V-Series.R captures the Sebring challenger in great detail.

The black, gold, and red livery is faithfully reproduced, from the sharp nose to the sculpted rear wing. Official licensing ensures the markings are as authentic as the real racer’s.

Sebring 2024: So near yet so far

Few tracks test endurance machinery like Sebring. Born from the runways of a World War II airbase, its patchwork of concrete and asphalt is punishingly uneven.

For Cadillac, Sebring is more than a race; it is a stage where American engineering has always been expected to shine.

In 2024, the No. 01 V-Series.R of Chip Ganassi Racing took on that mantle. With Bourdais, van der Zande, and Dixon rotating behind the wheel, the car looked the complete package.

Bourdais in particular delivered a standout drive. In the closing stints, he carried Cadillac into the lead, fending off waves of pressure as the race slipped into its decisive final hour.

The black-and-gold prototype looked set to etch Cadillac’s name on Sebring’s winners’ list for the first time in the new GTP era.

However, with less than 20 minutes remaining, the No40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura closed in.

At Turn 3, Louis Delétraz launched a decisive move, squeezing past the Cadillac in a moment of high drama. Contact was made, but the move stuck, and though Bourdais fought back valiantly, the Acura held firm to the flag.

The gap at the line was a scant 0.891 seconds.