Spark Model's 1:43 resin rendering of the #12 Cadillac V-Series.R locks in one of the more compelling narratives of the 2026 Hypercar season. Running under Hertz Team JOTA colours, the car qualified second in Hyperpole with a 3:23.079 lap and spent the greater part of the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans at the sharp end of the field. Released in September 2026, this is the definitive small-format record of a car that went agonisingly close to the Circuit de la Sarthe's top step.
The LMDh Machine from Detroit
The Cadillac V-Series.R is built around a Dallara LMP2-based carbon-fibre monocoque and homologated under Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) regulations — one of the earliest American prototypes to race in the modern Hypercar era. Power comes from the Cadillac LMC55R, a 5.5-litre 90° V8, naturally aspirated, DOHC, 32-valve unit producing 500 kW (670 hp), paired with a rear-mounted 50 kW Bosch specification MGU. Drive goes through an Xtrac P1359 7-speed sequential gearbox; the car weighs 1,030 kg and runs on Michelin slicks. For 2026 the aero package was updated with a reshaped rear wing profile and the removal of front winglets, specifically targeting higher peak straight-line speed on the Mulsanne straight.
178 Laps Led — and a Slow-Zone Penalty That Changed Everything
Louis Delétraz, Norman Nato and Will Stevens took the #12 to the front row of the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans on 13–14 June 2026, qualifying P2 in Hyperpole. By the 12-hour mark the car led outright with 192 laps complete; at 16 hours it still headed the field with 257 laps. Combined with the sister #38 entry, the two Hertz JOTA Cadillacs led 178 of the race's 381 laps. A drive-through penalty for a slow-zone speed infringement proved decisive, and fading pace in high Sunday afternoon temperatures pushed the car back to fourth overall, finishing +32.381 seconds behind the winning #7 Toyota TR010 Hybrid of Conway, Kobayashi and de Vries. Will Stevens completed 177 individual laps — the highest tally of any driver aboard the #12.
Spark's Resin Process and the Gold Livery
Spark Model produces the car as a resin cast at 1:43, a format well-suited to the fine surface geometry of LMDh bodywork. The resin process allows Spark to reproduce the metallic Hertz gold, white and black livery — described by the official Le Mans website as a "bright gold Hypercar" — with a surface fidelity that diecast tooling at this scale rarely achieves. The model was released in September 2026 as part of a batch of 25 new Spark 1:43 references issued simultaneously. The body is sealed; all detail is concentrated on the external surfaces, aerodynamic elements and livery graphics.
In the Display Cabinet
At 1:43, the V-Series.R measures approximately 11.5 cm in length — compact enough for a standard single-shelf display, yet requiring roughly 13–14 cm of clear space to account for the prototype's wide 2,000 mm bodywork translated to scale. The gold livery reads with immediate visual impact alongside the darker liveries typical of the 2026 Hypercar field. Natural pairings include the Spark 1:43 models of the race's top four — the #7 and #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid and the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 — to reconstruct the final classification. For collectors tracing the V-Series.R's Le Mans history, a larger-format companion in 1:18 covering the same 2026 race is listed for January 2027 release, supplied with a base and display case.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the 1:43 scale model?
The Cadillac V-Series.R measures approximately 5,100 mm in overall length in race specification. Divided by 43, that gives a model length of roughly 11.5 cm. Allow around 13–14 cm of shelf space to comfortably clear the car's wide bodywork at this scale.
Does the model have opening parts?
No. As is standard for Spark's resin production at 1:43, the body is sealed in one piece. Detail is concentrated on the external surfaces: the 2026-specification aerodynamic package (reshaped rear wing, no front winglets), the Hertz gold, white and black livery graphics, and the prototype's bodywork contours.
What material is the model made from, and who manufactures it?
The model is produced by Spark Model in resin (resincast). Resin allows sharp reproduction of complex LMDh surface geometry and metallic livery finishes at 1:43 — details that are difficult to achieve consistently in diecast at this scale.
What is the racing significance of the #12 at the 2026 Le Mans?
The #12 Cadillac V-Series.R led the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans outright at both the 12- and 16-hour marks. Combined with the sister #38, the two Hertz JOTA entries led 178 of 381 laps. A drive-through penalty for a slow-zone speed infringement and high afternoon temperatures dropped the car to fourth, 32.381 seconds behind the winning #7 Toyota TR010 Hybrid.
