New IndyCar Confirmed For 2028 — Here’s What To Know

IndyCar’s next generation car will be on the track for testing next year ahead of its racing debut in 2028. The new car will mark the first complete redesign of the spec chassis since the current DW12 entered the series in 2012.

The new car’s launch had already been delayed several times and was last expected to be ready for the 2027 season, but IndyCar decided not to rush it and put it off the extra year.

The new car is being developed again by Dallara and will be lighter than the current one and better integrate the Aeroscreen and hybrid powertrain that were added to the DW12 in recent years. IndyCar will be switching from a turbocharged 2.2-liter V6 to a turbocharged 2.4-liter V6 formula while increasing the amount of power provided by the hybrid electric boost.

“The time has come for a new NTT IndyCar SERIES chassis,” IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles said in a news release. “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.”

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The new car is being optimized to perform better across all four types of tracks IndyCar races on: superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. It will also have enhanced safety and an improved driver position. IndyCar said it would share a first look at the design at a later date.

IndyCar teams were show proposals for a new car last year that many reportedly rejected as not being forward-thinking enough, according to Racer.com, which prompted a rethink of the vehicle.

IndyCar is also looking to secure manufacturers to provide powertrains for the new car. Chevrolet and Honda are currently under contract through the 2026 season, but the latter has indicated it has not yet decided if it will renew. Even if it did, IndyCar would like to bring in additional brands, though none have yet been confirmed.