IndyCar has unveiled its first official renderings of the all-new modernized series car that will debut in 2028, IR-28.
The design and structure of the new machine is set to “provide for faster lap times and improved raceability, encouraging more wheel-to-wheel action, while also creating the safest car yet,” according to the series.
With help from Dallara, “the new car will make its competition debut at the start of the 2028 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.” Some of the goals for the new car’s design are to build on “raceability while enhancing speeds via additional power to advance the overall racing.” Furthermore, the series explains in the release that:
“Design of the new NTT INDYCAR SERIES car begins with a sleek and modern look while retaining the unmistakable DNA of past iconic series cars. The entire car is newly designed and built from the ground up, ensuring many noticeable differences from the current car.”
“New front and rear wings, optimized for style and efficiency, give the road and street course car an aggressive stance, while the superspeedway wing configuration provides maximum downforce with limited drag in a sleek, high-speed looking package.”
“For the first time ever, the car’s aerodynamic architecture has been purpose-built to optimize the wake from the front to the back in order to enhance overtaking opportunities. Additional benefits of the 2028 design include reduced outwash and, for Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a more aerodynamically stable speedway front wing.”
“The IR-28 aeroscreen, designed into the development of the car, is lighter, sleeker and more aerodynamic – supporting safety, more raceability and giving the IR-28 a fighter jet look and feel. Each bodywork element has been designed to result in even closer on-track competition as the new aerodynamics will allow cars to follow more closely in corners and throughout the field.”
“Also for the driver, the new car will feature electronically controlled driver adjustable anti-roll bars, which will provide for enhanced tuning and raceability while cleaning up the cockpit by eliminating standard knobs and handles, thus, also improving driver safety.”
“Additional updates for the IR-28 include the introduction of the Custom AXIS Inertance Control Suspension System. Built around a lightweight, shared damping architecture, the AXIS platform expands spring, damper and inerter tuning options without increasing costs. Its highly tunable, multimode design improves mechanical grip through suspension optimization, reducing reliance on aerodynamic load while giving teams significant setup flexibility.”
“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the only major motorsports championship to permit both front and rear third-element inertance systems, making the IR-28 one of the most advanced suspension platforms in modern motorsport.”
“From a fan and commercial perspective, the new car will feature a digital car position display showing the position of the car in practice, qualifying and races and a unique transparent window in the engine cover, which will highlight Chevrolet, Honda and any additional manufacturer branding. Design updates for 2028 also include more visible surface areas for series and team sponsorship.”
For the 2028 powertrain, the series will run a 2.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 internal combustion engine capable of producing up to 760 horsepower, which will deliver increased torque, power and overall performance.
“We are pleased to unveil renderings of the new NTT INDYCAR SERIES chassis that will take our sport into an exciting new era,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. “As you can imagine, a project of this magnitude takes an incredible amount of planning, collaboration and execution. I would like to thank all of our partners including Dallara, Chevrolet, Honda, Firestone and Shell, who have worked tirelessly to create a package that will enhance INDYCAR’s already incredible competition and industry-leading growth.”
“With initial testing to begin this week, there is still plenty of work to do before 2028, but we are well on our way to showcasing a new era of INDYCAR, which will include enhanced wheel-to-wheel competition, track records, standards in raceability and new benchmarks in safety. We are confident the IR-28 is the ideal package to move INDYCAR forward for our teams, drivers, partners and fans.”
