New IndyCar chassis officially set for 2028 season

Credit: Joe Skibinski

IndyCar will officially debut its new car for the 2028 season, delayed from its intended introduction in 2027. 

Thorough initial on-track testing is scheduled for early 2026 as “extensive planning and collaborative design work” is undergone on IndyCar’s first new chassis since the introduction of the Dallara DW12 in 2012. 

By the time the new chassis debuts, the DW12 will have been in competition for 16 years.

Team owners were presented with the plans for the new car at Road America on Saturday. Dallara, who first produced an IndyCar chassis in 1997, will continue to provide the chassis, which will have a new look “designed to appeal to a new generation of fans while keeping styling cues recognised by all” as an Indy car.

There is a projected weight reduction of 85-100 pounds compared to the current DW12 specification. There are also plans to switch to a 2.4-litre twin-turbocharged V-6 internal combustion engine intended to provide additional torque and power compared to the existing engine formula.

The divisive hybrid technology, introduced at Mid-Ohio last July, will continue with the new chassis with hope that the additional weight can be better-integrated into a new car. Evolutions will include longer deployment, more horsepower gain and improved overall performance.

“The time has come for a new chassis,” said IndyCar president Doug Boles. “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.”

Credit: Joe Skibinski

Competition, powertrain development and safety remain at the forefront as the new car is engineered, designed and developed.

Dallara will be working in close collaboration with IndyCar technical and medical response officials to further bolster safety. The 2028 car will include an ergonomic driver cockpit to improve seating position, an integrated aeroscreen - opposed to its retrofitting on the existing DW12 in 2020 - and new roll hoop.

Evolution of the new chassis has also involved work by Dallara and recently-developed simulation technology in a bid to enhance race-ability across the diverse range of tracks - superspeedways, short ovals, road courses and street courses - that IndyCar visits.

A lighter chassis and increased power - still with the staples of an IndyCar but with a new look - aligns with the widespread driver wish list for a new car.

Xtrac will continue to provide transmissions for the new chassis, as they have done as an exclusive supplier since 2000. The gearbox intended to debut in 2028 includes a 25-pound reduction from the present unit and will share components with a future Indy NXT gearbox in order to streamline components for teams competing in both series.

Brakes will continue to be supplied by Performance Friction Corporation, as has been the case since 2017.

Renderings will be released at a later date. Announcements about further partners are also yet to come, including to-be-confirmed engine manufacturers for 2028.