IndyCar unveils the future, pulls the covers off 2028 Dallara IR28

The Dallara Indy Racing 28 (IR28) has officially been unveiled, and the series is calling it the start of “an exciting new era.” Replacing the legendary DW12 after the 2027 season, the IR28 is more than a new look – it is a complete rethink of IndyCar performance, safety and racing.

IndyCar president Doug Boles says the new machine is designed to deliver “enhanced wheel-to-wheel competition, track records, standards in raceability and new benchmarks in safety,” and the numbers back up the ambition.

The IR28 is expected to be 100 lb lighter, powered by a new 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid package targeting 760 hp initially, with a pathway toward 800 hp in the future.

The car also features an all-new battery-based hybrid system with dramatically greater energy storage, a lighter Xtrac transmission, and a chassis designed from the ground up around the aeroscreen rather than adding it later. The result is a cleaner, more aggressive silhouette and a package aimed squarely at improving overtaking.

One of the boldest claims from IndyCar is that the IR28’s aerodynamics have been “purpose-built to optimize the wake from the front to the back in order to enhance overtaking opportunities.” In other words: expect closer racing and more passing.

And the wait to see it in action will be short. Initial testing begins this week, with real prototypes set to hit the track as IndyCar moves from renderings to reality.

Chevrolet says the new car will deliver the “performance, sound and excitement IndyCar fans expect,” while Honda believes the lighter chassis and more powerful hybrid system will help “usher IndyCar into a new era.”

The countdown has begun. The IR28 is not just the next IndyCar — it is the clearest signal yet that the series is preparing for a faster, louder and more spectacular future.