On 24 August 2021, Cadillac announced its intention to campaign in IMSA's new GTP class and join the FIA World Endurance Championship's Hypercar class in 2023. Dallara was confirmed as the chassis supplier on the same day, with Action Express Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing named as the two IMSA teams. Cadillac released renders of the car on 9 June 2022 and confirmed a hybrid powertrain combining the 5.5-litre 90-degree naturally aspirated V8 with standardized hybrid components from Williams Advanced Engineering, Bosch, and Xtrac.
The first shakedown was completed in July 2022, followed by extensive testing at Sebring International Raceway and Road Atlanta, covering nearly 19,312 km before the season opener. The car was originally called the Cadillac V-LMDh before receiving the V-Series.R name ahead of competition.
Cadillac entered three cars for the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona: two Chip Ganassi Racing entries in yellow and blue under numbers 01 and 02, and one Action Express Racing car in red under number 31. A single Chip Ganassi car also competed in the full 2023 FIA WEC season under number 2.
Although Cadillac was among the frontrunners at Daytona, the leading car dropped behind the Acura ARX-06 entries in the final stages and finished third overall. The V-Series.R took its first victory of any kind at the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring with Action Express Racing, recovering from an early collision to claim the win.
At Le Mans — Cadillac's first appearance at the French endurance classic since the 2002 Northstar LMP programme — the WEC-based number 2 car finished third overall, one lap behind the Ferrari and Toyota factory entries. The IMSA campaign concluded with Cadillac and Action Express Racing claiming the Teams, Drivers, and Manufacturers championships after a season-long battle with Acura.
Cadillac opened 2024 at Daytona with Action Express Racing qualifying on pole, setting a track record through Pipo Derani. Despite leading for much of the race and fighting for the overall win against Porsche in the final hour, the Cadillac finished second, just 2.112 seconds behind the race-winning Porsche 963. The WEC campaign was disrupted by a disqualification, a poor result, and a high-speed crash in the first three rounds.
In IMSA, Chip Ganassi Racing's number 01 car contested the GTP standings closely through the year, ultimately finishing third. The defending champion Action Express Racing entry placed fourth overall. Combined, the Cadillac teams secured eight podiums, four pole positions, and two victories, including a win at the 2024 Petit Le Mans.
For 2025, Chip Ganassi Racing departed from the Cadillac programme. Wayne Taylor Racing took over IMSA operations and Jota Sport assumed the WEC campaign. At the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jota secured a front-row lockout during Hyperpole qualifying through Alex Lynn and Earl Bamber — Cadillac's first-ever pole at Le Mans. On race day, the pole-sitting number 12 car claimed victory, with the number 38 completing a 1-2 finish ahead of the Porsche factory entry. It was Cadillac's maiden win in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The V-Series.R uses a front-mid mounted 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine paired with the standardized LMDh hybrid unit developed by Williams Advanced Engineering, Bosch, and Xtrac. The hybrid system recuperates energy under braking and deploys it at the driver's control. The car competes in the GTP class in IMSA and in the Hypercar class in the WEC, the two regulations being aligned under the LMDh framework.
As of late 2025, the V-Series.R had accumulated seven wins and thirteen podium finishes across both championships. The 2023 season demonstrated the car's immediate competitiveness on debut, and the 2025 Le Mans triumph marked a historic milestone as Cadillac's first outright prototype victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe. The programme re-established Cadillac as a factory presence at the top level of sportscar racing and confirmed the LMDh concept's capacity to produce genuinely competitive machinery across different circuits and conditions.