After its serious defeat of last year Ferrari is obviously out on revenge. Race director Eugenio Dragoni - a real disaster - has been replaced by Franco Lini, an autosport journalist with great knowledge of racing. Social conflicts are over and since September Maranello prepares an improved version of its P3. Engine remains a 60 degree V12 with a compression ratio of 11:4:1. Capacity is maintained at 4 litres, but power increased from 420bhp to 460bhp, resulting in an higher top speed, estimated above the 198mph (320kph). A new chassis of mixed construction with a multitube space frame with aluminium and fibreglass panels in the centre section, forming a semi-monocoque, is used. Wheelbase is an inch shorter, allowing a wider spur in front and in rear. With water and oil, but without driver, the new car - called 4.0 Ferrari 330 P4 -  weights 1,950lb. New factory drivers are Chris Amon (NZ) and the young Günther Klass (D). Already in December Franco Lini goes with two copies of the new car to test them severely at Daytona in view of the first race of the season. Maintained is the policy concerning the factory teams: N.A.R.T. (USA), Maranello Concessionaires (GB), Écurie Nationale Belge (B) and Scuderia Filipinetti (CH) will receive an updated version of the P3, called 4.0 Ferrari 330P3/P4. At special occasions they can receive a full factory 330P4.
At Ford one counts on an improved version of the MkIIA with a V8 engine, 550bhp strong, with 16 valves and weighting a dry 2,250lbs. The car will be called 7.0 Ford MkIIB.  Secretly the former Ford J is been transformed in a new 7.0 Ford MkIV, which, however, will not be seen on the track before the Sebring 12-hours. The car is equipped with the same enine as the MkIIB but uses the lighter honey-comb chassis as under the former Ford J. An aerodynamically smoother body has been developed, permitting a top speed of more than 205 mph (330kph).
The cars will be alligned by two teams: Shelby American Inc., and Holman & Moody. Alan Mann is no longer directly involved. John Wyer Automotive is working at a much improved Ford GT40, a prototype with a 5.7-litre engine, with a lower weight than the MkIIA and MkIIB and with a superior road holding, especially in the rain. The new car, a Mirage-Ford M1, however is not recognised by the FIA as a Ford, despite strong protests from FoMoCo, that the Mirage is a 100 per cent Ford.
At Chaparral Cars (USA) Jim Hall - having surprisingly won the Nürburgring 1,000-kms last year - can count on limited support of General Motors, delivering a 7-litre 560bhp V8-motor and an automatic gearbox.  The car will be equipped with the same movable wing as used the first time in September on the Chaparral 2E CANAM car. The new car, with a complete new body and its radiators ahead of the rear wheels, will be called 7.0 Chaparral-Chevrolet 2F.

At Lola Cars (GB) Eric Broadley, from 1963 to 1965 the father of the Ford GT40, comes with a total new prototype, based upon his Lola T70Mk2 CANAM car. It's a closed version with a body inspired by Drogo's Ferrari P4. The car can be equipped with any Chevrolet motor in the range between 5 to 7 litres. Equipped with a 5-litre Aston-Martin 500bhp motor the car weights 800lbs (!) less than a Ford MkIV. This version is called 5.0 Lola-Aston-Martin Mk3A. The version with the 5.5-litre 460bhp Chevrolet engine, sold to privateers, with the same dry weight as a Ferrari 330P4, is called the 5.9 Lola-Chevrolet Mk3A.
In the two-litre class Porsche developed a better profiled version of its Carrera Six (906), the 2.0 Porsche 910 and 2.2 Porsche 910F8, res. equiped with a 220bhp 6-cylinder engine and a 240bhp with a flat 8-cylinder engine. This year Huschke von Hanstein, Porsche's race director, may expect serious competition from Alfa Romeo. Indeed at Autodelta a 2-liter V8 prototype, the 2.0 Alfa Romeo 33 will replace the former TZ2s, having been sold to privateers. Carlo Chitti, Autodelta's race director even announces that the new prototype will be at least as fast as the fastest Porsches. Last but not least at Vélézy Matra Sports designed a new body for its 2.0 Matra-BRM MS630. A 4.7-litre Ford version belongs to the possibilities.
This year the Manufacturer's World Championship goes over 8 rounds, the Brands Hatch 6-hours having been added. Point's system is the same at all rounds (9-6-4-3-2-1). There will be a combined classification for all prototypes, irrespectively their engine capacity and a separate for 2-litre prototypes. Six other rounds concern exclusively the International Sports Cars Championship, split over 3 divisions, and with one hill-climb at half points.

round	points	date	S3	S2	S1	P
1. Daytona Continental (US)	II	Feb 4-5	x	x	-	x
2. Sebring 12-hours (US)	II	April 1	x	x	-	x
3. Monza 1,000-kms (I)	II	April 25	x	x	-	x
4. Spa 1,000-kms (B)	II	May 1	x	x	-	x
5. Targa Florio (I)	II	May 14	x	x	-	x
6. Nürburgring 1,000-kms(D)	II	May 28	x	x	x	x
7. Le Mans 24-hours (F)	II	June 10-11	x	x	-	x
8. Hockenheim GP (D)	II	July 9	-	-	x	-
9. Circuito del Mugello (I)	II	July 23	-	-	x	-
10. BOAC 6-h Brands Hatch (GB)	II	July 30	x	x	-	x
11. Coppa di Citta d'Enna (I)	II	Aug. 6	-	-	x	-
12. Austrian Grand Prix (A)	II	Aug. 20	x	x	x	-
13. Swiss Mountain GP (CH)	0	Aug. 27	x	x	x	-
14. Nürburgring 500-kms (D)	II	Sept. 3	-	-	x	-