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The key thing to keep in mind is that the ACO/WEC and IMSA have very different commercial goals.
The ACO/WEC have decided that they like manufacturer involvement in LMP-1H (and GTE)… but not in LMP2. They also have decided that LMP2 needs to be a really cost capped class, with a limited number of chassis constructors and a spec engine. In the WEC, ELMS, and AsLMS LMP2 would be mainly funded by gentlemen drivers.
Part of what the ACO and WEC are doing is apparently trying to do is push the more well funded and ambitious teams LMP2 teams into LMP-1L. That applies in particular to team/constructors combos like Dome/Strakka Racing and SMP Racing/ BR Engineering.
The problem with LMP-1L is that the business model sucks. The current LMP-1Ls are just a little faster than LMP-2s — and nowhere near the pace the LMP-1Hs are putting out. There’s seemingly no short-term solution to get them near the Audis, Porsches, and Toyotas. The other part of the problem is that it’s a bit unclear who is suppose to pay for LMP-1Ls, particularly at those performance levels. It’s an all-pro driver series, so gentlemen pay drivers aren’t likely to be a big part of the solution. LMP-1Ls cost more to operate, and teams will have to do a lot of development work, which also isn’t cheap. Media attention will remain scant until the LMP-1Ls get a lot closer to LMP-1H or much more numerous.
LMP2 will be IMSA's top class. Unlike the ACO and WEC, IMSA wants to attract manufacturer money to its LMP2 class. Hence we have the DPi -- take a 2017 spec LMP2 and run it with whatever GT3 engine you want, with the hope that the engine manufacturer will pony up and maybe use a specially branded chassis.
Would it make sense to have the same car with features that go beyond a 2017-spec LMP2 legal in the WEC and as IMSA's top class? Sure. But to get that, you’d probably have to have both series pursuing similar commercial strategies…
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