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Élan Motorsport Technologies is an umbrella company containing the race car manufacturing companies owned by the Panoz Motor Sports Group. Élan designs and builds Panoz-branded race cars, and have also acquired other manufacturers, including famous Formula Ford builders Van Diemen and IndyCar Series constructor G-Force. Élan-built cars now race in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series and other championships throughout the world.
Sports cars
Panoz' first foray into racing cars came with the Panoz Esperante GTR-1 in 1997. The car was built for the GT1 category of highly modified supercars, bearing little resemblance to normal production cars. The GTR-1 was unique for its front-engine design, whereas all of its competitors were rear-engined designs.
In 1999, changes in regulations led to the development of an open-top spyder for the LMP900 class, the Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S. Like the GTR-1, the LMP-1 was a front-engine car. Its unique design, along with its 6.0L Ford-derived V8, made it a fan favorite. In 2001, Panoz designed a successor to the LMP-1, the LMP07. Although the Andy Thorby-designed car had high expectations, it turned out to be a failure. The car used a Zytek V8, tuned by Élan Power Products (the first use of the Élan name in Panoz' motorsports ventures). The car was replaced mid-season by the LMP-1, which carried on until the end of the 2003 season.
In 2003, Élan debuted the a new race car based on the production Panoz Esperante, called the Esperante GTLM. The GTLM was designed for the "LM"GT2 class for slightly modified production sports cars. The 2003 car was raced by Hyper Sport Competition, and was used mainly as a development year. A revised version first raced in 2004. The car is powered by an EPP 5.0L V8. In 2006, the GTLM won both the GT2 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring (in the hands of Multimatic Motorsports) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (run by Team LNT).
In addition to the Esperante GTLM, Élan builds the Esperante GTS, a simplified version of the car with a pushrod V8, tube frame and fiberglass construction, and eligibility for one-make and SCCA racing. This car is used in the Panoz Racing Series, and a less powerful version is utilized by the Panoz Racing School.
Élan also builds the Panoz DP02 and Panoz DP04 for the IMSA Lites series. The cars are small, center-seat prototypes. A version of the DP04 is also eligible for SCCA Sports Racer categories.
Open wheel
Élan also produced all chassis for the Champ Car World Series in the 2007 season and the 2008 Long Beach Grand Prix. The Panoz DP01 is Élan's most recent foray into major open wheel racing and follows on the heels of the company's success in the IndyCar Series. The company also builds cars and engines for the Star Mazda championship.
Van Diemen
Main article: Van DiemenÉlan acquired the Van Diemen company in 1999. Van Diemen produces cars for Formula Ford championships around the globe. They still operate out of their base at the Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk, United Kingdom.
G-Force
The Panoz G-Force GF09 used in the IndyCar Series is produced within the EMT family of constructors. G-Force chassis driven by Gil de Ferran and Buddy Rice won the 2003 and 2004 Indianapolis 500 races.
Panoz G-Force GF09 Specifications
- Chassis: Carbon-fiber monocoque
- Airbox shape: Triangle
- Length: 193 inches.
- Height: 37.5 inches (excluding roll hoop or camera mount).
- Width: 78.5 inches maximum, 77.5 inches minimum (measured outside rim to rim).
- Gearbox: XTRAC #295 gearbox (gears forward of rear axle) Six forward gears, Mega-Line Assisted Gear Shift (paddle-shift).
- Suspension: Pushrod with multilink.
- Engine: Honda Indy V-8, 3498 cc, Normally-aspirated.
- Fuel: Ethanol.
- Tires: Firestone Firehawk.
Superleague Formula
For 2008, the inaugural season of the Superleague Formula, Panoz under the Élan Motorsports banner will produce all the cars for this racing series. Labelled as the DP09, the car will weigh 675 kg and use a 750 bhp (560 kW) engine built by Menard Competition Technologies. The car will replace its sister car, the DP01, as the closest open wheel race car to a Formula One car.