In the world of endurance racing Gibson-Nissan developed VK45 engines have seen success with many WEC and ELMS LMP2 teams, with notable victories at the world famous Le Mans 24 hours in recent years.
Speaking of weight, it should come as no surprise that Oreca went to great lengths to keep mass to a minimum, with the final figuring looking like 930 kg (2,050 pounds) per the new LMP2 regulations.
They don’t only have the LMP1 engines and customers to caster for though, with the WEC and ELMS Prologue tests, plus the opening ELMS race weekend to look forward too as well there are plenty of LMP2 customers to cater for too, some 24 Gibson-engined cars are set to run at Paul Ricard over the 10 days from 6-15 April. The Oreca 05 was developed with the consideration of what the factory knew about the new technical rules for the LMP2 class in the The car performed its first factory shakedown test in late October 2016 at A variation of the prototype, the Acura ARX-05, was created for G-Drive Racing competed with Oreca 07 in 2017 and 2018. Standout features include a dry sump / staged oil pump system for lubrication, while Cosworth is employed for the electronic engine control unit.Sending the power to the rear axle is a six-speed sequential gearbox (plus one reverse gear) from Xtrac, the same set-up that was used on the Oreca 05. Finally, the brakes use ventilated carbon discs and 6-pot monobloc calipers.While this year’s big race in France has yet to be etched into the history books, the Oreca 07 has already accumulated an impressive record of achievements for the 2017 race season, including top performances at the 4 Hours of Monza (G-Drive Racing, Rojas/Hirakawa/Roussel), 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (G-Drive Racing, Rusinov/Thiriet/Lynn), and 6 Hours of Silverstone (Jackie Chan DC Racing, Tung/Jarvis/Laurent). One of the … Since 2012, TOYOTA Racing has scored no less than 15 wins, and earned the FIA WEC world title in 2014 over Audi and Porsche, a first for a Japanese manufacturer. PKM Consulting was tapped to provide the adjustable shocks.
Finally, a rubber fuel tank is mounted in an appropriately protected location to keep the explodey juice safely contained should there be an incident with something less movable than the car.The preceding Oreca 05 LMP2 model produced roughly 490 horsepower, with a variety of different engine choices offered to competitors. Further accomplishments include pole positions at the 12 Hours of Sebring (Rebellion Racing), 4 Hours of Silverstone ELMS (DragonSpeed), 6 Hours of Silverstone, 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps FIA WEC (G-Drive Racing), and 4 Hours of Monza (Graff Racing).For now, Oreca looks like it’s shaping up to be the dominant force at Le Mans in LMP2. Carl Haas Automobile Imports, Inc. sells the Oreca 07 LMP2, Oreca 05 LMP2 and the FLM09 car as well as related parts for all three. Making it grip are gummy racing slicks measuring in at 30-68/R18 in front and 31-71/R18 in the rear. The chassis is based on Courage's LC75 LMP2 chassis, while the car's carbon fiber and kevlar bodywork is a simplified version of the LC75's design.
The wheels are ultra-light units measuring in at 12.5 inches in width and 18 inches in diameter for the front, while the rears are wider at 13 inches across and 18 inches in diameter.
This year, the Oreca 07 gets a rather sizable power boost up to 603 horsepower, which is a massive 113-horse increase over the preceding 05 lump.All that extra oomph is provided by a standard-spec naturally aspirated V-8 from U.K.-based engine manufacturer Gibson Technology, the same company that produced the successful VK45 powerplant from yesteryear.
This choice did affect the car’s performance, particularly on winding racetracks, but still was a good decision considering the overall scope of the project.”Crawl inside the cockpit of this monster, and it’s all business. “The ideas was to build on the success and the quality of the Oreca 05 while developing performance. The wheel also houses a small LCD screen to relay critical info, such as coolant temperature, oil pressure, and the current selected gear.
That made the transition between the 05 and 07 a relatively straightforward process overall, despite the huge requirements of development for the new rules spec.“The Oreca 07 was conceived around the Oreca 05’s monocoque and shares a certain number of the 05’s mechanical components,” says Floury.
Tune in next week to see where it lands when the checkered flies.Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display The preceding Oreca 05 LMP2 model produced roughly 490 horsepower, with a variety of different engine choices offered to competitors.
The Oreca 07 is a Le Mans Prototype built by French manufacturer Oreca to meet the 2017 FIA and ACO LMP2 regulations.
LE MANS 2014 ORECA introduced a major update kit for the 03 at the Le Mans test day. Our concept was to design a completely new car around a base of existing components thus allowing the teams who own an Oreca 05 to update it to the 07, but trying to control the cost of conversion.”As such, the 07 uses much of the older 05’s monocoque chassis, constructed using carbon fiber and honeycomb modules for superior rigidity and weight savings. Adding a roof changes quite a bit to the way atmosphere flows over a car, and at a track like the Circuit de La Sarthe, getting the right balance between downforce and drag is critical to success.As such, Oreca says it managed to add extra grip while simultaneously increasing aero efficiency.