Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S

The Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S (sometimes referred to as simply the Panoz LMP-1) was a Le Mans Prototype built for Panoz in 1999. The car was a successor to the Esperante GTR-1 which had competed in the Grand Tourer categories internationally. Following competition in the American Le Mans Series and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans until 2001, the car was replaced by the Panoz LMP07.

The LMP07 would however be abandoned by Panoz and so the LMP-1 Roadster-S was reworked into a new car known as the Panoz LMP01 Evo before being retired at the end of 2003. The LMP-1 Roadster-S and LMP01 Evo are notable amongst Le Mans prototypes for their use of engines are located in front of the driver, instead of the normal positioning behind. This gave the cars a unique look compared to their competitors.

At the end of 1998, both the FIA GT Championship and United States Road Racing Championship eliminated the GT1 category that the Esperante GTR-1 had competed in since its introduction in 1997. This left the Esperante GTR-1s with nowhere to compete unless they were modified into a Le Mans Prototype, similar to what was done with some Porsche 911 GT1s. However Panoz decided that an all-new car would be more competitive against the newcoming Audi and BMW prototypes in the American Le Mans Series, a new championship founded by Panoz.

Retaining Reynard Motorsport as a designer, the LMP-1 Roadster-S would retain many styling cues from the Esperante GTR-1, mostly due to the continued usage of the front-engine layout. Although other GT-based cars like the Esperante GTR-1 had used front-engine layouts, it was uncommon for a purpose-built prototype. However Panoz insisted that the LMP-1 Roadster-S would attempt to keep this layout.

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