Panoz LMP07

The Panoz LMP07 was a Le Mans prototype built in late 2000 for Panoz for competition in the American Le Mans Series. The car was designed as a successor to the Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S which had competed since 1999. Although retaining the unusual format of having the engine in front of the cockpit, the LMP07 was quickly found to be lacking the capabilities of its predecessor, forcing Panoz to abandon it and return to the LMP-1 Roadster-S. The LMP07 would survive in the hands of privateers until 2003.

Unlike the Esperante GTR-1 and LMP-1 Roadster-S that had come before, the LMP07 would be designed and built by an entirely new team of manufacturers and designers. Élan Motorsport Technologies would take over from Reynard Motorsport as the main designer and constructor of the car, with Andy Thorby being chief designer. Élan would also turn to Zytek for construction of a custom V8 for the LMP07, replacing the Ford-derived V8 used in the LMP-1 Roadster-S.

Having already established a winning formula with the LMP-1 Roadster-S, the LMP07 can be seen as an evolution of its basic layout. The same front-engine design with a high nose would be retained, while most of the new design elements would be seen in the shallow valleys between the fenders and engine cover, as well as around the cockpit. The LMP07 was designed to attempt to get the car's center of gravity as low as possible in order to improve its handling capabilities.

First and foremost, the shallow bodywork separating the large engine cover and the wheel fenders was redesigned. Instead of a large horizontal edge creating a scoop around the engine, the air would instead be allowed to flow to large vertical intakes placed on either side of the cockpit. This opening up of the area in this valley allowed excess air to better flow out of the back of the car, under its rear wing. To assist in this, large vertical fins were placed on the inside of the fenders, extending off the back of the car to form the rear wing supports. This feature allowed for chassis rigidity, better airflow through the channels, and an improved safety structure. Due to the fins serving as safety structures, this meant that similar structures were not necessary around the cockpit, allowing for even more obstructions in the center of the car to be eliminated, lowering the overall height of the bodywork and further aiding airflow. The cockpit surround was similar to that used on the LMP-1 Roadster-S.

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