LMP | modbase.me

A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, United SportsCar Championship,European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The technical requirements for an LMP include bodywork covering all mechanical elements of the car.

While not as fast as open-wheel Formula One cars, LMPs are the fastest closed-wheel racing cars used in circuit racing. Le Mans Prototypes are considered a class above production-based grand tourer cars, which compete alongside them in sports car racing.

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The Lola-Aston Martin B09/60, also known as the Aston Martin DBR1-2, is a Le Mans Prototype sports car built by Lola Cars International and co-developed with Prodrive for use by Aston Martin Racing. It is the first prototype to bear the Aston Martin name since the AMR1 in 1989. Aston Martin's internal name for the car, DBR1-2, refers to the specific DBR1 chassis which won six races in 1959 en route to clinching the World Sportscar Championship as well as that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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To meet the new regulations brought in by the ACO for endurance racing, the AMR-One is powered by a downsized, 2.0-litre turbocharged straight six petrol engine and features a blade-fin behind the cockpit. The AMR-One is built around a light carbon fibre monocoque chassis with open top bodywork, in contrast to the closed cockpits of the contemporary Peugeot 908 and Audi R18.

The car has a very high belt-line, broad shapes and few surface breaks. The front of the car is designed to develop minimal downforce and to force as much air into the ducts. The air then moves through the car instead of over the top. There are numerous ducts inside the high bodywork, one for brake cooling, two through the side vents and one for rear gearbox cooling. One air scoop is in place to feed the turbocharger. Two side ducts on the rear of the car are for rear-brake cooling. The exhaust exits at the bottom of the vertical fin.

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The car was tested for the first time in December 2008, before its official unveiling and competition debut at the 2009 12 Hours of Sebring race, 21 March 2009. Three R15 TDIs participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2009, under the control of Joest Racing. Audi did not defend their American Le Mans Series, or Le Mans Series titles with the R15 TDI.
The R15 made its competition debut at the 2009 12 Hours of Sebring in March 2009, and followed this event at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The R15 got off to a perfect start by winning the 12 Hours of Sebring, setting a new race record in the process, but then lost in its second entry. Peugeot, its rival, with its 908 HDi FAP, took the top two spots in the 24-hour race, ending Audi's five-win streak that lasted back to 2004 with the gasoline-powered R8.
The R15 TDI features a 5.5 litres (336 cu in) Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) turbodiesel V10 engine, rated at over 600 PS (440 kW; 590 bhp) and 1,050 newton metres (774 lbf·ft) torque. The electrical system uses a lithium-ion battery, a first for Audi sports prototypes, as well as LED headlights, and a unique system of LED rear lights that are mounted on the rear wing endplate.
In the week running up to the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, rivals Peugeot lodged a protest against the R15, claiming that its bodywork did not comply with regulations stating that parts of the bodywork cannot be fitted with the sole purpose of generating downforce. However, after the Wednesday free practice session, the ACO rejected Peugeot's protest. At the 2009 Le Mans, Audi was unable to continue its winning streak that dated back to 2004. The No. 3 R15 ran off at Indianapolis corner, and the No. 2, driven by Luhr, crashed and retired. In the evening, the No. 1 Audi lost a lap to the leading Peugeot which was faster, and further technical issues dropped it a full 7 laps down the order. The sole surviving Audi clinched a podium finish, finishing in third place.
Audi announced on 25 August 2009 that two R15s would race at the 2009 Petit Le Mans. Both Audis led for approximately 90% of the race but a late spin during the final rain-soaked caution handed the victory to one of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs entered by Team Peugeot Total. This loss was Audi's first since competing in Petit Le Mans since their initial attempt at Road Atlanta back in 2000.

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The Audi R8C is a Le Mans Prototype racecar that was built by Audi and designed by Peter Elleray to compete in the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans under the LMGTP category. It was developed alongside the open Audi R8R LMP category spyder, prior to being replaced by the all-new Audi R8 in 2000.

The R8C and R8R both use the 600 hp (450 kW) 3.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, but are radically different aerodynamically. While the R8R has a large number of vents placed on the nose, most of the intakes and air exits on the R8C are placed on the sides. The R8C also has thinner wheel arches, partially due to LMGTP rules, at the time, that stipulate the LMGTP cars use thinner tires than the LMP cars in order to off-set the better aerodynamic efficiency, and thus higher top speeds, of the LMGTP cars. Additionally, using a styling feature borrowed from the Toyota GT-One, the inside of the front wheel arches of the R8C are open, so that air does not build up in the wheel wells, and to benefit brake cooling. Like most, if not all other LMGTPs of the time, the cockpit is long, gradually sloping to maximise aerodynamic efficiency. Uniquely, though, the minimum roof height was achieved with the use of raised humps above the driver's position, so that there is a trough down the center of the roof to allow for more air to reach the rear wing. The rear of the car features a boxy, blunt tail that was developed from the improved R8R, however, it is longer in order to better maximize the R8C's aerodynamics.

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The Audi R8R was a Le Mans Prototype built by Audi for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans, and a predecessor to the dominant Audi R8 which debuted in 2000. It was raced alongside the British built closed-cockpit Audi R8C.

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The Bentley Speed 8 (developed from the Bentley EXP Speed 8) was an Autosport Award Winning Le Mans Prototype race car that was designed by Peter Elleray. The EXP Speed 8 debuted in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2001 and won the race in 2003. It has a strong resemblance to and shares some technology with the Audi R8C, which had raced only once before Audi dropped the project to focus on the later dominant Audi R8. The EXP Speed 8 marked Bentley's return to racing after a 73-year absence.

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The Zytek Z11 SN, chassis #08, has a long and proud race career. It can legitimately trace its ancestry back to the Reynard 02S, a racer designed in 2000 to compete at Le Mans in the LM P675 class. The project was eventually acquired by the motor sport arm of the engineering group, Zytek. In the following years they updated the chassis to comply with changing regulations and to improve performance, particularly in aerodynamics. The Z11 SN was the final evolution of this long serving and very successful sports prototype.

Greaves Motorsport were the top team in the LM P2 category after a wildly successful year in 2011; champions in the Le Mans Series and class winners at the Le Mans 24 Hours, they had dominated the season.

As a result, they received a flood of enquiries from potential drivers for 2012 and took the decision to expand the team to run two cars. One entry was planned for the inaugural season of the revived FIA World Endurance Championship, the other was targeted at the European Le Mans Series.

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The Lola B08/80 is a Le Mans Prototype built by Lola Cars International. It is effectively the LMP2 version of the larger Lola B08/60; they are the first closed-cockpit sports prototypes built by Lola since the T92/10 of 1992. The B08/80 is optimised for the smaller engines and lighter weight of the LMP2 category in comparison to the larger and heavier B08/60.

The first chassis of the B08/80 is used by the joint Speedy Racing Team and Sebah Automotive outfits in the Le Mans Series as well as at 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team's car uses the latest V8 engine from Judd. A second car was entered by B-K Motorsports and Mazda in the American Le Mans Series, debuting at the Petit Le Mans in October 2008, while a third B08/80 chassis was sold to Ray Mallock Ltd. and completed with parts from the team's former B05/40 to create the MG-Lola EX265C for the Le Mans Series. B-K Motorsports closed shop in late 2008 and sold their car to Dyson Racing. 2009 LMS season saw the B08/80 being the 2nd fastest LMP2, behind the Essex Porsche.
Level 5 Motorsports ran their upgraded B11/80's in the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans except for Silverstone and Zhuhai. They finished third in LMP2 and tenth overall at Le Mans. Level 5 switched to the HPD ARX-01g for Petit Le Mans and continued with Honda power in 2012.

Until recently, the Lola B12/80 was still common in Le Mans Prototype racing. Gulf Racing ran a pair of B12/80s in the WEC; Dempsey Racing ran a B12/80 in the ALMS; and finally, Black Swan Racing ran the former 2011 Level 5 B11/80.

In the 2012 European Le Mans Series season, Status Grand Prix ran an upgraded B12/80, finishing 6th in the teams championship with 15 points. These came from a 3rd place at the 2012 6 Hours of Castellet.

By 2013, all teams had retired their Lola B12/80s due to uncertainty over parts support from Lola.

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The Ligier JS P3 is an LMP3 Le Mans Prototype. It was created by Onroak Automotive, and named in partnership with former French driver Guy Ligier. It was built to meet ACO LMP3 standards, and is active in various LMP3 championships worldwide, such as the European Le Mans Series, IMSA Prototype Challenge, and the Asian Le Mans Series. The car has proven to be immensely popular in the category, with over 100 cars being produced since 2015. It has also proved to be one of the most successful prototypes in the class, with a total of 103 overall wins and class victories from 132 races entered by the car. It is set to be succeeded in 2020, by the Ligier JS P320, when new LMP3 regulations are set to come into place.

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Mazda takes the adaptable KODO design, its ‘Soul of Motion’, and applies it to great effect on the 2017 and 2018 RT24-P’s frame, build, and aesthetics. You can find its influence on every part of the Mazda RT24-P, from the graceful contours sweeping around its beautiful body to the signature five-point Mazda grille fitted at the front of a lean, yet formidable fascia. This KODO built framework helps to bring even greater performance and responsive handling to the competitive world of racing, creating an incredibly aerodynamic and efficient race car.

Additionally, it’s interesting to note that RT24-P stands for ‘Road to 24’. This signifies Mazda’s driver development program that provides scholarships to up and coming grassroots race car drivers.

The current model of the 2017 Mazda RT24-P is equipped with an MZ-2.0T engine under its hood. It’s unclear if the upcoming 2018 model plans to change this machinery. For those unfamiliar with this design, the MZ-2.0T is a 2L inline 4 engine. Similar sized inline 4 engines are found in many current commercial cars available now on the market. However, the MZ-2.0T is unique and retuned. It keeps the very lightweight design of the 2L engine to help the RT24-P remain incredibly maneuverable for quicks turns and adjustments on the race track. However, despite its size, the MZ-2.0T engine of the Mazda RT24-P produces up to 600 horsepower

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Based on the latest Lola chassis, the RML Lola Mazda embodied all the most up-to-date developments in aerodynamics, composite technology and chassis design, but with the added benefit of knowledge gleaned from six highly-successful years in endurance motorsport. RML has all the technical abilities and resources to carry out extensive independent development, as befits a company that has designed and created cars of its own from the ground up, such as the Saleen S7, and has engineered major racing programmes for leading manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Mercedes, Vauxhall, Honda and Aston Martin.

The expertise and understanding that brought two back-to-back class victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours were applied to the RML Lola Mazda, and many of the refinements that gave the MGs their reliability and superlative handling have been carried over to the new car. These included specific components intended to help the car and its drivers cope with endurance events of six, ten or twenty-four hour duration, including reserve alternators and starter motors, mechanical gearchange back-up to the sophisticated steering-wheel mounted paddle-shift installation, advanced on-board telemetry, live-feed video monitoring equipment, and several instances of dual and tandem electronic and other essential systems.

As the old adage goes; to finish first, first one has to finish, and the emphasis at RML is shared equally between speed and performance on the one hand, and longevity and reliability on the other.
When first delivered to RML, the chassis was designated a B08/80. However, concurrent with the installation of the new Mazda engine, the car also benefited from the implementation of the full 2009 specification aerodynamic package and revised bodywork. This had been developed by Lola in Huntingdon in response to changes in the racing regulations between 2008 and 2009, including the reduction in width of the rear wing. As a result the car is now officially designated as a Lola Mazda B09/86, the eighty-six being used by Lola to identify any Mazda-powered chassis.

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The Nissan GT-R LM Nismo was a sports prototype racing car built by the Nissan Motor Company and their motorsports division Nismo. Designed for the Le Mans Prototype 1 Hybrid (LMP1-H) regulations of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the GT-R LM was unique amongst Le Mans Prototypes at the time for utilizing a front mid-engine layout for its internal combustion engine, as opposed to the rear mid-engine layout used by nearly all other competitors in the category. It was Nissan's first prototype chassis since the R391 in 1999, although the company had developed engines in recent years. The car was branded after the Nissan GT-R road car and shares similar engine and drivetrain configurations, but is not related to the sports car. The GT-R LM Nismo program was announced on 23 May 2014, while the car was publicly shown for the first time in a Nissan commercial during Super Bowl XLIX on 1 February 2015. It was retired from competition at the end of 2015, after having only competed unsuccessfully at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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Founded in 2009 by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and ORECA, the Formula Le Mans has become an efficient link towards the top-level of endurance racing over the years, a full-fledged category. The LMPC category, which is represented in American, Asian and European Le Mans Series, is the perfect opportunity for drivers and teams to take their first steps in sportscar racing before participating in the Le Mans 24 Hours or even the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The LMPC class is a true ladder, drivers and teams who experience that racing series then achieve excellent results in the two top categories of Le Mans racing, LM P1 and LM P2.

The ORECA-FLM 09 is a genuine Le Mans Prototype. Moreover, the car is reliable and efficient, with a matchless value for money. The podiums claimed in the general ranking of the American Le Mans Series are the best proof! The ORECA-FLM 09 is clearly an affordable prototype with reasonable price and technical specifications that are close to the milestones in prototype racing.

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Five 03's have been built, four of which have competed in races. Team Oreca have not entered a race yet but plan to race at the 1000 km of Spa and Le Mans. The first race the Oreca 03 competed in was the 2011 12 Hours of Sebring, the first round of the American Le Mans Series and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, where the French team of Signatech Nissan competed for ILMC glory in the LMP2 class with drivers Franck Mailleux, long term Oreca driver Soheil Ayari and 2009 GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez. The trio had been quick throughout practice and took pole at the Sebring International Raceway, almost four seconds quicker than the next nearest LMP2 class car. Unfortunately, because the car was brand new, problems occurred including continuous gearbox problems. In the end, the No. 26 car finished 30th overall and second in class as there were very little LMP2 entrants.

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LMP1 may get the lion's share of attention when it comes to sports prototype racing, but these days they only compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Everywhere else, including the IMSA United SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series, and Asian Le Mans Series, the top category consists of LMP2 racers. And that class is about to enter a new era, lead by entrants like the one you see here.

Unveiled late last week at the Paul Ricard test circuit in the south of France is the new Oreca 07. It's one of four new chassis authorized jointly by the FIA, ACO, and IMSA to compete in the category starting next season and, given Oreca's track record, it could prove the one to beat.

Never heard of Oreca? The French outfit has won countless trophies in racing disciplines as varied as F3, GT, and the Andros Trophy for ice racing; has fielded front-line entries for countless manufacturers; and these days develops and manufactures its own racing prototypes. Most pertinently, the LMP2 class at Le Mans has been won the past two years running in Oreca prototypes.

The new Oreca 07 is based on the existing 05, but has been extensively modified for the next stage in prototype racing. Power comes from a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 rated at 600 horsepower that's been developed by Gibson Technology, with electronics from Cosworth, gearbox by X-Trac and shocks by PKM. Though the regulations call for a minimum weight of no less than 930 kg (2,050 lbs).

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The Panoz LMP-1 has quite a long traceable history for a contemporary and successful prototype. How this prototype, with its roots based in a GT-1 chassis (see below) and having an unconventional front-engine location, was forged into a race winner is a surprising, yet impressive, feat.
The front engine layout of the Panoz LMP means a higher percentage of the overall weight is at the forward end of the car. This has the effect of allowing for more front downforce to be placed on the front axle and therefore larger front tires. The front engine position pushes the driver back to nearly inline with the rear axle centerline. The beneficial result is that the driver is better positioned in the chassis from a car feedback standpoint. With all things being equal to a mid-engined LMP, the front-engined Panoz came with positive design benefits not available to mid-engined cars. But ultimately everything comes down to a car's record, and that can't be ignored: three wins in '99 as well as the Manufacturer's Championship, one win in '00, two wins in '01, and two wins in '02.

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Peugeot has revealed details of the new 9X8, its latest-generation Hypercar which is set to make its competitive debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2022. Powered by hybrid technology and featuring all-wheel drive, the new 9X8 Hypercar showcases Peugeot's Neo-Performance strategy which combines technology and sportiness in both Peugeot's road and race cars. The Hypercar is a product of the latest work between Peugeot Sport and Peugeot Design, heralding a new era in racing and a new era in race car design.

The Peugeot 9X8 - the brand's latest endurance racing contender - is a direct successor to the Peugeot 905, winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1992 and 1993, and the Peugeot 908, which won the iconic race in 2009. The new prototype race car is poised to continue Peugeot's successful history in top-level motorsport.

The 9X8 Hypercar is a brand-driven project highlighting Peugeot's 'Neo-Performance' vision which is built around combining a premium sporting pedigree with styling excellence, efficiency and technological expertise that can be carried over to Peugeot's road cars.

Peugeot's Design and engineering teams have worked in collaboration with its racing division, Peugeot Sport, to explore new aerodynamic solutions and styling ideas to create a completely original race car. The Peugeot 9X8's design and aerodynamics have been developed under the responsibility of Peugeot Sport Technical Director Olivier Jansonnie and the design team led by Peugeot Design Director Matthias Hossann. Greater flexibility, allowed by the sport's new technical rules regarding aerodynamics, permits new thinking that favours the emergence of innovative cars, allowing for new creative processes and a break away from established procedures to produce a Hypercar for a completely new era.

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The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP is a sports prototype racing car built by the French automobile manufacturer Peugeot to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, starting in 2007 and eventually winning in 2009. This effort, in development since 2005, was publicly unveiled on 15 June 2006. It first competed against the Audi R10 TDI, becoming the second diesel engined sports car from a major manufacturer, and then against the Audi R15 TDI. This was Peugeot Sport's first Le Mans effort since the end of the Peugeot 905 project in 1993. It won 19 from the 28 races in which it raced between 2007 and 2010.

"908 HDi FAP" reads as follows: 908 deals with the 90x series for racing cars at Peugeot; HDi is the acronym for [English] "High Pressure Direct Injection" (French: Injection directe à haute pression) and FAP is the acronym for [French] "Filtre à particules" (English: particulate filter"). The 908 name is also shared with a Peugeot concept saloon/sedan, named the 908RC, which shares the diesel V12 engine from the 908 sportscar and with the successor sports prototype racing car of Peugeot for 2011 season, simply named "908". The Peugeot 908 is not to be confused with another sportscar of the same number that successfully raced from 1968 to 1981, the Porsche 908.

At the 2008 1000 km of Silverstone, Peugeot Sport unveiled the 908 HY, a hybrid electric variant of the diesel 908, with KERS. Peugeot planned to campaign the car in the 2009 Le Mans Series season, even though it would not be capable of scoring championship points, but gave up the idea to concentrate on preparation for the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Two 908s were entered at the 2009 Sebring 12 Hours up against the new Audi R15s. The lead change kept swapping until the R15 emerged just 22 seconds ahead of the Peugeot. The new R15s still lacked the capability to double-stint.

Four 908s were entered into the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, three by Peugeot, and a 2008 model by Pescarolo which crashed at night. The cars #9 and #8 took the first two places, 16 years after Peugeot's last win. Together with the sixth-placed #7, they performed a formation finish, crossing the line with all three cars line-astern.

Peugeot continued to challenge the Audi R15s at the 2009 Petit Le Mans. Team Peugeot Total entered two cars and won the rain soaked race while leading only 10% of the race laps. Because of the Le Mans victory Peugeot contested the race in 2010 with the numbers 1-2-3.

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Over the years Porsche have built a rock solid reputation in sportscar racing with a collection of victories that is unmatched. This is something to cherish, but it also sets the bar very high for every new Porsche racing car; anything but winning can be considered a failure. Complementing all the know-how gathered over the years, the one thing that is required to make a car really successful is proper funding. At the end of the 1990s Porsche decided that funding was better spent on a brand new model than on a replacement for the 1998 Le Mans winning 911 GT1 EVO. The purists were horrified to learn that Porsche had abandoned a V10 engined sports racer in favour of a Sports Utility Vehicle. From a business perspective this new strategy proved to be the right one and the Cayenne really turned Porsche's fortunes around.

The motorsport department was not shut down completely and concentrated on the production of racing variants of the 911 model. Campaigned by privateers (often with factory support), these 911 GT3s were highly successful and took a class win at Le Mans seven years running. With the financial problems resolved, it was time for Porsche to increase the motorsport program once again. At that time sportscar racing was made up of two classes; LMP1 and LMP2. The differences between the classes were limited with the P1 intended for manufacturers and the P2 class for privateer teams. After having a close look at the regulations, the German manufacturer concluded that the P1 regulations favoured diesel engines too much, so they decided to develop a P2 racer for privateers to run. Porsche did not sell diesel engined cars and clearly had no intention to do so in the future.

Internally known as the 9R6, the new Porsche racer was christened RS Spyder. The design followed a familiar pattern of a carbon fibre monocoque with double wishbones at every corner. It did distinguish itself from the competition by using the specifically developed 3.4 litre V8 engine as a full load bearing member of chassis. Breathing through the mandatory restrictors this 'MR6' engine developed a quoted 480 bhp. It was mated to a six speed gearbox operated by paddles behind the steering wheel. The package was rounded off by a carbon fibre body of a very conventional design. The total package weighed in at the minimum weight of 750 kg. After extensive testing throughout 2005, the RS Spyder was ready in time to debut in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) for the season's final round at Laguna Seca.

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The Porsche 919 Hybrid is a Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) racing car built and used by Porsche in the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons of the FIA World Endurance Championship. It has a two-litre (120 cu in) 90-degree V4 mid-mounted mono-turbocharged petrol engine that produces 500 hp (370 kW) and acts as a chassis load-bearing member - and two separate energy-recovery hybrid systems to recover thermal energy from exhaust gases and convert kinetic energy into electrical energy under braking for storage into lithium-ion battery packs. In accordance with the 2014 regulations, the vehicle was placed in the 6 MJ (1.7 kWh) class.

On 4 March 2014, the 919 Hybrid was shown to the press for the first time during the Geneva Motor Show. Porsche supplied two cars, driven by six drivers, for the season. Romain Dumas, Neel Jani, and Marc Lieb won three pole positions and the season-ending 6 Hours of São Paulo as Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber helped the team to finish third in the World Manufacturers' Championship.

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The Lola T70 is a sports prototype developed by British manufacturer Lola Cars in 1965. Lola built the aluminium monocoque chassis, which were typically powered by large American V8's.

Early success for the Lola T70 came when Walt Hansgen won the Monterey Grand Prix, at Laguna Seca Raceway, on 17 October 1965, driving John Mecom's Lola T70-Ford.

In 1966, the hot setup for the Can-Am was a T70 Chevrolet, winning five of six races during the year. John Surtees was the champion and Dan Gurney drove the only Ford powered car ever to win a Can-Am race. In 1967, no one could compete with the new M6 McLaren.

When the FIA changed the rules for sports car racing for the 1968 season, limiting engine size of prototypes to three liters, sportscars with up to five liter engines were allowed if at least fifty were made. This homologation rule allowed the popular yet outdated Ford GT40 and Lola T70s to continue racing. The Fords won Le Mans again in 1968 and 1969, while the T70's only big endurance win was a one–two finish in the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona when the Sunoco Lola T70-Chevrolet of Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons. headed the American International Racing entry of Ed Leslie and Lothar Motschenbacher. When the minimum number was lowered to twenty five for 1969, the more modern Porsche 917 and Ferrari 512 were homologated and outran the older Lolas and Fords.

A Lola T70, in the pits at Silverstone in 2007
Chevrolet powered coupes tended to not run as well in Europe as they did in North America. Some reliability problems arose when racing in Europe, mainly due to the grade of fuel allowed. When forced to run on commercially available "pump fuel", with a lower octane rating than the "Avgas" permitted under American rules, engine failures related to detonation became an issue. In modern historic racing, these engines show spectacular reliability due to parts unavailable in the 1960s and better fuel quality than the historically poor petrol supplied by the ACO.

An Aston Martin powered coupe was entered by Lola for Le Mans in 1967. Even with drivers such as John Surtees, it was a disaster. The Aston Martin V8 engine failed after short runs, attributed to inadequate developmental funds.