Early last year the unique DeltaWing prototype race car was unveiled at the Chicago auto show. The idea was for it to be considered for future Indy cars but it was rejected as being too radical.
Luckily the chief designer Ben Bowlby, a former Lola Cars designer, persevered and earlier this year it was granted the “56th entry” garage at Le Mans. It’s a special invitation extended by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the organizers of the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans race, to encourage innovation and the introduction of new technologies. The 56th entry may race outside the standard technical classifications.
Today Michelin announced it would be the first major technical partner to support the radical Project 56 DeltaWing prototype car in the 2012 running of the world’s greatest endurance race.
Michelin says it has developed a tire solution that pushes the performance envelope and matches the innovative DeltaWing strategy to reduce by half the weight, power, aerodynamic drag, fuel and tire usage of a Le Mans prototype race car — while delivering the same speed and performance. The Michelin tire sizes for the DeltaWing project are: 10/58-15 (front) and 31/62-15 (rear). It’s difficult to tell from the photos but there are actually two wheels at the front so the car is not as unstable as it looks at first glance.
Highcroft Racing will run the team. The engine supplier has not yet been announced but it is expected to be powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing over 300 horsepower.
The first two DeltaWing sports cars are currently being constructed by none other than Dan Gurney at his All American Racers facilities in Santa Ana, Calif. On-track testing is expected to begin late this year.
The 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be June 16-17, 2012, at the 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe, approximately 90 miles southwest of Paris. We can’t wait to see how the DeltaWing performs when it goes up against conventional cars, such as this year’s winning diesel-powered Audi R18, at Le Mans next year.
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