Lola B05/40
LMP2 prototype built by Lola Cars International from 2005.
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The Lola B05/40 is a Le Mans Prototype built by Lola Cars International for the LMP2 class, competing in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Developed in 2005, it was intended as a replacement for both the Lola B2K/40 and the MG-Lola EX257. It shares several structural components with the larger LMP1-class Lola B06/10. The car was developed after the Automobile Club de l'Ouest changed Le Mans regulations, eliminating the LMP900 and LMP675 classes in favor of LMP1 and LMP2. When these rules took full effect in 2007, older chassis like Lola’s became illegal, forcing the company to build a new car for the LMP2 rules. The B05/40 is an evolution of the MG-Lola EX257 (also called the Lola B01/60), sharing many mechanical and aerodynamic elements. While the front fenders look similar, the B05/40’s are unique due to major dimensional differences—a 1000 mm overhang versus 810 mm. The nose is raised like the EX257’s but lacks the tip’s opening grill, replaced by two large NACA ducts on either side. Behind the cockpit, twin rollover hoops (now mandated) replace the single hoop behind the driver. The engine air intake sits in a nacelle between these hoops, while turbocharged cars use a large duct on the left side of the cockpit. No standard engine was used in the chassis design; the B05/40 was built to accept a wide variety of powerplants for privateer customers. Engines included Nicholson-McLaren V8s, Judd V8s, Zytek V8s, Acura V8s, AER turbocharged inline-4s, and Mazda turbocharged inline-4s. Lola continuously upgraded the B05/40 after 2005, including bodywork changes for better aerodynamics. In late 2006, a new chassis for Fernández Racing’s Acura team received slight upgrades, leading Lola to call it the B06/40. For the 2007 season, further upgrades were unveiled and used by nearly all B05/40 customers, including a redesigned front end that replaced the NACA ducts with a single opening in the nose. Although all chassis were upgraded, naming varied by team, with B05/40, B06/40, and B07/40 all used. Ray Mallock Ltd. used a modified version called the MG EX264, which was effectively 90% B05/40; it later received the 2007 bodywork while keeping the EX264 name.
Quick Facts
- Class
- LMP2
- Manufacturer
- Lola Cars International
- Introduced
- 2005
- Predecessors
- Lola B2K/40, MG-Lola EX257
- Related
- Lola B06/10 (LMP1-class)
- Engines used
- Nicholson-McLaren V8, Judd V8, Zytek V8, Acura V8, AER turbocharged Inline-4, Mazda turbocharged Inline-4
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The B05/40 was developed following a change to Le Mans regulations by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which eliminated the LMP900 and LMP675 classes in favor of LMP1 and LMP2. Many older chassis, including Lola's, would become illegal when the new regulations took full effect in 2007, prompting the development of an all-new car. The B05/40 can be seen as an evolution of the MG-Lola EX257 (also known as Lola B01/60), sharing many mechanical and aerodynamic elements. While the front fenders appear similar in shape, major dimensional differences exist—1000 mm overhang versus 810 mm—making the B05/40's fenders bespoke. The nose is raised like the EX257 but lacks the opening grill at the tip, replaced by two large NACA ducts on either side. Behind the cockpit, mandated twin rollover hoops replace the single roll hoop, with the engine air intake placed in a nacelle between them; turbocharged cars use a large duct on the left side of the cockpit. The chassis was designed to accept a wide variety of engines, as it was a customer chassis for privateers. Lola continually upgraded the B05/40 from 2005, including bodywork upgrades. In late 2006, a new chassis for Fernández Racing's Acura team included slight upgrades, termed B06/40. For the 2007 season, further upgrades included a redesigned front end replacing the NACA ducts with a single opening in the nose. Naming varied by team, with B05/40, B06/40, and B07/40 all used. Ray Mallock Ltd. used a modified version called the MG EX264, which is effectively 90% B05/40, later upgraded with 2007 bodywork while retaining the EX264 name.
Reader's Guide
The Lola B05/40 served as a versatile customer chassis for privateer teams across multiple endurance series. In its initial 2005 season, Intersport Racing easily won the LMP2 championship in the American Le Mans Series with five victories, while Chamberlain-Synergy Motorsport took the LMP2 championship in the Le Mans Endurance Series. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year, Ray Mallock Ltd. took the LMP2 victory. In 2006, Intersport could not retain the ALMS LMP2 title due to competition from the Porsche RS Spyder, despite scoring three wins. In the Le Mans Series, Barazi-Epsilon's Courage outperformed the Ray Mallock EX264, which had one win. Chamberlain-Synergy's chassis scored three wins, but a mid-season team takeover split their points, denying them the championship. Ray Mallock again won LMP2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2006. For 2007, Intersport moved to LMP1, while Fernández Racing joined with an upgraded B05/40 for the Acura Le Mans project, and B-K Motorsports purchased a new B05/40 for their Mazda project. The B05/40's adaptability to various engines and continuous upgrades allowed it to remain competitive across multiple seasons, serving as a foundation for later variants such as the B07/46.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What engines could be fitted to the Lola B05/40?
The chassis was designed to accept a broad range of powerplants, from Nicholson-McLaren, Judd, Zytek, and Acura V8s to turbocharged inline-fours supplied by AER and Mazda. That flexibility let customer teams select whichever engine package best suited their budget and strategy.
Why did Lola build the B05/40 in the first place?
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest overhauled its Le Mans regulations, collapsing the former LMP900 and LMP675 categories into just LMP1 and LMP2. Lola needed a fresh, competitive LMP2 chassis to fill that new class, and the B05/40 was the answer.
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