Panoz LMP07

Lore & Background

The LMP07 was developed by an entirely new team of manufacturers and designers, with Élan Motorsport Technologies taking over from Reynard Motorsport as main designer and constructor. Andy Thorby served as chief designer. Élan turned to Zytek for a custom 4.0 litre V8, replacing the Ford-derived 6.0 litre unit used in the LMP-1 Roadster-S, aiming to lower weight and center of gravity. The car retained the front-engine design with a high nose, but introduced shallow valleys between fenders and engine cover, vertical intakes beside the cockpit, and large vertical fins on the inside of the fenders that doubled as rear wing supports and safety structures. The nose abandoned the NACA duct for two small porthole intakes, and brake cooling was redesigned with vertical vents cut into the nose sides.

The LMP07 was announced at the 2000 Petit Le Mans. The first chassis ran at the Race of a Thousand Years on 31 December 2000 in Adelaide, lasting only two laps before an alternator failure. Jan Magnussen qualified 5th, nearly 2 seconds slower than teammate David Brabham in the LMP-1 Roadster-S. In 2001, the car finished third at Texas but both cars failed to finish at Sebring. At Le Mans, both retired early and qualified nearly ten seconds slower than the Audis. Panoz reverted to the LMP-1 Roadster-S and sold the three LMP07 chassis to privateers.

MBD Sportscar purchased two chassis for 2002, replacing the Zytek V8 with Mugen MF408S 4.0 litre V8s, which allowed a lower engine cover and reversion to a NACA duct. The cars remained unreliable; one caught fire at Sebring. MBD abandoned the series after Le Mans, and no other teams purchased the cars.

Reader's Guide

The Panoz LMP07 is notable primarily as a failed evolution of a successful front-engine prototype. Despite retaining the unusual front-engine layout that had brought Panoz victories, the LMP07 proved slower and less reliable than its predecessor. The car's development involved a complete change of suppliers—Élan and Zytek replacing Reynard and Ford—but the new 4.0 litre Zytek V8 lacked the power and durability of the older 6.0 litre unit. The aerodynamic refinements, including vertical side intakes and finned rear wing supports, did not compensate for the performance deficit. Panoz's quick abandonment of the LMP07 and return to the LMP-1 Roadster-S underscored the car's shortcomings. In privateer hands with Mugen engines, the LMP07 remained uncompetitive, finishing better than the factory LMP01 Evos only once. Only three chassis were built, and the car's legacy is that of a rare misstep in Panoz's prototype program, a cautionary example of how changing a winning formula can lead to diminished results.

Did You Know?

• The LMP07 lasted only two laps on its debut at the Race of a Thousand Years before an alternator failure.
• Only three LMP07 chassis were ever built.
• Privateer team MBD Sportscar replaced the Zytek V8 with a Mugen MF408S V8 in an attempt to improve performance.
• At the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans, the LMP07s qualified nearly ten seconds slower than the Audi R8s.