Motorsports Style - The Panoz LMP Roadster

A natural evolution of their beautiful front-engine GT1 race car, the Panoz Esperante GT1 is one of the most unique prototype race cars ever. How unique? Well... name as many front-engined Le Mans Prototypes as you can in under ten seconds (that epic fail known as the Panoz LMP07 notwithstanding). This was a once-in-a-lifetime racing machine. It was a natural evolution of the Panoz GTR-1 (which many affectionately call the Batmobile). What does it sound like? Here's a weird description- it's a beautiful LMP that sounds like an American muscle car. It may be the loveliest and most unique LMPs of all time. Why should this car hold a special place in sportscar racing fans' hearts? Simple- this was Audi's best opposition. Anytime you beat the Audi R8 LMP race cars, you DESERVE some respect.

--- Motorsports Style: The Panoz LMP-1 Roadster 1 ---

Here's the lovely car here:


^ from: zoompics.com

This car possesses lots of style. It sounds like a muscle car and handles pretty nicely. The front-engined setup gives you a better chance of getting some better torque and handling in the corners. It is a very unique car.

I love the fastback look of the Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S. It's so long on the sides and has that beautiful overall flow to its design. The rear wing is styled aggressively. Where the driver sits, the roll hoop and such makes this car feel like an Indy car. I think what Panoz was going for is to take their GTR-1 and make a sweet LMP version while going with an unusual (for an LMP) front-engine/RWD configuration. It's a car with a great deal of character in its design and style. It seduces you with its looks, and it blows you away with its performance.





As a whole, I don't think we'll ever see another LMP this unique in its design. Panoz has been racing in the GT class of the American Le Mans Series since unveiling the Panoz GTLM. But I'm pretty sure that if given the opportunity again, Panoz would probably gladly build a true successor to the LMP-1 Roadster S... just not a brother of the failed LMP07.