Saturday, June 19, 2010

Panoz Unleashes New Abruzzi "Spirit of Le Mans" Supercar


The hand-built Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans will be built with an engine that produces over 600 horsepower (447 kW / 608 PS) and up to 590 ft-lb (799 Nm) of torque. Developed by American niche manufacturer Panoz, the car will be limited to 81 vehicles, and is guaranteed to be street legal in Asia, Europe, Middle East and South America.

Not coincidentally, the 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race will take place in 2013, presumably with the limited edition car in the pack.

"This is culmination of equal parts time, effort and dreams," said company founder Don Panoz. "The Panoz brand always has prided itself on hand-building and delivering an exotic automobile and experience to our customers. Our new offering takes this to a completely new level."

The as-yet undisclosed engine will be mounted at the front, though an advanced radiator will be mounted at the back. The car's body uses a multi-layer composite material instead of carbon fiber because it is lighter, just as strong, more resistant to damage, and recyclable. While a progression on the Panoz Esperante GTR-1, the car does have its own unique progressions. Items like the dual front split and the carved front end have been seen before, but not in the way portrayed here. The elimination of the front headlight bulbs, in place of LED lighting strips, looks interesting, as do the side sills. A nice revision can be seen at the back, where the rear end has styling that better matches the front.

Personalization will be a big aspect of this car, though the company did not state what aspects would be customizable. A nice bonus is that customers will be able to receive driver training at the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans, while getting VIP treatment at a 24 Hours of Le Mans event. Pricing for the Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans has not been disclosed.

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