Lola B08/60

The Lola B08/60 is a Le Mans Prototype built by Lola Cars International. It is the first closed-cockpit sports prototype built by Lola since the 1992 T92/10. It started competition in 2008, with Aston Martin being among the first customers for their entry into the LMP1 category in Le Mans Series, albeit entering under Charouz Racing System banner.

Development

Announced in late 2006, the B08/60 had been developed following not only Peugeot's introduction of their closed-cockpit coupe, the 908, but also the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's (ACO) announcement of rule changes in 2010 that would have allowed only closed-cockpit LMP1s at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Lola set out to build a car that could compete with the aerodynamic advantages of the 908 and other planned coupes, while preparing for the 2010 rule changes beforehand.

The design of the B08/60 shares many elements with its predecessor, the B06/10, with notable exception of the closed versus open cockpits. The nose and sidepods feature similar cooling and venting structures as the B06/10, while a slightly larger nose is based on the 2007-spec designs offered by Lola. Phil Tiller was in charge of the B08/60's aerodynamics, and developed the narrow cockpit. Integrated in the cockpit design are a roof-mounted air intake for the engine. The shoulders of the cockpit are also designed in a stepped fashion.

The B08/60's design has also been aided by a partnership between Lola, Fluent, Inc., and AMD. The two firms provide engineering software and hardware respectively. [citeweb | url = http://www.planetlemans.com/2007/06/11/meet-the-lola-b0860/ | title = Meet the Lola B08/60 | publisher = Planetlemans.com | date = 11 June 2007 | accessdate = 2008-01-10] Wind tunnel testing of scale models had been carried out since early 2007, with multiple shapes being analyzed before the first car was completed in December.

During the development of the B08/60, Lola also approved the development of an LMP2 variant of the design. This car, known as B08/80, shares many elements from the B08/60, but better adapted to the LMP2 regulations which saw smaller engines, lower speeds, and generally smaller teams competing. [citeweb | url = http://www.planetlemans.com/2008/01/10/lola-coupe-plans-unveiled/ | title = Lola Coupe plans revealed | publisher = PlanetLeMans | date = 10 January 2008 | accessdate = 2008-01-10]

In November 2007 Aston Martin reached an agreement with Lola to purchase the first B08/60 and installing the 6.0 litre V12 from the DBR9 race car. This is Aston Martin's first attempt at running a sports-prototype since the AMR1 in 1989. Prodrive, Aston Martin's racing partner, chose Charouz Racing System to run the new team for a full entry in the Le Mans Series and 24 Hours of Le Mans. [citeweb | url = http://www.astonmartinracing.com/news?a=c52fff34-0e7c-4a97-9507-b27dbf4c2e3d | title = Aston Martin Power LMP1 in 2008 | publisher = Aston Martin Racing | date = 10 January 2008 | accessdate = 2008-01-10]

Further B08/60s will be available to other customers, with a variety of engines able to be adapted to fit the chassis.

References

External links

* [http://www.lola-group.com Lola Cars International]
* [http://www.astonmartinracing.com Aston Martin Racing]
* [http://racing.charouz.cz/EN/lms_en.html Charouz Racing System]
* [http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3557/Lola-B08-60-Aston-Martin.html Lola B08/60 Aston Martin at Ultimatecarpage.com]