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Pers release van Lola:

The all-new Lola B05/40 LMP2 sportscar ran for the first time this afternoon at a wintry Silverstone, opening a brand new era of global sportscar racing as the first LMP2 sportscar by a major manufacturer completed its initial shakedown laps in the hands of customer team RML Group.

Continuing a long and successful history in sportscar racing the B05/40 is now set to make its debut at the famous Sebring 12 Hours next month, a race that has seen recent class victories for the Huntingdon marque, which has a legacy of success in endurance racing, from the iconic Lola T70 to the more recent B01/60 LMP675 car.

Designed to the new ACO regulations the distinctive new car was driven by RML racers Mike Newton and Tommy Erdos on the Silverstone Stowe circuit.

RML will enter this year’s LMES and Le Mans 24 Hours in the LMP2 category in the new car which receive support from the AD Group. RML will race the car as an EX264 and power will be provided by an MG normally aspirated 3,400 cc V8 engine and the car will run on Michelin tyres.

The driver line-up for the LMES will include Tommy Erdos and Mike Newton who will be joined by an, as yet, unnamed third driver for the Le Mans 24 hours.

Lola Cars International chairman Martin Birrane, himself an enthusiastic sportscar racer, said of the new model. “The LMP2 car is the 5th sportscar project since my ownership of Lola began in 1997. It is a striking new car that I and everyone at Lola expect to continue the winning ways of the company and showcase the continuing technical excellence of Lola from its composite and aerodynamic capabilities to it’s second to none design team. ”

The B05/40 is a state of the art and customer friendly design that has seen over 260 hours in the on-site Lola windtunnel. Work began on the design of the car in early summer 2004 and Lola believe that the B05/40 is not only a sound commercially viable project for their customers but will also be, in time, the basis for an all out attack on an overall win at Le Mans, as the car can be adapted to LMP1 regulations.

Four of the B05/40 chassis have already been sold to customers and more of the distinctive Lola’s are set to be built during the year for teams to compete in the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans Endurance Series as well as the jewel in the sportscar crown – the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Technically the B05/40 has been built to race with any of the currently available sportscar engines. Of the first four Lola customers there are three units powering the cars. These are the Judd 3.4 litre V8, the four cylinder AER 2 litre turbo and the Nicholson McLaren V8 engine. Lola have refined and evolved the six-speed paddle shift gearbox, which now fits in to a separate main case and bell housing.

The B05/40 also boasts a large range in aerodynamic adaptability with an array of wing assembly’s available for customers to race at a variety of circuits. The car also features two starter motors and a double battery system that will mean failsafe getaways from pit starts.

Lola customers now begin an intensive pre-Sebring testing schedule as well as preparation for the ALMS and LMES series. Lola engineering support will be at trackside as the B05/40 races to add more silverware to the already impressive results that previous Lola sportscar models have acquired in the past.