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Image credits: © Panoz.
2010 Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans news, pictures, and information | ||
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PANOZ MAKES HISTORY WITH ABRUZZI 'SPIRIT OF LE MANS' New supercar quite appropriately unveiled at Le Mans
LE MANS, France – Don Panoz again has captured the Spirit of Le Mans. This time, one of the world's most forward-thinking entrepreneurs is pairing his newest automotive masterpiece wîth the legacy of the world's greatest auto race. The Panoz Abruzzi 'Spirit of Le Mans' broke cover today at the Circuit de La Sarthe, an appropriate venue for the world debut of a ground-breaking automobile wîth a very appropriate delivery and acquisition program for its customers.'This is culmination of equal parts time, effort and dreams,' said Panoz, founder of the Panoz Motor Sports Group. '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 Abruzzi 'Spirit of Le Mans' is more than a technological masterpiece from Panoz Auto Development (PAD), based in Hoschton, Ga. It represents a new chapter in automotive production and delivery, tied into the world's most demanding auto race.
The super sports car will be offered as a strictly limited edition. Only 81 Abruzzi 'Spirit of Le Mans' vehicles will ever be produced, corresponding to the number of Le Mans 24 Hour contests between the inception of the race in 1923 and the race to be held in 2013.Abruzzi: The Car
The hand-built Abruzzi 'Spirit of Le Mans' is a unique, front-engine, rear-transaxle and rear-radiator super sports car - road-legal in Europe and many countries of Asia, the Middle East and South America. The powertrain will deliver 600-plus HP wîth 590 ft.-lbs. of torque. Advanced design and aerodynamics offer astounding downforce and road-holding.
 | Vital Stats |
| Engine : Power: 600 hp Torque: 590 ft-lbs | |
Abruzzi also introduces TRIFECTACOOLING® technology. In addition to a normal high-efficiency radiator, there are stage two and stage three systems that lower coolant temperature on both the inflow to and the outflow from the radiator.'These are advancements that will open up a new era of automotive design,' Panoz §äid. 'Dating back to our first road car – the AIV Roadster – PAD has been a believer in efficient construction and design. This philosophy continues wîth our Abruzzi.'
Abruzzi: The Experience
The Panoz Abruzzi harkens back to a day where drivers would pilot their cars to Le Mans, race it twice around the clock then drive back home. It essentially captures the 'Spirit of Le Mans' wîth a never-before-seen acquisition program that sets a new standard for personalization and delivery.
Given the roots of Panoz's automotive dreams, it is only appropriate that the Abruzzi 'Spirit of Le Mans' will be delivered to its owners at the famed Circuit de la Sarthe, shipped directly there from the Panoz factory. Each automobile will be linked to a specific Le Mans 24 Hour race, wîth the chassis number also containing that specific race date and the initials of the winning drivers and the history of that year.Professional drivers will instruct owners in driving the car on the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans. Service and repairs also will be attended to at the ACO facilities of the Circuit 24 Hours of Le Mans.
New vehicle owners also will be invited to the 24 Hours of Le Mans as guests of the ACO and Panoz at the ACO's hospitality facilities in the 'Model Sportif' at the circuit. New owners also will have the unique opportunity to drive a parade lap of the full 8.3-mile circuit at that year's event.
During the Le Mans race week a 'Spirit of Le Mans' reception will be held at the clubhouse of the famed Golf Des 24 Heuers in the historic town of Arnage. The new owners for that year will be the guests of the ACO officials and past 'Spirit of Le Mans' award winners such as Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell.'Being associated wîth the ACO and Le Mans is something very special to me,' Panoz §äid. 'Being able to stand side-by-side wîth the heroes and legends of Le Mans gives me a sense of appreciation and passion for this grand event. I felt it was important to give our customers the same experience, and I am grateful to our partners at the ACO for helping make this happen.'
Panoz Auto Development produces leading-edge, fully certified automobiles and is best known for the first ÚS-manufactured AIV (Aluminum Intensive Vehicle) - the Panoz AIV Roadster. The Panoz Esperante body and chassis also extensively employs aluminum for performance, safety and efficiency. The Panoz Esperante GTLM earned world-famous stature as a race car by winning the GT2 category at both the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a single year – 2006.Source - Panoz
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 | Monterey, California – As the engineer responsible for the design and development of some of the most successful and innovative racing and GT cars ever conceived, Giotto Bizzarrini remains one of the most revered names in motorsport history. Hailing from Livorno, Italy and eventually leaving Alfa Romeo for Ferrari where he began as a test driver and quickly rose to Chief Engineer, Bizzarrini collaborated with Carlo Chiti on the 250 Testa Rossa's V-12 engine and the 250 SWB, with his caree...[Read more...] |
| Four Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro Cars At Test Day For The Le Mans 24 Hours | |
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| RM Auctions Posts a Spectacular $95 Million in Monterey | |
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| 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans: Finally a Victory, Still 2nd | |
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| Coveted Pair of Ford GT40's Join the Starting Grid For RM's Monterey Sale | |
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| AIV Roadster Esperante |
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