After capturing the public imagination at Nürburgring, American James Glickenhaus seriously envisages entering his P4/5 Competizione at the '24 Heures du Mans'.

Act 1 - The story began in 2006 when businessman James Glickenhaus commissioned his own Ferrari with coachbuilder Pininfarina. The model - a subtle reminder of the glorious 330 P4 prototype of the Le Mans 24 Hours 1967 - could not pass unnoticed: the media impact was immense, almost as if it were a new model produced in Maranello ... A success so great that Ferrari had no other choice but to officially recognize it as a genuine Ferrari!

Act 2 - Building on this success, James Glickenhaus then embarked on following up with the "Competizione" project. After tentative beginnings at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring 2011, the car has reached a turning point this year with the addition of KERS from F1. In May, it was placed 12th in the German classic, while also improving the best lap of a Ferrari the famous Nordschleife (6:51).

Act 3 - According to the owner of the car, the story could go further ... Much further! The New Yorker's dream is to enter a hybrid LM P1 at the '24 Heures du Mans 2014'. He walks in the footsteps of his hero Luigi Chinetti, and the North American Racing Team (NART), the last team to win overall in a Ferrari at the '24 Heures du Mans' (1965).

Will the development of the P4/5 Competizione continue?
James Glickenhaus: "We have completed a new development to make the car even more competitive. We will compete on the 27th of October at the Nurburgring in a race that will count for the FIA Alternative Energies Cup where we are currently in Class 7."

What can you say about the drawings circulating on the internet for a few days?
"We are exploring the possibility of entering an LMP1 version of the P4/5 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The future regulations seem to favour alternative energy ..."

What does the project require?
"We must gather enough sponsors to build, develop and operate the car. According to our forecasts, the budget will be about 15 million euros."

Julien Hergault

Illustrations : This might be the shape of the LM P1 version of the famous P4/5.